MANGALURU: Former minister K Abhayachandra Jain said that the next phase of the protest against the national highway tollgate at Surathkal will be a hunger strike.
“We are in the second phase of our protest against the tollgate. I will sit without drinking even a drop of water, for the cause of the people. The MLAs and MP of BJP lack the willpower to close the tollgate. They have been making false promises, and not taking any measures to close the tollgate,” said Jain, who slept at the day-and-night dharna venue, on the first day of the protest.
Mohammed Haris Nalapad, Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress state president, visited the protest venue, and showed solidarity with the protesters. “The illegal toll collection in the constituency of BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, is a part of the government’s 40% commission policy. Congress will be with the protesters, till the tollgate is closed,” he said.
Action Committee Against Surathkal Toll Gate co-convener Y Raghavendra Rao, said that the illegal toll collection at Surathkal is a testimony to the anti-people policy of the government. “People in undivided Dakshina Kannada understand that the toll gate is functioning illegally, because of the vested interest of private companies, and corruption. The true colours of people’s representatives from the BJP are being exposed in the Surathkal tollgate scam,” Rao said, speaking after inaugurating day two of the day-and-night indefinite dharna against the tollgate on Saturday.
