Mangaluru : Former MLC and BJP leader Monappa Bhandary has criticised Mangaluru South MLA J R Lobo for writing to the state government to stay the naming of Light House Hill Road as Mulky Sundararama Shetty Road.

He accused Lobo and the state government’s Chief Whip in Legislative Council Ivan D’Souza of creating clashes between two communities and demanded an inquiry into the issue.

Bhandary told reporters that Lobo had written to the government on July 1st morning and the stay order was issued at 3 pm, which gives room for apprehensions. What was the purpose behind carrying out the move in such a haste, Monappa wanted to know.

He criticised that the government’s decision which came soon after the MLA’s intervention. If the MLA had taken care to address development issues in the same way, the constituency would have developed to a great extent, Bhandary felt.

If the MLA wanted to oppose the decision of naming the road after Mulky Sundararama Shetty, he could have done it when the resolution in this regard was passed in Mangaluru City Corporation council meeting on September 30. No objections came in when the notification in this regard was issued on February 24.

Accordingly, the DC recommended the resolution and an order was passed by the state government on May 24, 2017, as per Section 293 (1) of Karnataka Municipalities Act 1976, approving the naming of the road after Mulky Sundararama Shetty, former chairman of Vijaya Bank. But, all of a sudden, a lot of confusion is being created unnecessarily, Bhandary said.

Lobo and D’Souza should note that they are not the representatives of a particular community. They have taken the issue as a matter of their prestige. This is also a part of vote bank politics and is skilfully played out by the two representatives ahead of Legislative Assembly election, he claimed.

Bhandary said, “If the name of the road had already been accepted as St Aloysius College Road, the MCC Council shouldn’t have passed the resolution accepting the proposal to name the Light House Hill Road after Mulky Sundararama Shetty. What took so long for MLA Lobo, MLC D’Souza and the college itself to realise that the road bearing the name of St Aloysius College existed even prior to the passing of the proposal?”

The name of the road between Ambedkar Circle and Catholic Club stretch is apparently mentioned in telephone directory as Light House Hill Road, which is still being used as an address for official correspondences. “I have a lot of respect to St Aloysius College. But the name of the road is mentioned in the website of the college as Light House Hill Road, which however, has been changed suddenly on Monday,” Bhandary said.

He felt involving students in a protest related to the issue was wrong. Bhandary said Lobo should make his letter to the government public so as to know what was the basis for his recommendation. He also sought an inquiry to the issue. The government too, has lowered its credibility, by staying its own order to rename, he criticised.