KSP members demand change in leadership

KSP members demand change in leadership

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 10, 2012: M. G. Hegde, a member of the Kannada Sahithya Parishad (KSP) and JD (S) secretary, said that, although the present KSP President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura is desirous of continuing as the president of KSP, a KSP presidential election is scheduled for April 29. He was addressing reporters at a press conference held at Patthumudi Soudha on April 10 Tuesday.

Further, he said that Kalkura, who has been the president of KSP from the past 10 years, has developed a dictatorial attitude, which is dangerous for the development of Kannada language and literature.

 

Mr. Hegde also accused Mr. Kalkura of not maintaining the KSP financial accounts for the past 3 years. Stating that they had filed an RTI enquiry in response to which they received only the Sahitya Sammelan accounts and not the KSP accounts, he urged Mr. Kalkura to reveal the KSP accounts before the elections.

Responding to Kalkura’s statement that he had spent Rs. 9 lakh from his own pocket for the parishad, he said that spending one’s own money on a government-aided body like the KSP is illegal.

Alleging that only Kalkura’s supporters are made members of the KSP, he said that membership of the KSP must be fair and open to people of all castes and communities. He also challenged Kalkura and his supporters to declare how long they want Kalkura to remain as the president of the KSP.

Mahesh R. Naik, the writer and publisher of Kallachu Prakashana, also alleged that Kalkura had forced the KSP treasurer to supply signed blank cheques and that the treasurer had supplied 10 such cheques.

He also urged members to elect Sarvottam Anchan as the new president of the KSP during the elections scheduled for April 29.