4 months ago
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The much-publicised projected padayatra from Ballari to Bengaluru, to beryllium launched connected January 17, has been enactment connected clasp aft the BJP cardinal enactment reportedly declined support for the march portion allowing a nationalist gathering successful Ballari.
The padayatra was announced successful the aftermath of the January 1 violent clash successful Ballari betwixt supporters of Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy and Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, which led to the decease of a Congress idiosyncratic and injuries to respective others.
Mr. Janardhan Reddy and erstwhile Minister B. Sriramulu had past declared that a padayatra would beryllium undertaken from Ballari to Bengaluru to protestation what they described arsenic the ‘goondaism of the Congress’. The projected way and halt points had been circulated done enactment WhatsApp groups.
However, well-placed enactment sources said the precocious bid had fixed the go-ahead for a nationalist gathering successful Ballari connected January 17 but not for the padayatra. The improvement is being seen arsenic a setback to Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy and his associates, peculiarly erstwhile Minister B. Sriramulu, who had hoped to mobilise the party’s cadre and rebuild their governmental basal done the projected march.
‘Not cancelled’
“Padayatra is not cancelled, it has lone been enactment connected clasp arsenic the enactment enactment is yet to springiness its approval. The nationalist gathering will, however, beryllium held arsenic scheduled,” a BJP person from Ballari told The Hindu.
Ballari territory BJP president Anilkumar Naidu sought to play down the issue, saying the agitation would beryllium carried retired successful phases. “The protestation is being organised successful the archetypal phase. The padayatra will beryllium taken up successful the coming days. Everything volition hap phase-wise,” helium said.
Meeting connected January 17
Meanwhile, N. Ravikumar a BJP person and MLC, connected January 16, told the reporters successful Ballari that the determination connected the padayatra would beryllium taken astatine the party’s Core Committee gathering scheduled for January 17.
State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra attributed the hold to organisational issues astatine the nationalist level. “The hold is caused by the ongoing process of appointing the BJP nationalist president. Personally, I americium not opposed to immoderate padayatra by enactment leaders successful Karnataka. But we privation to debar confusion, arsenic happened during an earlier padayatra to Mysuru. All specified programmes indispensable beryllium brought to the announcement of the cardinal leadership,” helium told reporters successful Belagavi connected January 16, adding that helium would sermon the substance with cardinal leaders during his sojourn to New Delhi connected January 19-20.
Local factors
Political observers, however, judge the leadership’s reluctance stems from concerns implicit the optics and governmental implications of the padayatra. They constituent retired that the Ballari unit was little a clash betwixt the Congress and the BJP, and much a confrontation betwixt section rival leaders Nara Bharath Reddy and Janardhan Reddy, who person been astatine likelihood for respective years.
According to them, the BJP enactment is wary of allowing Mr. Janardhan Reddy, who continues to look ineligible scrutiny successful illegal mining cases, to task himself arsenic a frontline person done a high-profile padayatra.
Apparently, the enactment is besides keen to debar being projected arsenic antagonistic to the Valmiki community, which has a important beingness successful Ballari and neighbouring districts, arsenic the violence was triggered aft supporters of Mr. Janardhan Reddy allegedly tore down banners enactment up by Congress workers to publicise the projected unveiling of a statue of Maharshi Valmiki.
