Mangaluru, Jan 26: The presence of a bunch of hardcore Hindutva leaders including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh strongman Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka during the much-hyped biography release programme of beleaguered Congress veteran B Janardhana Poojary on Friday evening on the premises of Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple has raised many eyebrows.
Hundreds of people purchased Saala Melada Sangrama within minutes after its release as the publisher had reduced the price of Rs 300 worth book to Rs 50 as release day offer. Many people, who were eager to read about life and struggle of the Billawa stalwart and former union minister of state for Finance, returned empty handed as the books were sold like hotcakes.
Buyers did not pay heed to the repeated requests by the organisers to wait till the end of the programme to purchase the books. Consequently, all the copies of the book were sold even before the programme ended. The organisers did not confirm when the new copies will arrive.
It was indeed a unique release: A special puja was performed to a plate containing the copies of the book in front of the idol of the presiding deity of the Temple. Later, Poojary carried the same plate on his head till Santhoshi Kala Mantapa, the venue of the book release programme.
81-year-old Poojary, who himself released the book, chose the platform to present a 16 gram gold coin to journalist Lakshman Kodase, who actually wrote the based on what the former had narrated. Poojary recalled that he was calling Kodase over phone at odd hours and was narrating the very old events of his life.
The audience witnessed a rare occasion as several archrivals from different political parties and organizations shared a common platform. Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka, Dakshina Kannada district in charge minister b Ramanath Rai, Poojary’s former aide Harikrishna Bantwal, who recently joined BJP were among them.
Welcoming Rai, Poojary called the former as the pioneer of developments in Bantwal and wished him good health and prosperity.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader, Mangaluru South MLA J R Lobo, Mangaluru North MLA Mohiyuddin Bava, Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty, state government's Chief Whip in Legislative Council Ivan D'Souza, Mayor Kavitha Sanil, former MLC K S Muhammed Masood and District Youth Congress President Mithun Rai were present.
Vijaya Bank former chairman and Kudroli Temple committee member Sadananda Shetty, BJP leader Harikrishna Bantwal, Urmila Ramesh Kumar, Poojary's niece Shobha and her husband Chandrahas, Zilla Panchayat member Mamata Gatty and others were felicitated by B Janardhana Poojary and his spouse Malathi Poojary on the occasion.
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