Mandya: Strong opposition was seen against the proposed inclusion of Gejjalagere village within the limits of the Maddur city municipality, with BJP extending support to the protesting villagers on Sunday.The agitation witnessed the participation of senior BJP functionaries, including opposition leaders R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who accused govt of attempting to dilute the rural character of the village for financial gain.
Addressing the protest, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said there was a clear rationale for villages to function under gram panchayats. He alleged that the move to merge Gejjalagere with the municipality was driven solely by the village’s high revenue potential, remarking that govt appeared to value the village only for its income. Emphasising that the soul of a village cannot be found in an urban setup, he urged the govt to keep villages outside municipal limits. Narayanaswamy criticised the local MLA’s lack of understanding of ground realities and warned that continued stubbornness by the govt would ultimately lead to its downfall. Assuring villagers of support, he said the issue was brought to the attention of Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is the Mandya MP, and reiterated that no merger should take place without public consent.Recalling that he inaugurated the Gejjalagere gram panchayat and now returned to protect it, Ashoka invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of ‘Grama Rajya, Rama Rajya,’ and accused the govt of betraying Gandhian ideals by forcing urbanisation on a rural area. Ashoka warned that municipal inclusion would result in steep tax hikes, severely affecting farmers, and claimed the village’s revenue would be diverted elsewhere. He cautioned that unchecked urbanisation would erode rural development and food security, urging leaders to respect public sentiment. He asserted that if the govt fails to withdraw the merger, BJP would reverse the decision upon returning to power.
