Kapu MLA lays foundation stone for Kambala Kare of Udupi Kambala amid prohibitory orders

Kapu MLA lays foundation for Udupi Kambala amid political disputes and prohibitory orders, escalating local tensions.

The foundation stone for the Koti-Chennayya Udupi Jodu Kare Kambala, scheduled for April 25, was laid at Athrady, 80-Badagabettu village, near Manipal, on February 28. This comes amid reported political duels between Gurme Suresh Shetty, Kapu MLA, and Vinay Kumar Sorake, former Kapu MLA.

As the MLA of the region where the kambala is being organised, Mr. Shetty is the president of the Udupi Kambala Samithi. While the foundation stone-laying for the Kambala Kare (slush track) was initially planned for February 28, the district administration reportedly postponed it to March 4.

As the MLA proposed to go ahead with the programme, Udupi Deputy Commissioner T.K. Swaroopa late on February 27 issued prohibitory orders for February 28 under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita around 6.3 acres of land, which were allotted to the Youth Empowerment and Sports Department and set aside for the kambala event.

Mr. Shetty told reporters at the venue that the Karnataka State Kambala Association had scheduled Udupi Kambala on April 25 and the date of foundation stone laying was communicated to district in-charge Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar.

He said, “On February 27 night, Mr. Sorake suddenly released a post stating the foundation laying ceremony would be held on March 4. He has been creating obstacles to many development works in the Kapu constituency. Though the Minister initially agreed to February 28, she later called and asked to postpone it. All preparations were complete, so we had to conduct it today,” he said.

Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, Gurme Suresh Shetty, Kapu MLA, State Kambala Samithi president Belapu Deviprasad Shetty, and other legislators releasing posters of the Koti-Chennayya Udupi Jodu Kare Kambala at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Kambala Kare, in Udupi on February 28. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT