The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Gadi Horata Samiti plans blockade of highways

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Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Gadi Horata Samiti plans blockade of highways

Special Correspondent

All national highways passing through the State to be blocked
Pressure to be stepped up on the Centre to look into State’s problems

BANGALORE: The Akhila Karnataka Gadi Horata Samiti has warned the Centre that it will launch a day-long road blockade in all national highways throughout the State in the first week of March if it fails to address the pressing problems such as according classical status to Kannada language and providing jobs to Kannadigas in the Railways. Samiti president and MLA Vatal Nagaraj told presspersons here on Monday that the samiti supported by many Kannada organisations was set to observe a “rail roko” programme across the State, barring Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on January 27 demanding completion of promised railway projects and preference to Kanandigas on a par with other States in the railway recruitments.

The samiti would stage a dharna in front of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official residence in Delhi on February 16 and submit a memorandum to him the next day seeking speedy solution to the problems of the State. On the reported “instigative” reference to the Belgaum border row at the recently concluded Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Sangli, Mr. Nagaraj said that President Pratibha Patil, a Marathi-speaking person, should not have gone to the sammelan as the “dead issue” was expected to surface on the occasion.

However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh should have restrained himself from broaching the “settled” issue for gaining political mileage. The Centre should ask for his explanations and initiate action against him, he said.

On the reported statement by the former Prime Minster H.D. Deve Gowda that he should not have been born in Karnataka, Mr. Nagaraj said he would soon release a book, Nalige (tongue), a compilation of Mr. Mr. Deve Gowda’s statements.

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