Belgavi: The seers’ protest demanding a comprehensive development of north Karnataka has begun outside Suvarna Soudha in the city.

More than 30 pontiffs have participated in the protest. Separate state for North Karnataka is not needed. Instead, comprehensive development of North Karnataka is required, the seers urged.

The dharna staged by the seers of North Karnataka and their supporters in front of the Suvarna Soudha in Belgaum has received the support of various organisations as well.

The pontiff continued the protest despite rainfall. All government offices must immediately be transferred to Suvarna Soudha, the Swamiji urged.

BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa has supported the protest.

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New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS were strengthening the wall standing in the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, even as he acknowledged that the UPA took steps to weaken that wall but not to the extent it should have.

Addressing the 'Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyaan', Gandhi also referred to the function held on Constitution Day in Parliament and said that it is his guarantee, that "Modi has not read" the Constitution.

"If PM Modi would have read this book then what he does daily, he would not do it," Gandhi said, displaying a copy of the Constitution of India.

Gandhi said the country's whole system is pitted against Dalits, Adivasis and backward class people.

He said a wall obstructs the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs and Modi and the RSS are strengthening that wall by "adding cement to it".

"Slowly the wall (obstructing the path of SCs, STs, OBCs) is getting strengthened. Earlier, the UPA government gave MGNREGA, the land acquisition act, the right to food...those were ways to weaken that wall. Today, when I look back, I can say the UPA government did not weaken the wall to the extent it should have, it did not do it as strongly as it should have," Gandhi said.

"However, we used to make efforts to weaken that wall but they (the BJP) are strengthening that wall by adding concrete," the former Congress president said.

Gandhi said a caste survey being carried out in Telangana is a historic step and the Congress will do the same wherever it comes to power.