Sri Narayana Guru forum to support Billava candidates irrespective of political parties: Sathyajith Surathkal

Mangaluru: Hindu activist and Sri Narayana Guru Vichara Vedike (SNGV) state president Sathyajith Surathkal said that the SNGV will support Billava candidates in the Lok Sabha election without looking at the party affiliation. Accordingly, the forum will support the candidature of Padmaraj R (Congress) from Dakshina Kannada, Kota Srinivas Poojary (BJP) from Udupi-Chikmagalur and Geetha Shivaraj Kumar (Congress) from Shimoga.

The forum will not support any political party and instead will support the candidates from the Billava community, thereby work towards the social, educational and economic progress of the community, Surathkal told mediapersons in Mangaluru.

"Team Sathyajith Surathkal which had initiated a campaign demanding ticket from BJP will engage in social activities and will have no connection to my political move,” he clarified.

Stating that Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Karwar and Shivamogga districts have 12 lakh Billava voters, Surathkal said the BJP had not fielded a Billava candidate for the last 33 years and now Kota Srinivas Poojary is given an opportunity to contest from Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency.

“By fielding Kota from Udupi, whether the BJP has ensured justice to the Billava community is a question that needs to be answered. Kota was a MLC and was also serving as the leader of Opposition in Council. By fielding him, the Billava community lost two posts. If the BJP had concerns for the community, they could have fielded leaders from the Billava community, thereby giving opportunity to other as well."

He said that the forum had raised its voice for administration of Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple when Narayana Guru tableau was denied opportunity, lessons on Narayana Guru were dropped from textbooks and also for separate corporation for the welfare of the Billavas.

To a query, he said “I had been working for Hindutva and however, I was denied opportunities in the BJP. I will speak to only those who supported me throughout. Though Satyajith Surathkal was a force behind Hindutva, I do not belong to the upper caste, nor I had any political background and hence, I was denied opportunities in the party,” he alleged.