‘Step-Motherly Treatment’ By CM Kumaraswamy: Activists Demand Separate North Karnataka State, Call For Bandh

The Uttara Karnataka Horata Samiti (UKHS) has called for a bandh in the 13 northern districts of the Karnataka on 2 August, The News Minute has reported.

Somashekar Kotambari, president of the UKHS has alleged ‘step-motherly treatment’ being doled out to the region by the Kumaraswamy government as the reason for the bandh.

“The northern districts of Karnataka have been perpetually neglected and our farmers are facing so many problems. The northern districts have been allotted negligible funds in this year’s budget (2018-19). None of the governments in the past have helped north Karnataka and it looks like the same attitude will continue. That’s why we are calling for a bandh demanding that North Karnataka be made a separate state,” Kotambari is quoted to have said in the report.

“The Chief Minister had said that the people of Koppala must be happy about the loan waiver. He had said that even though they did not vote for him, he was being nice and had decided to help them. It is the duty of every elected representative, especially the Chief Minister to act in the interest of the people. He must not hold grudges. How can we be certain of any development if this is the case,” he added.

The UKHS president also alleged that the government was not taking up the Mahadayi river dispute seriously. He demanded that the government immediately resolve the dispute to provide relief to the drought-ridden districts.

The samiti is now approaching other organisations and activists in the region to lend support to the bandh.