Bandipur road protest: Rahul likely to come to Wayanad

Congress former president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi is likely to come down to Wayanad in Kerala on Oct 3 to express solidarity with the ongoing indefinite stir by various outfits against the traffic restrictions along the NH-766 passing through Bandipur tiger reserve.

The hunger stir that entered the sixth day on Monday gained more strength with more outfits joining the stir.

A long march of farmers was also organised. The agitators maintained that the traffic restrictions were causing inconvenience to people of Kerala and Karnataka.

The fresh stir was initiated in the wake of the Centre denying Kerala’s repeated pleas for elevated highway along Bandipur and also going ahead with the SC suggestion to permanently shut the Bandipuar route after strengthening the alternative route through NH-275 and state highway 90.

Rahul is likely to hold discussions in this regard with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Pinarayi, who is planning to call on Union ministers, would be also further pushing for elevated highway along Bandipur.

Anto George, a leader of the NH-766 Protection Action Committee that is spearheading the ongoing indefinite stir, said that the moves to permanently shut the Bandipur road had created serious concerns among the people of Wayanad. Large section of people, especially farmers of Gundlupet in Karnataka were also strongly opposing it, he said.

George said that even the night traffic ban had been causing serious inconvenience to people of Wayanad. Hence the moves for a permanent closure would be vehemently opposed, he said.