I never fell at Kalladka Bhat's feet: Haladi

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Suresh Vamanjoor)

July 15, 2012

Kundapur, July 15: Kundapur MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty said that he was not an aspirant for the post of a minister.

“It was the party leaders who directed me to come to Bangalore, to take the oath. The denial of berth after making a promise was not only an insult to me but also to the people of my constituency. I have already made up my mind to tender resignation.

I will not change my mind for any pressure from the political leaders,” announced Shetty.

Speaking to presspersons at his home in Haladi on Saturday, he said that when the BJP government was formed in the State under the leadership of B S Yeddyurappa, he had met Sangh Parivar leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat along with senior leader A G Kodgi and had appealed to give him a chance to serve the people.

“I had never fallen on his feet. May be it is the reason for me not getting a berth. There was a conspiracy behind me not getting ministerial berth,” he said.

“I have been in active politics for the last 10 to 15 years. I have not involved in any caste politics while taking up any work during my career. I am not the member of any caste association. When I was not inducted into the cabinet during the previous expansion, many of Bunt association members from Bangalore, Poona, Belgaum and Hubli had approached me and said that they will pressurise the Chief Minister to induct me.

However, I had denied all the proposals. I do not want to be a minister of a particular community.”

“I had decided not to use the government car, if I was given a berth in the cabinet. I wanted to lead a life with self-respect. By calling me to Bangalore, the party leaders have insulted. It has hurt my self-respect,” he said.

Stating that he was not involved in resort politics, Haladi said “I had not rebelled against the party and resorted to resort politics at Goa or Hyderabad. One of the accomplice of Reddy had met me last time and had offered Rs six crore along with a ministerial berth.

But I did not accept the offer,” he said.

A large number of supporters of Haladi gathered in front of his house on Saturday morning itself. In fact, supporters and well-wishers from various parts of the state had come in vehicles to Haladi's house. As there was no parking space in Haladi's house, many had parked their vehicles on either side of Kundapur-Haladi state highway.

'HDK invited me to join JD(S)'

Shetty said that State JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy had given him an open invitation to join the party. He said: “I have not made up my mind on whether to resign from the primary membership of the BJP or not. I will come to a decision after discussing the issue with my well-wishers and supporters.”

Reacting to State BJP president K S Eshwarappa's statement that none of the party leaders had offered Haladi a ministerial berth, he said, “The party president, who was supposed to unite the party at the legislature party meeting, has succumbed to the pressure of one group. Let the people of the State decide whether he speaks the truth or not.”

He also pointed out that he had never succumbed to 'resort politics' and had remained loyal to the party. “When the Reddy brothers rebelled against the party, they offered me Rs six crore and a ministerial berth, even then I had stood by the party. But now, my trust has been broken,” he said.

Kundapur TP President Belladi Shankar Shetty, ZP Standing Committee on Education President Babu Hegde Theggarse, and others were present.

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Demand for Mangaluru-Singapore direct flight gains momentum

News Network

September 13,2024

NRI professionals hailing from the coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka, now based in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Australia, have been urging the Indian government and airlines to introduce a direct flight between Mangalore International Airport (MIA) and Singapore’s Changi Airport.

These professionals argue that Singapore’s strategic location as a hub connecting India with East Asia makes this flight essential. They highlight that this route would serve over 12 million people from the coastal and hill regions of southern India, fostering stronger ties with East Asian economies.

The group, consisting of individuals from Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Hassan, is spearheaded by Rajesh H Acharya, director of HQ Connections Pte Ltd, Singapore, and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community. Acharya emphasized the significance of the Indian government’s Act East policy, which aims to strengthen relationships between India and ASEAN, East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region.

“This flight will open new doors for cultural, trade, tourism, and technological exchanges between these regions,” Acharya said.

The Mangalore Chapter of IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) has also proposed positioning the region as the 'Silicon Beach of India.' A direct flight would provide greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors from both Singapore and Mangaluru, boosting business exchanges.

Moreover, Singapore’s Changi Airport could see increased tourism from the Karnataka coast, while Coastal Karnataka would benefit from a surge in visitors from ASEAN countries, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, and the US West Coast.

While a similar attempt in 2017 did not succeed, Acharya and his team are hopeful that this time their appeal will be taken seriously, tapping into the immense growth potential of the eastern half of the globe.

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