Vatal Nagaraj calls for Karnataka bandh in August

Bengaluru, July 12: Pro Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj has called for another Karnataka bandh in the last week of August.

Kannada Okkoota, the umbrella body of Kannada organisations he heads, will also planned a stir starting July 18, in protest against the demand for separate statehood for north Karnataka by a section of people.

Addressing the reporters, Vatal Nagraj said that "the Kannada Federation condemns the call to make North Karnataka a separate state. A Karnataka Bandh will be held to protest the demands of a separate state and against the government for ignoring North Karnataka in the recently held budget," he said.

Nagaraj demanded that the State government set right the "injustice" done to north Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka regions since the unification of Karnataka.

Meanehile, the discontent is brewing among people of North Karnataka over poor representation in the coalition government's cabinet.

A few local BJP leaders in Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities have publicly supported the demand and are trying to rope in senior leader and former minister Umesh Katti who is known for espousing the cause of statehood for the region and nurses an ambition to become chief minister after winning a record eighth time from Hukkeri Assembly constituency.

Several organisations including farmers forums have renewed their demand for statehood.Political party leaders and various organisations contend that the government has failed to take up major projects in North Karnataka and has not allotted grants to redress regional imbalance.

The leaders now upping the ante for statehood had maintained silence and distanced themselves from Katti whenever he raised his voice.

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