Indians demonstrate outside UN in support of Anna Hazare
Swaraj could not make it this time, following the recent death of her brother. Also, she has distanced herself from the Reddy Brothers, at whose instance she used to attend the annual pooja, in recent times.As usual, a massmarriage programme was also organised by the BJP district unit under the leadership of former minister B Sriramulu. Though Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda was expected to attend the programme, he did not make it.In his absence, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari launched various development works in the town, including the inauguration of the Dr Vishnuvardhan Park, unveiling of the late actor’s statue and the opening of the renovated building of the district hospital. Former chiefminister B S Yeddyurappa and a few ministers were present. Meanwhile, former ministers stole the limelight, while the presentministers seemed neglected at the massmarriage programme. Though ministers Shobha Karandlaje, V Somanna and Basavaraj Bommai were present, they were not given an opportunity to speak at the event.Only Yeddyurappa, former unionminister Ananth Kumar, former ministers G Janardhana Reddy and Sriramulu spoke on the occasion. Gadkari spoke in Hindi towards the end and received applause from the crowd.The dissidence over the tainted former ministers from the district not being accommodated in the Sadananda Gowda cabinet, however, was not apparent at Friday’s programme. But the neglect of ministers loyal to Yeddyurappa was too obvious to be missed. Even when they arrived at the Havambhavi helipad after the programme, en route the Toranagal airport, ministers Somanna and Shobha were sent off only in the lasthelicopter to arrive.In his speech at the mass marriage, Gadkari said he was unhappy over the recent developments in the State politics. “Politics is ever changing. Yet, we will respect democracy and law,” he said. He expected legal and political victory in the days to come.While a chiefminister or an MLA can become former, the average party worker will never be former. It is because of the hard work of the workers that the party came to power, said Gadkari. In BJP, anyone can come to power, said the BJP chief. Meanwhile, Sriramulu said he had performed well as the healthminister and the development works had helped him to get people’s love. He had risen from humble beginnings, he added. [More]Tags:anna hazareanti-corruption