Tag: Karnataka

Karnataka: Yediyurappa slams Siddaramaiah over promise to hike reservation limit

[ad_1]
Bengaluru: Reacting sharply to Congress leader Siddaramaiah claiming that his party would increase the reservation limit in Karnataka from 50 per cent to 75 per cent if voted to power in the upcoming Assembly elections, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday said the “poll promise” would never be met as the prinicipal opposition party in the state was headed for defeat.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the veteran Ligayat leader said, “Since he [Siddaramaiah] is going to lose miserably, the question of increasing the reservation limit in the state does not arise.”
“We [BJP] are going to do everything in our power to form the government,” he added.

Siddaramaiah, also a former chief minister who is eyeing a fresh term in post after the May 10 Assembly polls, had tweeted, “The Congress party is committed to increasing the reservation limit from 50 per cent to 75 per cent and extend reservation to all castes based on their population.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Yediyurappa came down hard on BJP turncoats Jagdish Shettar and Laxman Savadi, who recently switched over to the Congress, saying that they will pay for betraying the ruling party in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Shettar, a former chief minister, and Savadi, who formerly served as the deputy CM, belong to the Lingayat community which is believed to hold sway over electoral outcomes in the state.
Hitting out at both the BJP deserters, Yediyurappa said, “I call on the people not to cast a single vote for Laxman Savadi and Jagdish Shettar, as they betrayed the BJP despite being entrusted with key portfolios in the government.”
“I am 100 per cent certain that both these leaders would lose this election. There is no doubt about it,” Yediyurappa told ANI.

The 224-seat Assembly polls are slated to take place in a single phase on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.
[ad_2]
#Karnataka #Yediyurappa #slams #Siddaramaiah #promise #hike #reservation #limit
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 27, 2023
Priyanka Gandhi appeals to Karnataka voters to ‘stand with Congress’

[ad_1]
Chikkamagaluru: AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday stated that her family is facing a period of struggle in the contemporary period and made an appeal to the people to stand with the Congress party.
On her second day of tour, she continued her poignant attack on BJP.
Addressing a poll rally in Sringeri of Chikkamagaluru district, Priyanka Gandhi stated, “In 1978, when Indira ji (late ex-PM Indira Gandhi, her grandmother) came to Chikkmagaluru, it was a period of struggle for her.

In that tough time, people of Chikkamagaluru stood with her. Today also there is a period of struggle for Rahul ji (Rahul Gandhi) and my family. We have full confidence that people of the country will stand with us,” she said.
“I have full hope that you will make Congress win in Karnataka. Our country, your state is at such a turning point that if we don’t understand that there is a need for such politics which doesn’t make people fight, which works for all of us, which makes all of us progress, then the country and the state may undergo heavy loss,” she maintained.
Priyanka Gandhi further explained, “Today morning, I went to Mylari Hotel in Mysuru. Its owner told me that his father had started that work. He taught me how to make Dosa. I also met his daughter who works in Infosys. Looking to the future while preserving traditions, culture and civilisation… that is the identity of Karnataka.”
When big ministers say ‘don’t look at your candidates, hand over Karnataka to PM Modi’. Why? Can the sons and daughters of Basavanna ji, Narayan Guru ji not run the state on their own? Priyanka Gandhi questioned.
“Six months ago, I went abroad to drop my daughter off at her college. There I met a youth from Bengaluru who was working in an IT company. Both of us felt proud; there was Karnataka’s self-respect, self-confidence and pride on his face. I felt proud that my country’s youth has progressed so much, my father’s dream has been fulfilled,” she stated.

“I feel proud of Karnataka, your hard work, honesty. But I also feel sad for you. The government, which has been in Karnataka for the last 3.5 years, has broken your trust. It was formed on the basis of greed; it was formed by stealing MLAs, by breaking Congress-JD (S) government. BJP government has broken every promise. It had said that it’ll give jobs, double farmers’ income, reduce prices but did nothing,” Priyanka Gandhi charged.
Youths have not been given employment; 2.5 lakh government posts are lying vacant but they are not getting them. Rate of every post has been fixed, there is a scam in every exam for recruitment. Contractors are committing suicides. The Contractors’ Association and School Management Association wrote letters to the PM about corruption but they didn’t get any reply, she said.
MLA’s son was caught with Rs 8 crore cash but no action was taken, rather his MLA father took out a parade to show that they can do anything and nobody can touch them. Even Covid patients were looted; nothing was spared, not even eggs meant for school children, she alleged.
“Who made a cooperative like Nandini? You made it by your hard work. Earlier, milk used to be distributed in schools. The Congress government had brought ‘Ksheer Bhagya’ and ‘Ksheer Dhare’ schemes. Now, BJP says that less milk is being produced because they want ‘Nandini’ to merge with Gujarat’s Amul. Earning of more than 1 crore people is at stake but they don’t care for it,” Priyanka Gandhi charged.
In Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, farmers’ debt has been waived off. It has the highest MSP in Chhattisgarh. In Himachal Pradesh, implementation of Old Pension Scheme has begun as per our promise, she claimed.
[ad_2]
#Priyanka #Gandhi #appeals #Karnataka #voters #stand #Congress
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
“It’s time for a change…” Priyanka Gandhi on upcoming Karnataka assembly polls

[ad_1]
Mysuru: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said that it is time for a change in Karnataka as BJP has not done any constructive work in the state.
While addressing the mediapersons, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “They (BJP) have not done any constructive work for Karnataka. So it is time for a change”.
“In the last three years from every aspect things have got down in the state be it facilities or infrastructure. People rather listening to politicians know from their own experiences about the governance of the BJP,” she added.

