BJP, Cong lock horns at Indira Canteen opening

BJP and Congress leaders were involved in a heated exchange during the inauguration of the Indira Canteen at B C Road in Bantwal on Sunday.

Zilla Panchayat members Chandraprakash Shetty and M S Mohammed took the Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik to task, in raised voice, for complaining to the police and preventing former minister B Ramanath Rai from attending the inauguration.

The BJP leaders countered by ridiculing that the inauguration and saying it looked like a Congress programme with party flags fluttering all over the canteen. Later, MLA Rajesh Naik and Mangaluru MP Nalin Kumar Kateel boycotted the programme organised to distribute title deeds under 94 C and 94 CC of the Land Revenue Act in Bantwal.

Workers from the parties raised slogans in favour of Ramanath Rai and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It may be recollected that both BJP and Congress leaders had also locked horns over the construction of a compound for Indira Canteen recently.

In a press meet, District In-charge Minister U T Khader clarified that Rajesh Naik was not assaulted at the inauguration. There was no rift and he had dissuaded the MLA from boycotting the event. “The MLA was with us during the inauguration.” He offered to apologise if anyone was hurt during the incident and urged people not to blow the incident out of proportion.