Mangaluru: "I will not force anybody to join JDS. I will not speak lightly about any political leaders. It is up to them to take the final decision on joining JDS. We will welcome them whole heartedly if they join JDS with complete faith in the party", said former PM H D Deve Gowda. He was in Mangaluru on Friday as part of his visit to Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari temple, Ullal dargah, Milagres church and Kudroli Sri Gokananatha temple.

Addressing the party workers, he said that many political leaders who had started their political career with JDS were now with BJP and Congress. ‘I will not force them to join us back, but we will welcome them if they wish to join the party’. Further, Gowda expressed his confidence in forming the government in the state after the next assembly elections. He also said in his 55yrs of political life, he had found a reality that regional politics was very much necessary for the overall development of the state. Most of the political experts also felt that regional party played very significant role. He said that they had strong leaders to build the party in the state.

He also took strong exception to the NDA government’s move on uniform civil code. The NDA government has asked the law commission to examine matters related to the uniform civil code. ‘At a time when the country is embroiled in myriad of series of problems, is it necessary to rake up the issue of uniform civil code?’ He questioned at the press meet.

‘Farmers are in despair with the crash in the price of farm produce and 65%of the country’s population is dependent on farming for their livelihood. What was the need for the government to interfere in such issues?’ he asked. If the issue is raised in the parliament then he will speak against it, he said.

"Those who believe in God can visit the temples and others can keep quiet. The issue related to temples and mutts should not be a raised. I will not force anybody to visit Kateel temple or Ullal dargah nor the Milagres church. Its left to the believers", he said.

 Addition to it, he also said without bore wells there could not be drinking water supply to the farmers and citizens in drought-hit taluks. The state government should try and resolve these problems instead of creating new ones.

Agitation of farmers
Deve Gowda further said that he will start an Agitation in the interest of farmers from Mangaluru in order to urge the government to provide the facilities for cultivating paddy, rubber, arecanut and coconut which Kerala state has already provided.