Date:29/10/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/29/stories/2009102952380300.htm

Karnataka - Bidar

Protests in Bidar against Harsh Gupta’s transfer

Staff Correspondent

He has been posted as Deputy Commissioner of Bellary district

BIDAR: MLAs from Bidar Bandeppa Kashempur and Rahim Khan staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office to protest against the transfer of Deputy Commissioner Harsh Gupta from Bidar.

The State Government on Wednesday transferred Mr. Gupta as the Deputy Commissioner of Bellary district.

Mr. Kashempur of the Janata Dal (Secular) and Mr. Khan of the Congress, along with their supporters, assembled in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office and urged the State Government to cancel Mr. Gupta’s transfer.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kashempur said that Mr. Gupta was instrumental in taking up several development projects in the district. All the ongoing projects would come to a halt with his transfer, he feared.

He said that “differences” among leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had led to the sudden transfer of Mr. Gupta from Bidar.

Mr. Kashempur said that he had written letters to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath and district in-charge Minister Revu Naik Belamagi urging them to cancel Mr. Gupta’s transfer.

Mr. Rahim Khan said that a series of protests would be launched if Mr. Gupta’s transfer was not cancelled.

Councillors of Bidar City Municipal Council also staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office condemning Mr. Gupta’s transfer.

Meanwhile, members of Anyayada Viruddha Horata Samiti, led by its president Shyamanna Bhavgi, urged the State Government to retain Mr. Gupta as the Deputy Commissioner of Bidar.

Members of the district unit of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), led by its president Vijaykumar Sonare, staged a protest and said the federation would take out protest rallies in the city if Mr. Gupta’s transfer was not cancelled.