BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje begs for rice and grains in Mangaluru

Udupi-Chikmagalur MP sought rice and food grains from homes to help students of two schools The schools near Mangaluru are run by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat with the help of Kollur Mookambika Temple Trust The State government recently withdrew the endowment grants to these schools depriving mid-day meals to students

BJP leader and Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje launched 'Mane Mane Bhikshatane' to protest against the State government's decision to withdraw grants to two schools run by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat near Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada district. She went begging for rice and food grains from every home in Mangaluru towards the mid day meal for children of these two schools.

Shobha requested women in Mangaluru and Udupi districts to come forward and help the children of these schools to have their meal. "Please donate a handful of rice or grains from your home so that the children of these two schools have their mid day meal," she appealed to women in Mannagudda in Mangaluru. The party workers will continue to seek food grains and will donate it to the school, every month, it is reported.

It may be recalled here that the Muzrai Department had withdrawn endowment grant from the Kollur Mookambika Temple Trust to these schools. The two schools were adopted by the temple trust in June 2007 when the BJP government was in power. In fact, from 2007-2016, the Srirama Vidya Kendra has received Rs 2.32 crore aid, and Sridevi Vidya Kendra has got Rs 50.72 lakh from the temple trust. But after ten years, the state government decided to withdraw the grants claiming that the schools cannot receive grants from the temple, registered under the Muzrai Department. But the government's move that came post-Bantwal clashes had come in for severe criticism. "The State government has decided to annul the grants after ten years. This is nothing but hate politics," Prabhakar Bhat had remarked.

While Shobha's efforts towards the school are being appreciated, many wondered why BJP MP had to resort to "begging" when she could grant funds from her office to the school? Although the mid-day meal programme was the state government scheme, the Parliamentarian could have chipped in to help the school through her office, observed many.