Bengaluru, August 26: The Karnataka BJP will embark on a 200-kilometer foot march from Raichur to Bellary, scheduled from September 1 to September 10. The party aims to highlight the alleged failures of the state’s Congress government during this journey.
During a media briefing at the BJP’s state headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, state president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra shared details about the march. He indicated that the march will address various issues, including the government’s neglect of development projects, farmers’ challenges, lack of welfare schemes for the poor, failures in job creation, issues related to the implementation of reservations, problems in North Karnataka, and unfilled government vacancies.
Vijayendra stated that the march will commence in Raichur on September 1 and conclude in Bellary on September 10. Central ministers are expected to participate in both the inauguration and closing events.
He emphasized that the ten-day foot march aims to expose the government’s anti-poor, anti-farmer, and anti-youth policies while raising public awareness. Leaders from the Janata Dal (Secular), including central minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, are also expected to support the initiative.
Vijayendra accused the Congress government of prematurely ending the assembly session to avoid discussing critical issues. He noted that the BJP had previously demanded the removal of Minister B. Nagendra, who faces allegations related to the Valmiki Corporation scam, to allow the opposition to raise public concerns.
According to him, the government shortened the session instead of addressing topics such as drought conditions, alleged irregularities in KPSC recruitment, government appointments, issues in North Karnataka, the Bidadi township project, and the NICE project.
Vijayendra claimed, “If these issues were discussed, the government’s failures would have been exposed. The Chief Minister shortened the session out of fear.”
Referring to the Valmiki Corporation scam, he mentioned that a suicide note found in the case allegedly referenced a minister’s verbal instructions for fund transfers.
He asserted that even former Chief Ministers have acknowledged the occurrence of the scam, and Excise Minister K.M. Shivalinge Gowda has implicated B. Nagendra in the matter.
Vijayendra criticized the government for not allowing sufficient time to discuss the cancellation of BPL cards, delays in old-age pensions, and shortcomings in welfare schemes. He stated, “By not discussing issues affecting the people, the government has wasted assembly time.”
The BJP state president accused Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of being more interested in real estate projects than governance. He pointed out that the Bidadi township, the proposed Kanakapura airport, and the NICE project are all real estate-related, and the Chief Minister’s focus appears to be solely on these.
Vijayendra alleged that the government is adopting a “double standard,” promoting tree planting while simultaneously encouraging real estate development. He noted that after becoming Chief Minister, Shivakumar initially showed enthusiasm, but his momentum has slowed down over the past two months.
He also criticized the government for the delay in cabinet expansion and departmental allocations, claiming it has created dissatisfaction among ministers. He added that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is also unhappy with the current developments. During the event, the BJP released a poster outlining the proposed route for the foot march.
Several senior leaders, including R. Ashok, the opposition leader in the assembly, Chalawadi Narayanaswamy, the opposition leader in the legislative council, former Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, former minister B. Shriramulu, and Gali Janardhan Reddy, were present at the event.
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