Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Nov 7: Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi on Friday accused those opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls of attempting to undermine the country's democracy and electoral system.

"Future generations will regard them as betrayers of trust and traitors to the nation," Suresh Gopi said while addressing a public meeting organised at Kadri Grounds as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Save Democracy, End Anarchy' campaign. He inaugurated the meeting.

Quoting a verse from the famous poem 'Bharata Samudayam Vazhgave' by renowned Tamil poet Subramania Bharathiyar, Suresh Gopi said it was unfortunate that a ruling party had been forced to organise a protest in response to an agitation launched by the opposition.

He alleged that those spreading misinformation about the SIR exercise, which is aimed at ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, were misleading the country's youth.

"Kharge's son should understand that Narendra Modi is not going anywhere from this country. It is your leader and his family who should leave. If they do not go voluntarily, the people themselves will lift them up and throw them into the Arabian Sea," he declared.

Suresh Gopi said the protest meeting was only the beginning and warned that public anger would engulf those opposing the initiative.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, BJP Dakshina Kannada district president Satish Kumpala, Udupi district president Naveen Shetty Kuthyaru, Kasaragod district president N L Ashwini, MP Captain Brijesh Chowta, Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLAs D Vedavyas Kamath, Harish Poonja, Rajesh Naik Ulipadyguthu, K Umanath Kotian, Gurme Suresh Shetty, Bhagirathi Murulya, Gururaj Gantihole, Dr Y Bharath Shetty, Yashpal Suvarna and Kiran Kumar Kodgi, and MLCs Kishore Kumar Puttur and Pratapsimha Nayak were among those who attended the meeting.