Karnataka minister stages dharna over ‘delay’ in canal works

Sriramulu stayed beside the canal on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and announced that he would not budge from the spot until repair works were completed. He, however, tweeted Wednesday that it was not a protest against the state government.

“I have not staged a protest or dharna against anyone. Since farmers from the region petitioned me about the problems… I decided to stay put at the spot and instructed officials to complete works immediately,” he said.

#Karnataka #BJP Minister @sriramulubjp protests against his own govt over non completion of a canal repair work in #Ballari #Karnataka. He stayed overnight protesting at canal repair site, vedhavati river and also took bath in the river. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/oqQgFAIo2t

— Kiran Parashar (@KiranParashar21) November 2, 2022

Sriramulu’s statement came in response to a tweet by the state Congress, which asked whether the minister was protesting against his own government or the chief minister, or the prime minister. “Why did such a situation arise where cabinet ministers have to protest against their own double engine government?” Congress had tweeted, taking a dig against the Basavaraj Bommai government.

Sriramulu said since the water was not released to the fields in the Ballari Rural Assembly constituency owing to the delay in canal repair works, paddy and chilly crops dried up and the farmers were in distress. “I did this (stayed at the spot where works were required to be taken up) as a humanitarian gesture and not for politics,” he said, adding that farmers had asked him to stay at the spot to ensure repair works of the canal were completed at the earliest.

The minister has said that he will stay put until the works are completed.