Floods, not ISKCON need urgent attention

That's what Cong tells top office-bearer Shivakumar after his allegation of Midday meal scam, raid on godown

Congress state working president D K Shivakumar's unrelenting drive against the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for allegedly misusing the mid-day meal scheme Akshaya Patra to raise funds from the public has miffed his own party members.

Acting on Shivakumar's complaint, G N Nayak, Bangalore deputy commissioner (urban), ordered the seizure of the godown near Malltha Halli, where ISKCON had stored 400 tonnes of rice last Thursday.

However, according to the records (MiD DAY has a copy), the society has not violated any norms in storing the rice.

"Many issues, including the recent floods, need urgent attention. The raid was uncalled for and the party has earned a negative reputation," said B K Hariprasad, a national-level party leader and Rajya Sabha member.



Permission

"We took permission from the chief executive officer of the Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat to store the rice, according to the MOU signed with the government. Shivakumar is just harassing us and there's nobody to stop him," said Bharatharshabha Dasa, media co-ordinator of ISKCON.

The society had bought the rice from the Food Corporation of India.

Srinivas, commissioner of food and civil supplies, who seized the rice, said that he was unsure whether ISKCON had violated the law.

Nayak said, "We have asked the ISKCON officials to submit the records, after which we will take a call on releasing the rice."

The Other Side
D K Shivakumar said, "We have the evidence that they had not only stored the rice illegally, but also sold it in the black market." However, no officer confirmed that the government had proof against the ISKCON. Senior Congress leaders, including KPCC president R V Deshpande, are finding ways to check Shivakumar. According to a party source, Deshpande also expressed his concern over the damage done to the party's reputation to the high command. "Nobody is against anybody in the party. In fact, the ISKCON officials have threatened to bring me down from the working president post," added Shivakumar.