Congress leaders take out march opposing ESA notification in Tirthahalli

Leaders and party workers of the Congress party, under the guidance of School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa and former Minister Kimmane Rathnakar, marched through Tirthahalli taluk on Monday to oppose the implementation of Kasturirangan committee's recommendations regarding the Western Ghats. The protest started in Binthla village and was led by R. Prasanna Kumar, T.D.

Raje Gowda, Ramesh Hegde, and others. The protesters chanted slogans against the Central government and criticized the proposed Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) notification. Upon concluding their march in Tirthahalli, Bangarappa addressed the attendees, stating that the Central government had submitted an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal regarding the Kasturirangan committee report.

He accused the BJP's "green leaders" of lacking moral grounds to oppose the ESA notification. Former Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake claimed that he had previously held village-level meetings and submitted a report on the Kasturirangan committee recommendations, but the present central government seemed to be in favor of implementing them.

Kimmane Rathnakar, who orchestrated the protest, firmly declined to participate in any BJP-led protests on the Kasturirangan issue. Notable Congress leaders present at the event included R.M. Manjunath Gowda, K. Chetan, and others from the Malnad Area Development Authority and the Karnataka State Textile Infrastructure Development Corporation.