JD(S) extends support to agitaion on Railway recruitment

Bangalore, Jan 11 (UNI) The Janata Dal(S) today extended support to the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), spearheading the ongoing agitation against alleged discrimination of Kannada speaking people in the recruitment of group 'D' employees in South Western Railway Zone.

Inaugurating the party's 'Pre-poll preparedness convention here, former Prime Minister and party President H D Deve Gowda regretted that Karnataka had been meted out a raw deal by the railways in all respects.

Recalling his agitation against ''gross discrimination'' shown to Karnataka on various Railway projects, he regretted that the Railway Recruitment Commission, which he had commissioned in Bangalore, was shifted to Chennai. The demand for connecting Mangalore Port with Chennai port was never accorded priority and the Hubli-Ankola-Karwar line was not taken up.

Mr Gowda recalled that the long pending demand for a separate Railway zone for Karnataka was fulfilled during his tenure as Prime Minister.

The JD(S) brought out a booklet, highlighting the ''injustice'' shown to Karnataka as far as Railways was concerned and the contributions made by Mr Gowda in implementing various railway projects during his stint as Prime Minister.

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