Demanding Karnataka government to lift the ban on toddy-tapping and its sales in Karnataka, the Kalyana Karnataka Arya Ediga Kendra Samiti will launch an indefinite hunger strike in Kalaburagi from June 20.
“Once I go on an indefinite hunger strike, I will not even drink a drop of water. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his government will be responsible if anything happens to my health,” Pranavananda Swami, national president of the Arya Ediga Mahamandali said in a press conference here on Sunday.
Pranavananda Swami stated that only he will be observing the indefinite hunger protest, if the government tried to suppress their democratic right by stopping them from launching an indefinite hunger protest, the other members of the Samiti would also observe hunger protest, he warned.
Swamiji accused BJP State President and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and other cabinet ministers and legislatures of giving a false assurance of lifting ban on toddy tapping, but the State government had failed to implement in this regard.
He urged the cabinet ministers belonging to Ediga Community to resign if the State government continues to neglect the long-pending demand of the community. The traditional occupation of the Ediga community was toddy tapping, but most of the families are strained by financial difficulties after the government banned toddy tapping in Karnataka, Swamiji added.
People from across 17 districts in Karnataka, and legislatures belonging to Ediga community irrespective of party, will participate in the indefinite hunger strike, he added.
