Senior Congress leaders courted arrest on Thursday after leading a massive rally from Freedom Park to Vidhana Soudha, while protesting against the ‘corrupt’ BJP government and its ‘administrative failures’.
The Big Three of the state Congress - Opposition leaders Siddaramaiah and Motamma and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar launched Janandolana – a movement to expose the BJP government at Freedom Park, which was piloted by newly appointed Bangalore Urban and Rural District Congress Committee presidents Dinesh Gundu Rao and S.T. Somashekhar.
The movement also provided an impetus to Congress leaders to bury their differences and give a clarion call to the cadre to gear up for the coming Assembly elections. Interestingly, the Congress leaders tried to woo the traditional BJP voter base – middle class voters— by crying foul over ‘corruption and moral degradation’ in the ruling BJP.
During the speeches, the leaders decried the BJP’s lack of respect for women, the deteriorating law and order situation in the city and the fact that the infighting was taking a toll of developmental activity. Said Siddaramaiah, “Both government and governance are missing in Karnataka. The law and order situation has worsened. An MLA’s wife was found dead, efficient officers like ACCF Madan Nayak and KAS officer Mahantesh are hacked to death, a corporator gets murdered, gang wars take place in broad daylight. Still, the police remain clueless about the killers. It is clear that the police are under pressure and not allowed to function independently. Violence and crime are increasing because there is no fear of the law or respect for the government.”