Youth Congress holds protest against Private Bus Owners for Stopping KSRTC Bus service
Udupi: “The Bharatiya Janatha Party has joined hands with the private bus operators to create problems for the people and poor students”, alleged President of Udupi Constituency Election Campaign Committee and Congress Leader Amrith Shenoy.
He was speaking during a protest held at the Clock Tower here on July 6, against private bus operators who have managed to bring a stay in the movement of KSRTC buses through a high court order.
Addressing the protesters Amrith said, “Minister Pramod Madhwaraj suppressing pressure from the private bus operators had introduced KSRTC buses in the district. He has been effectively serving the people without any discrimination of caste and religion. Former MLA Raghupati Bhat had announced various schemes for the district and had even laid foundation stones, but he failed to get necessary financial resources for the projects he had announced”.
Amrith further said, “Pramod Madhwaraj has worked effectively towards providing necessary financial assistance to the projects that were stalled in the constituency. He has also renovated the indoor stadium after it failed to comply with the sporting standards. Raghupati Bhat had only laid the foundation stone to the swimming pool but Pramod Madhwaraj made all the necessary financial arrangements from the government of Karnataka for the completion of the project. The BJP cannot digest the success of Pramod Madhwaraj. The JNURM buses were effectively being utilized by the students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Pramod Madhwaraj had played an effective role in sanctioning buses to Udupi”.
“The competition between private buses has taken many lives. The Congress Party is not opposing the movement of private buses in the district but it is opposing the double standard by the BJP to stop the JNURM buses in the district. The BJP is silent on the Kaup BJP President Suresh Naik who has managed to get a stay order from the high court of Karnataka. If Raghupati Bhat is concerned of the poor people let him question the behaviour of private bus operators. Our protest is not against the High Court of Karnataka but against the private bus lobby”, he added.
Congress Secretary Janardhan Bhandarkar said that Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes had taken a special interest during the UPA government to sanction JNURM buses to Udupi. Upon Pramod Madhwaraj’s request, new buses were allotted to the district and buses had commenced operations from October 2016. It is a disgrace that the BJP leaders who give big talks on serving people have managed to bring a stay order on the movement of JNURM buses. Saying that the timings and price differences could be settled by bringing a stay on the movement of JNURM buses. If BJP is concerned about the people and if it possesses any morality it should condemn the act by its leaders and join the protest, he said.
CMC President Meenakshi Madhav Bannaje, Congress leaders Prakyath Shetty, Veronica Cornelio, Vishwas Amin, Yatish Karkera, Prashanth Poojary, Yatish Karkera, Sairaj, Neeraj Patil, Yuvraj, Christian D’Almeida, Chandrika Shetty, Jyothi Hebbar, Narasimha Murthy, Yuvraj, Ramesh Kanchan, Celina Karkada, Melwyn D’Souza, Ramesh Kanchan and others were present.