Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday inaugurated Kalasavalli-Ambargondlu Bridge in Shivamogga of Karnataka, even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remained absent on the occasion.
The cable-stayed bridge across the Sharavati River backwaters and the approach roads have been constructed at a cost of over Rs 473 crore by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Gadkari, who was accompanied by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa on the occasion, also laid the foundation stone for several key infrastructure projects in the region.
The newly constructed structure would benefit devotees visiting Sigandur’s Chowdeshwari temple, drastically reducing travel time.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his cabinet colleagues, and Congress MLAs boycotted the event as a mark of protest after the CM’s request to postpone the event on another date was rejected by the Centre.
“I had called Nitin Gadkari and asked him to postpone the program. He said he would postpone it. But now, bowing to the pressure from local BJP leaders, they are going ahead with the event,” Siddaramaiah told media persons earlier in the day.
“Protocol has been violated and as a mark of protest, none of us is participating in the program. Congress MLAs from the region, the District Minister, and the Minister for Public Works are all staying away. They are deliberately creating a rift between the central and state governments,” the Chief Minister added.
Gadkari, however, maintained that the Chief Minister was duly invited to join the ceremony.