Mangaluru: Following social media campaigns portraying MP Nalin Kumar Kateel as a failed representative of Dakshina Kannada, the Dakshina Kannada BJP defended the MP and branded him as the “common man’s MP.”
Addressing a press meet at BJP office here on Monday, August 6, BJP District President Sanjeev Matandoor said, “MP Nalin Kumar is a sincere MP. He has worked for the district without any taint of corruption. Nalin Kumar has succeeded in bringing the various developmental programmes worth Rs 15 Crore from the year 2014 to 2018 to the district.”
Matandoor alleged that the online campaign slandering Nalin was a handiwork of the Congress. “After it’s humiliating defeat in Dakshina Kannada in the recent assembly elections, Congress is trying to mislead people by spreading false information about the MP on social media using fake accounts,” he claimed.
Netizens had launched a social media campaign named “Nalin Kumar Kateel Hatao” alleging failure of the MP to complete projects, including the Pumpwell flyover, under construction in the district. Media reports had claimed that even the BJP activists were unhappy with the MP and were actively involved in the campaign. The online activists also conducted a poll to know people’s opinion about their preference for Nalin Kumar Kateel as their representative in the next general elections.
The BJP district president claimed that Nalin Kumar had successfully implemented the union government’s programmes such as Smart City programme, development of National Highways, providing assistance to fishermen, Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, development of Mangaluru International Airport, Jan Dhan Yojana and many other programmes. “Nalin has also responded to the problems of areca nut, coconut and rubber growers in the district,” Matandoor claimed.
Further detailing the “constructive” works of the BJP’s MP in the coastal district, Matandoor said, “The MP has been actively involved in sanctioning the Mangaluru-Bengaluru High-Speed Express National Highway under the Rs 1.18 Lakh Crore Bharatmala Project. He has also sent a proposal to the union government to connect Oldport-Bengre-Tannirubhavi under Rs 1,300 Crore Sagarmala Project.”
BJP leader Pratap Simha Nayak and others were present for the press meet.
