Samiti wants Bommai to announce govt. stand on Surathkal toll plaza

MANGALURU

The Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samiti on Friday, November 4, wanted Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai, who will be in Udupi district on Monday, to visit the indefinite strike site at NITK-Surathkal toll plaza and announce the State government’s stand on the removal of the toll plaza.

Addressing individuals and members of various organisations who were sitting on a dharna in support of the demand for the removal of the toll plaza, samiti convener Muneer Katipalla said it had been months since the government announced on the floor of the Legislative Assembly about removing the toll plaza. As the indefinite dharna entered the eighth day, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, and other legislators who had given multiple deadlines for the closure have become silent now, he said.

If the “extortion” at the toll plaza continues unabated, the struggle for the removal of the toll plaza gets converted as the struggle to throw away the BJP from Tulunadu, Mr. Katipalla cautioned. The only option available for Mr. Kateel, who has miserably failed to get the toll plaza removed, was to tender resignation from his position.

Belthangady Taluk Beedi Workers Union and Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Raj Parishat, Udupi, took the lead of the eighth-day dharna. Former Minister K. Abhayachandra Jain, labour leaders B.M. Bhat, Eshwari Padmunja, Shyamaraj Patrame, Rameez Belthangady, Kavu Hemanatha Shetty, Yaseen Kudroli, and others were present.