The Hindu : Karnataka News : All parties want celebrations to be held: Prakash

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

All parties want celebrations to be held: Prakash

By Our Special Correspondent

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh (second from left), speaking to the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, B.S. Yediyurappa, at the all-party meeting on the Datta Jayanti celebrations, in Bangalore on Wednesday. The Deputy Chief M inister, Siddaramaiah (left); Vatal Nagaraj, MLA; the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, D.H. Shankaramurthy (second from right); and the Revenue Minister, M.P. Prakash (right), are seen. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE, DEC. 8. To ensure that the Datta Jayanti celebrations at Bababudangiri are peaceful, the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, has directed the Minister for Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs, M.P. Prakash, to monitor the arrangements.

The celebrations are to be held from December 24 to 26 in Chikmagalur district. Mr. Prakash will direct the Deputy Commissioner of the district to take steps to ensure that the celebrations are peaceful.

This was decided at an all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister to resolve the contentious issue of organising the Datta Jayanti celebrations. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been urging the Government to allow `pada puja' and `homa' during the Datta Jayanti.

`Unanimity'

Briefing presspersons after the meeting, Mr. Prakash said there was unanimity among the participants that the celebrations should be held, but there was concern over law and order. The Chief Minister appealed to political parties and representatives of organisations in Chikmagalur to cooperate with the district administration to ensure that the celebrations were peaceful.

It was agreed upon by participants at the meeting that the celebrations should be organised in the same manner as they were being held before 1975. There was no need for new customs to be introduced during the celebrations.

Permanent solution

The Government, he said, was keen on finding a permanent solution to the contentious issue and it would take into consideration the suggestions made by the participants. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah; the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, B.S. Yediyurappa; his counterpart in the Council, D.H. Shankaramurthy; the Chief Secretary, K.K. Misra; former Union Ministers C.K. Jaffer Sharief and C.M. Ibrahim; former Law Minister D.B. Chandre Gowda; and representatives of organisations from Chikmagalur district. It is learnt that Mr. Sharief said that there was no objection to holding the Datta Jayanti celebrations and that it had been allegedly politicised by the previous government. The issue, he said, had been blown out of proportion, while it could have been handled tactfully.

Mr. Shankaramurthy said the BJP welcomed the decision. "I do not see any deviation in the Government's stand now as it is echoing the sentiments of the people of the region."

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