Mangaluru: Senior Congress leader Janardhana Poojary said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should respond positively to the demands of State government employees and police personnel to bring an end to the salary related protests.

Speaking to media at Dakshina Kannada Congress office on Friday, he said that the mass leave protest held by Karnataka Employees Association was a success, but the CM could have held talks with them to solve the problem before the situation reached that level.

“The Seventh pay commission recommendation report says that the Sixth pay commission recommendation was never implemented by the State government. The government needs to take this matter seriously,” he said.

He further said that Karnataka police are getting paid 50 per cent less than the police of Kerala. Karnataka is larger than Kerala. Nearly Rs 5000 crore is needed to meet the demands of the force.

“Instead of strengthening the Congress party in Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah has decided to make Karnataka as a Congress free state,” he added.

D K Congress Media Convenor TK Sudhir, Arun Coelho, Corporator Appi and others were present.