Mangaluru: Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment B Ramanath Rai on Tuesday took severe exception to the decision of the Mangalore University authorities to permit BJP to hold ‘Balidana Smarane,’ a programme to pay tributes to freedom fighters as part of 70th Independence Day.

The minister said he will raise the issue in next Cabinet meeting. Reacting to media queries, Rai, who is also the district in-charge minister said, “I have already spoken to the minister concerned. Some syndicate members of the university have already written to the government, expressing their reservations over the issue.”

However, Rai said, “I wouldn’t have objected if the Union human resource development minister was participating in any convention on campus, but not others.”

He disputed the claims made by BJP ahead of the programme that it would not organise it under party banner.

Rai, without taking the name of BJP national unit president Amit Shah, said, “A party president has taken part in the programme on university campus to pay tributes to erstwhile ruler Rani Abbakka. He has also made a political statement announcing B S Yeddyurappa as the next chief minister. It was nothing, but a convention only to derive political mileage from the issue.”

When a section of media persons sought to clarify that, “No such announcement was made, as Shah only addressed Yeddyurappa as “honewala mukhyamantri” (Chief minister to be),’ Rai shotback: “I am quoting what has appeared in media.”

To a particular query about Congress party hosting a programme in memory of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the university campus in the past, Rai defended saying “Vice-chancellor was also an invitee of that programme.” Taking a dig at ‘Tiranga Yatre,’ a two-wheeler rally of BJP workers holding tricolours, that was organised as a part of ‘Balidana Smarane,’ Rai termed it as an attempt to hoodwink people.

“Congress fought for freedom struggle. Most of its leaders landed behind bars in their fight for independence. But the BJP has been launching movements only for the sake of power, he said.