Karnataka BJP leaders, rights panel chief spar over flood relief
By IANSTuesday, October 6, 2009
BANGALORE - Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Tuesday strongly objected to the state human rights commission chief’s comments that the state government has failed to provide immediate relief to the flood hit.
“The chairperson of KSHRC should not interfere in matters which is beyond his understanding,” senior BJP leader and Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda told reporters.
KSHRC head S.R. Nayak is a former chief justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court.
On Monday BJP leader V. Dhananjay Kumar, a former central minister and now state government representative in New Delhi, said that Nayak had crossed limits and was acting like a politician.
“He should not behave like a politician,” said Kumar.
Nayak had criticised Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his colleagues for not cutting short their ‘chintan baithak’ in Mysore, about 130 km from here, even after heavy rains Sep 30 caused flash floods.
The baithak ended Oct 1 by which time scores had been killed and hundreds rendered homeless.
Three days of rain and flood, beginning Sep 30 in north Karnataka districts have caused damage worth Rs.20,000 crore and left 195 people dead.
