BJP to protest on Jan 22 against MRPL’s ‘biased policy’

BJP to protest on Jan 22 against MRPL’s ‘biased policy’

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Jan 20: The district unit of the BJP will be holding a protest outside MRPL cargo gate on January 22, opposing what the party described as the policy of bias pursued by the MRPL authorities towards BJP leaders including the Chief Minister as well as local BJP elected representatives.

Speaking to presspersons at the party office in the city on January 20, Wednesday, Monappa Bhandary, former district president of the BJP , took strong exception to the failure of the MRPL authorities in extending an invitation to  the Chief Minister as well as the local parliamentarians for the foundation laying ceremony of its third phase project, while it had chosen to invite leaders including the Union Petroleum Minister Jiten Prasad  and Congress leaders  like Oscar Fernandes, Abhayachandra Jain and Vijaykumar Shetty.







The MRPL, he said had chosen not to invite the Chief Minister, even when he was present in Udupi, on the day the ceremony was organized. Bhandary further took exception to the non-extension of invitation even to the District in-charge Minister and described this as tantamount to neglect of the people of the district.

Even during its early years, the company had offended DV Sadananda Gowda, the present MP from Udupi, and a former MP from Mangalore, by not inviting him to a function, Bhandary said.

Charging the MRPL of neglecting  the interests of the people since the very beginning, despite facing stiff opposition to the plant, he said even the MRPL school  which was admitting local students after levying high fees till last year, has this year denied admission to students from outside.

He was also highly critical of the company for contaminating the water of the wells and ponds in its vicinity and blamed the company for making Mangalore top the list of pollutant cities.

Bhojraj Shetty, Sharathchandra Shetty, BJP leaders, were present at the press conference.