Karnataka Congress stages empty pot protest in Bengaluru against Centre

Bengaluru, April 20 (IANS) Karnataka Congress workers on Saturday staged a protest at various locations in Bengaluru holding empty pots against the ‘injustices’ meted out to the state by the central government.

The protest was held ahead of the visit of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to the state.

The police took the protestors, including AICC General Secretary, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and others into custody as they were staging a protest near the Mekhri Circle in Bengaluru.

Surjewala stated, “The central government has done great injustice to Karnataka. In return for the demands of the Karnataka government and people for drought relief the Centre had given ‘chombu’ (empty pot, which also stands for cheating in colloquial Kannada).”

“The people of the state had sought release of Rs 6,000 crore for the Upper Bhadra Project which was declared in the budget, but the central government had refused. If Karnataka gives Rs 100 as taxes, in turn it is only getting Rs 13,” Surjewala slammed.

He added that the central government which promised funds for the peripheral road of Bengaluru had given “chombu.”

The people of Karnataka are also all set to give “chombu” to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, he added.

Minister for Agriculture, Krishna Byre Gowda staged a protest with empty tumblers in Byatarayanapura in Bengaluru.