Rahul will skip Udupi, Krishna Mutt yet again

MANGALURU: Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is in the second leg of his coastal Karnataka tour, is giving Udupi and Sri Krishna Mutt a miss again, indicating chief minister Siddaramaiah’s writ runs large in the party.
Rahul, however, will be visiting Sree Kshetra Dharmasthala on Friday; he also found time to visit Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the first leg of the tour.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah has been scrupulously avoiding visiting the Udupi mutt. The mutt has had differences with the Kuruba community over the demolition of Kanaka Gopura in Admar Mutt, another major mutt of the temple town, in 2004.
Party insiders say that it may be the CM’s idea not to displease Kuruba voters at this crucial time. “Pramod Madhwaraj (party candidate in Udupi) is on a strong footing in Udupi. So, this may be the thought,” the insider added.
Stating that the CM had no say in preparing the party chief’s tour plan, Congress Udupi unit president Janardhan Thonse said, “Rahul had visited the district on the first occasion. If he had come to the town, he would certainly have visited the temple.”
Rahul, who has been taken around all prominent mutts of North and South Karnataka, kick-started his Janashirvada Yatre at Kaup, barely 15km away from the temple, town months ago. During that time, Rahul had visited the Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple, Rosario Cathedral and Ullal Syed Madani Dargah after a public meeting at Nehru Maidan.
While Janardhan too seemed surprised that the mutt didn’t feature on his tour itinerary, he said there was not need to hype the whole thing. “It’s all decided by AICC. We don’t have a say,’’ he said.
Congress leader and social worker M A Gafoor said, “We have been requesting Rahul to stop at Udupi town. But it seems even this time it won’t happen.”
Rahul is slated to release the Congress manifesto in Mangaluru on Friday, before heading to Bantwal where he will address a public meeting. He will then head to Kodagu.
Siddaramaiah kept away from the mutt when the President of India visited it last year citing other engagements.
Pro-Modi slogans disrupt speech
A ICC president Rahul Gandhi ended his speech abruptly during a roadshow in Honnavar town on Thursday after a group of youths shouted slogans in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rahul got down from the vehicle when his roadshow convoy reached Sharavati Circle at 4pm and spoke to the people. However, when he began his speech, a group of people began shouting slogans in favour of Modi. Congress workers too countered the Modi supporters, raising slogans in favour of Rahul. Upset by the development Rahul abruptly ended his speech and the convoy proceeded to Bhatkal.
Last December, Honnavar town saw widespread communal clashes following the death of Paresh Mesta, a fisherman, and there is a perceptible anti-Congress mood in the town. Several Hindu youths were arrested in the aftermath of the riots.
“Rahul was aware of it. Sensing law and order trouble, he concluded his speech,” a Congress leader said.