MP Karandlaje urges govt to stop issuing Maharashtra-Udupi travel passes
Udupi: BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje on Friday asserted that she has urged the Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka to stop issuing online passes to people from Maharashtra to travel to Udupi.
“Despite the Corona surge in Udupi district, we have received online pass applications from Maharashtra people seeking to travel. Also, 281 people have come to the district using the passes. The people of the district are panicking on account of this,” the Parliamentarian said, addressing a press conference at the BJP district office in Udupi.
“Most of the Corona-infected people in Udupi district have come from Maharashtra. Although they are under quarantine, we are not sure how many people are infected by coming in contact with them. There is a need to prevent the spread of the infection to the residents with other health problems,” said Karandlaje.
She pointed out that the number of people who came to Udupi from Maharashtra had reduced greatly over the last week.
“There is, however, a need to follow the orders of the Supreme Court. As per the MHI guidelines, we cannot prevent people from coming to the district. There is also a shortage of beds and quarantine centers in the district. I, therefore, request the people in Maharashtra not to come to Udupi district,” said the MP.
She said that the people who attended the Tablighi convention have spread the virus in the slums of Bengaluru as well as Padarayanapura and Sadiq Layout purposefully. “The people who attended the Tablighi convention have implemented a plan to spread the virus. The Central and state governments should undertake a thorough investigation into the matter” she demanded.
Speaking on development work, the MP said that a proposal has been submitted for the construction of 119 km of road in Udupi and 203 km in Chikkamagaluru district under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
The district has distributed 94% of the ration given by the government in the backdrop of the lockdown.
BJP District President Suresh Nayak, legislator Lalaji R Mendon, Zilla Panchayat President Dinakar Babu, Karavali Development Board President Mattaru Rathnakar Hegde and local leaders Uday Kumar Shetty, Mahesh Thakur, and Kuthyaru Naveen Shetty were present at the press conference.
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People must do politics; elected representatives must work, says Actor Prakash Raj
Kalaburagi: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said that in a democracy, politics must be done by the people, while elected representatives are meant to work and serve after winning elections.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Prakash Raj said that once representatives are elected, their only responsibility is service. “This is our tax, our country. Service is the only job of people’s representatives. They come to seek votes every five years; the people do not,” he said.
Releasing the newspaper’s special issue at the event, he asserted that the distinction between people and politicians must never be reversed. “This is our country. Citizens must continuously engage in politics, and politicians must continuously work. Never change this order. Politics belongs to the people,” he said.
ALSO READ: Kalaburagi: ‘Vartha Bharati’ Kalyana Karnataka edition launched
Quoting writer P. Lankesh, Prakash Raj said newspapers, media, artists, and citizens must act as a permanent opposition. “They must be the voice of the people without seeking the patronage of the ruling party. Only then can they work fearlessly,” he said. He stressed the need to clearly tell today’s society who must engage in politics.
Referring to regional imbalance, he said Karnataka has become Bengaluru-centric and confined largely to southern Karnataka. With Vartha Bharati entering the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said the newspaper must contribute to the region’s development by consistently reporting its issues with a strong voice.
Prakash Raj also spoke about the role of independent media, saying that anyone can be swept away in a flood, including dead fish, but to swim against the current requires life. “Independent media have that life. Ravish Kumar, The Wire, and Vartha Bharati have the courage to swim against the flood,” he said.
He warned that fear strengthens authoritarianism. “If we are not afraid, they will be afraid,” he said, alleging that institutions such as the police, Election Commission, courts, and media are being pressured, silenced, and manipulated for political benefit. Expressing concern over the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, he said there is a visible lack of conscience in institutions meant to deliver justice to the people.
Recalling the early years after Independence, Prakash Raj said there was once fear of the police but also faith in the judiciary. “There was confidence that injustice would be addressed in court. Today, that faith no longer exists,” he said. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for the present situation.
Using a metaphor, he said India is like a pond disturbed by a demon within it. “A lotus blooms on the surface, that is the BJP. We are fighting the lotus, but the real fight should be against the RSS, the root power beneath,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past global authoritarian regimes, he said leaders like Hitler and Mussolini headed political parties and could be defeated electorally. “The RSS is not a political party. Defeating the BJP alone is not enough. The roots must be uprooted,” he said, adding that despite changes in appearance, the ideological growth remains unchanged.
Prakash Raj also raised concerns over Hindi imposition, delimitation, and what he described as political oppression of southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh in the name of elections. He said people must recognise who is responsible for this oppression and understand the role of newspapers like Vartha Bharati in identifying and exposing it.
The event also marked the formal launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi.
