Mangaluru: A massive foot march was organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mangaluru South Assembly Constituency unit on Wednesday to create public awareness about the Central Government’s VB-G RAM G Act and to demand corruption-free governance in the state. The rally began at the party’s district office and culminated at the Mangaluru City Corporation office, drawing participation from party leaders, workers and members of the public.
The march was led by BJP district president Satish Kumpala and Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas Kamath, along with several senior leaders of the party. Slogans in support of the Central Government and criticism of the state government marked the procession, which moved through key stretches of the city under police supervision.
Leaders bat for transparency in governance
Addressing the gathering, Satish Kumpala said that the VB-G RAM G initiative reflects the Central Government’s commitment to transparency and direct benefit delivery. Referring to a past remark by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he said Gandhi had once acknowledged that when his government sanctioned one rupee for welfare schemes, only a few paise actually reached the intended beneficiaries, highlighting systemic leakages.
Kumpala claimed that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, governance has been restructured to minimise corruption and ensure that benefits reach the poor without intermediaries. He asserted that there was “no scope for even a single rupee of corruption” under the present dispensation and described the VB-G RAM G Act as a continuation of reforms aimed at clean administration.
He alleged that the Indian National Congress was opposing the initiative without valid reasons and accused the party of attempting to mislead the public for political gain.
MLA questions Congress’ opposition
MLA Vedavyas Kamath, who also addressed the rally, said the VB-G RAM G Act would provide greater employment opportunities to the poor and marginalised sections. He questioned the Congress party’s opposition to increasing the number of workdays under the scheme from 100 to 125 days, asking whether expanding livelihood support to the underprivileged could be considered wrong.
Kamath urged citizens not to believe what he described as misinformation being spread about the scheme. He further alleged that under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), thousands of crores of rupees had been lost to corruption in previous years. According to him, stricter monitoring and transparency mechanisms introduced by the Central Government had reduced such leakages, leading to frustration among opposition leaders who no longer had “scope for irregularities”.
The MLA also criticised the state government’s administration on various civic issues. He said people were facing delays in obtaining e-khata documents, difficulties arising from the installation of jail jammers, and shortages of red stone and sand for construction activities. He questioned whether the Congress leadership had undertaken any padayatra or protest to address these public grievances.
Remarks on coastal development
Referring to recent remarks attributed to Minister Priyank Kharge regarding the coastal region, Kamath said the minister should first understand the level of development in the coastal belt before making critical statements. He claimed that the region had made significant contributions to the IT, education and healthcare sectors and had emerged as a key economic hub in Karnataka.
He maintained that the BJP would continue to take up issues concerning governance, transparency and development, both at the state and Central levels.
Participation of party leaders and workers
The foot march saw the participation of several prominent BJP leaders including Ramesh Kandettu, Ramesh Hegde, Lallesh Kumar, Tilak Raj Krishnapura, Poornima M., Sanjay Prabhu, Shanawaz, Jagannath, Sudheer Shetty Kannur, Nandan Mallya, Vasanth J. Poojary, Ravishankar Mijar, Nithin Kumar, Vijay Kumar Shetty, Ashwith Kottari and Rajagopal Rai. Former corporators, party office-bearers, workers and supporters were also present in large numbers.
Police personnel were deployed along the route to ensure smooth conduct of the rally and to manage traffic diversions. The procession concluded near the Mangaluru City Corporation office, where leaders reiterated their demand for what they termed corruption-free governance in the state.
The event forms part of the BJP’s broader outreach campaign to build support for the VB-G RAM G Act and to mobilise public opinion ahead of upcoming political engagements in the region. With both the ruling party at the Centre and the opposition in the state intensifying their rhetoric, political activity in the coastal district is expected to gather further momentum in the coming weeks.
In conclusion, the foot march underscored the BJP’s attempt to position the VB-G RAM G Act as a pro-poor, transparency-driven reform, while sharpening its criticism of the Congress-led state government over governance and developmental issues.