Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Railway recruitment: protests continue in Hubli-Dharwad

Opposition: Police personnel evicting Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists from the Dharwad railway station on Tuesday.

HUBLI: Several organisations, including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and the Bharatiya Janata Party, staged “rail roko” and dharna in the twin cities on Tuesday to protest against what they termed as injustice to Kannadigas in the ongoing railway recruitment in the State.

The BJP leaders and activists led by Dharwad North MP Pralhad Joshi staged a dharna in front of the office of the General Manager of the South Western Railway here.

Addressing the protesters, Mr. Joshi said that he and Dharwad South MP Manjunath Kunnur raised the issue of giving priority to local candidates in the recruitment of “D” Group employees in the Railways, in Parliament in August. However, the Railway Minister had clarified that vacancies could not be specifically earmarked for local youth, he said. Mr. Joshi said that the manner in which the recruitment process was being held had raised doubts about Kannadigas being strategically kept out of the reach of the selection, to make room for Bihar-based candidates.

He said in the wake of the protests by several organisations he had written to the Prime Minister apprising him of the developments in the State.

Mr. Joshi said he had sought an appointment for meeting him with a delegation of Kannada organisations and MPs.

Former MP Vijay Sankeshwar and MLAs Chandrakant Bellad and Ashok Katwe condemned the “favouritism” of the Railway authorities and urged the Union Government to immediately take steps in the interest of Kannadigas.

BJP leaders such as Lingaraj Patil, Datta Dorle, Viranna Savadi and Ranga Baddi participated in the dharna.

Meanwhile, members of the vedike stopped Yeshwanthpur-Dadar Chalukya Express at Dharwad railway station for about 20 minutes urging the Railway authorities to stop the recruitment process immediately.

Office-bearers of the vedike including C.H. Neeralakeri, Bhimashankar Patil and Ramesh Badnur had to be forcibly evicted by the police after they declined to withdraw their agitation.

Hubli witnessed another protest on Tuesday by members of various Dalit and progressive organisations.

Staging a dharna in front of the office of Mr. Joshi on Chitaguppi Hospital premises, the protesters charged him of not taking up the issue of injustice caused to Kannadigas. They criticised Mr. Joshi’s decision to stage a dharna under the BJP banner.

The protesters including Maruti Doddamani, Prasad Abbaiah, Rajashekhar Mensinkai, Babajan Mudhol and Mahendra Singhi said that all the pro-Kannada organisations should come together for a united fight on the issue.

Later, Mr. Joshi expressed solidarity with them.

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