Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Aug 31: Congress party leaders and activists laid siege to the B C Road Mini Vidhan Saudha here on Tuesday August 31 in the leadership of former minister B Ramanath Rai alleging discrimination over KSRTC ICU bus facilities, Covid vaccinations and distribution of food kits.

The doors of the Mini Vidhan Saudha were closed and policemen were deployed after obtaining advance information of the protests. But the protesters pushed open the doors, proceeded to the tahsildar’s office and held discussions.

B Ramanath Rai speaking to reporters after the talks with the tahsildar said that KSRTC’s ICU bus belongs to the government but its supervision is given to the president of BJP supported panchayat administration even at the place where Congress supported administration prevails.

“The responsibility of distributing food kits provided by the government is assigned to the respective panchayat PDOs. But unknown people distribute them to houses. Though those are expected to contain items worth Rs two thousand, the kits that are distributed in Bantwal only have items worth Rs 700 in them. Their distribution is mired with irregularities,” he alleged.

“Kits are being distributed by the labour department for workers who are in distress due to the Corona lockdown. But none of the eligible workers have received them in Bantwal. The kits that should have been distributed among workers have reached unknown people’s houses,” he said.

“There are discriminations in vaccinations too. Though there are sufficient facilities for vaccinations at primary health centres, those are being administered at the panchayat building of the BJP administration. The health department also is involved in this discrepancy,” he said.

The MLA here has taken for granted politics as his birth right. Violent protests will be held if irregularities continue,” he said.

The protesters shouted slogans expressing anguish against BJP, health department, Bantwal taluk administration and Bantwal MLA.

Bantwal and Panemangalore block Congress president Baby Kunder, Sudeep Kumar Shetty, district panchayat former member Chandraprakash Shetty, Padmashekar Jain, Taluk panchayat former vice president Abbas Ali, Bantwal municipal council president Mohammed Sharif, vice president Jacinta D’ Souza, Panemangalore and Bantwal block ladies Congress president Jayanti V Poojary and Lavina Vilma Moras, municipal council members Aboobacker Siddik Bogodi, Gangadhar Lolaksha Shetty, Janardhan Chendthimar, Booda former president Sadashiva Bangera, Taluk youth congress president Nawaz Badakabail, Mayilappa Salian, Mohammed Nandavar, Yousuf Karandladi, Prashanth Kulal and Congress activists were present.