Bengaluru, March 15 Karnataka JD(S) staged a protest on Saturday opposing the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill and alleged that it aimed to benefit the real estate mafia and divide Kannadigas for political control.
JD(S) workers held the protest at Freedom Park opposing the formation of Greater Bengaluru.
The police detained the protestors when they tried to come onto the road and transported them in a bus to an undisclosed locality.
The party has also declared that it will submit a petition to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, urging for rejection of the Bill.
The JD(S) has accused the Congress government of attempting to divide BBMP into seven zones under the name of Greater Bengaluru to benefit the real estate mafia and marginalise Kannadigas in the city.
Leading the protest, JD(S) city unit president H. M. Ramesh Gowda alleged that the government's intention behind the Greater Bengaluru plan is to "facilitate land scams and turn Kannadigas into outsiders in their city".
He demanded the state government withdraw the Greater Bengaluru Bill immediately.
If the Bill is not withdrawn, JD(S) will ensure that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, and Congress MLAs are unable to hold public events in the city. The party will stage protests with black badges at every such event," he warned.
"Even before summer has fully begun, Bengaluru is already facing a severe water crisis. The cost of a single water tanker has skyrocketed to Rs 5,000-6,000. People in the city are struggling to survive daily, and the Congress government's misgovernance is to blame," he alleged.
Slamming the government, he said: "Since coming to power, this government has imposed an additional financial burden of Rs 43,000 crore, which is highly unjust."
MLC T. A. Javarayi Gowda, former MLC K. A. Tippeswamy, Bengaluru JDS women’s wing president Shailaja Rao, and leaders including Nagesh Rao, Venkataswamy, Venugopal, Mangalamma, Praveen Kumar, Samuel, and Aproz Beg participated in the protest along with party presidents, leaders, and workers from all Assembly constituencies in the city.
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024, which aims to decentralise governance of Bengaluru city by forming multiple corporations, was passed in the Legislative Assembly amid the walkout by the opposition.
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