Former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily on Monday, April 29, said the Congress would be able to address issues being faced by the coastal fishermen if elected to power at the centre.
He was speaking at an election meeting seeking votes for the Congress candidate Geetha Shivarajkumar from Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency at Uppunda in Byndoor taluk of Udupi district. Ms. Shivarajkumar will be able to get several long pending issues of the fishermen address upon her election, he said.
Mr. Moily said the incumbent MP, B.Y. Raghavendra failed to get the issues addressed during his two terms as the MP. The issues were not even discussed at the Union cabinet, he regretted.
He said the Congress was working on framing laws to support the poor whereas the BJP was encouraging the rich. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was making every attempt to snatch the facilities that should have been given to the poor. As the poor were being deprived of their right to life under the BJP rule, people should defeat the party, he said.
Mr. Moily said nearly 86% of the youth in the country have remained unemployed because of the flawed policies of the Central government. The exploitation of women continues unabated during the BJP rule even as the Prime Minister has remained mute to the violations.
The Congress has been providing opportunities to everyone. Late S. Bangarappa was the saviour of the poor and now his daughter, Geetha Shivarajkumar, is committed to continuing his mission, Mr. Moily said. The Shivarajkumar family was here to serve people, he added.
Ms. Shivarajkumar appealed to people to elect her to serve them and promised to be their voice in the Lok Sabha. Mr. Shivarajkumar, K. Gopal Poojary, former Byndoor MLA, Byndoor Block Congress president Aravind Poojary and others were present.
