Mangalore: The NOTA campaign which was started by local environmentalists in Mangalore against the state government’s decision to go ahead with Yettinahole Project and against the BJP, which could not stop the harmful project, is gaining momentum day by day.

In Mangalore City, more than 12 organizations have started a door-to-door campaign and have been requesting people to cast NOTA in upcoming Assembly elections. “We are distributing boards to every house, which read that Congress, BJP or JDS candidates who couldn’t save Nethravati don’t come for votes. The elected representatives have to face some humiliation at least,” said Shashidhar Shetty of Rashtriya Parisara Samrakshana Vedike.

“The government has ruined the Western Ghats in the name of Yettinahole project. Greenery is being destroyed even in urban areas. The coastal environment is getting ruined by the estate mafia, sand mafia, but public representatives are not even bothered about it. So we have continued with the NOTA campaign,” said Environmentalist Dinesh Holla.

“We expected MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to join anti-Yettinahole project protest, but Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa, and even local leader Sadananda Gowda strongly supported it. The government didn’t show the courtesy of discussing with the protestors, BJP didn’t demand it. They performed Yettinahole Rathayathre, Padayathre during the elections. BJP could not stop the non-objection certificate of the environmental ministry,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the organizations are getting ready to make the campaign more vigorous from March 1. It can be recalled that 28,600 NOTAs were cast in the recent Zilla Panchayat elections without any publicity.