She further stated that a corrupt government is being run in the state of Karnataka which has done nothing for the people.
“Karnataka is running a corrupt government and it is a government that has done nothing for the people. We want a government that works for the people, BJP did not do any work for the people of Karnataka,” she said.
In this regard, Priyanka Gandhi also took to Twitter and said, “Actually the people of the state are fighting the election of Karnataka – against the government with 40% commission, against the betrayal done to Karnataka, against the corruption of BJP. Congress is coming – for employment, for relief from inflation, for the welfare of the poor, for the development of the state”.
Earlier Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the incumbent BJP government in Karnataka, claiming the “40 per cent commission government” will be reduced to 40 seats in the May 10 Assembly elections.
Addressing a roadshow in Vijayapura, Rahul Gandhi said, “The Congress will form the government in Karnataka with 150 seats while 40 per cent commission government of the BJP will be reduced to 40 seats”.

Reacting to this Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday hit back at Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of terming the Bommai government in Karnataka as ’40 per cent commission BJP government’ and said if the Congress have evidence they should go to court.
“They can talk about it and should go to court if they have concrete evidence. Neither there’s any probe nor there’s any case. How will people believe in such baseless allegations?” he said.
The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13.
[ad_2]
#time #change #Priyanka #Gandhi #upcoming #Karnataka #assembly #polls
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
Karnataka: PUC topper Tabassum Shaik calls Hijab ban ‘unfair’

[ad_1]
A year after Karnataka was hit by the hijab controversy disallowing several hijab-clad PU Muslim girls to discontinue or look for other options for education, a hijab-clad Muslim student topped this year’s PUC examination in the Arts stream.
Eighteen-year-old Tabassum Shaik and her family are ecstatic about the results that were declared on April 21. Tabassum was one of the many Muslim girls who faced the dilemma and uncertainty of choosing education or her religious belief.
In an interview with The Telegraph, she said she was traumatized when the hijab was banned in December 2021. The decision to attend classes without it put her under extreme guilt.

“But my parents told me that dropping out would affect our community and push us deeper into backwardness. So, they encouraged me to continue my studies,” Tabassum said who scored 593 out of 600 marks with a perfect score of 100 in Hindi, Psychology, and Sociology.
Tabassum is the second child of Abdul Khaum Shaik, an electronics engineer, and Parveen Shaik, a homemaker. Her elder sibling Abdul Kalam Shaik is doing an MTech in machine planning at a Bangalore design school.
“Many of my classmates stopped attending school and opted for distant education,” Tabassum said. She further stated that to enter her class without the hijab was not easy for her who has been wearing the headscarf since the age of five.
“Once the hijab ban started, I skipped college for two weeks. But my parents saw a bigger picture and how this would influence our local area. This encouraged me to continue my studies,” Tabassum said trying to motivate herself to navigate through her difficult choice.
Tabassum studied for 6-8 hours every day for the exams and prioritized my religious responsibilities equally.

But fear has not ended for Tabassum. Her greatest concern is if the ban would extend to colleges. “I am very concerned about whether I would be permitted to wear the hijab in the future at the university,” she was quoted by The Telegraph.
Tabassum expressed strong views about the hijab ban in Karnataka describing it as ‘undemocratic’ and ‘unsecular’.
“It was extremely unfair and illogical that in a secular country, I had to give up my hijab in order to pursue my education when I should ideally be able to do both,” The Telegraph quoted her.
Karnataka’s hijab controversy
The hijab controversy erupted in December 2020, after six Muslim students of a pre-university college in Udupi were prohibited from wearing the hijab as part of their religious obligation in the college premises. The issue hit the roof after many protested followed by clashes with their Hindu classmates who turned up wearing saffron scarves, leaving the state government to shut down colleges in the district.
Petitions were filed opposing the government’s order to ban hijab in the Karnataka High Court. However, the three-judge bench upheld the government’s decision.
The HC’s decision was challenged in the Supreme Court of India where a two-judge bench gave a split deciison. The appeal is set to be heard by a larger bench, which is yet to be formed.
In January this year, a special data report by The Indian Express, it is revealed that there is almost a 50% drop in the admission of Muslim students in government pre-university colleges (PUCs) in Udupi district.
While there is not much change in Muslim students entering pre-university colleges (Class 11) in the district, there is a massive dip in admission to government PUCs.
In 2022-23 there have been 186 Muslim student enrollments in Udupi’s government PUCs (91 girls and 95 boys), which is almost half compared to 2021-22 number, 388 (178 girls and 210 boys).
In 2022-23, private PUCs saw a hike in Muslim admissions with 927 (487 girls and 440 boys) as compared to 2021-22 number, 662 (328 girls and 334 boys).
“The enrollment of Muslim girls in our PU college has almost doubled for the first time. This is a testament to how the hijab issue has actually impacted them personally and academically,” Indian Express quoted administrator of Saliath Group of Education, Aslam Haikady.
[ad_2]
#Karnataka #PUC #topper #Tabassum #Shaik #calls #Hijab #ban #unfair
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
Priyanka Gandhi holds roadshow in Karnataka, urges people to vote for Congress

[ad_1]
Mysuru: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday held a massive roadshow in Krishnarajanagara here waving at a large enthusiastic crowd along the route, seeking people’s support ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka.
Standing atop a specially-designed vehicle, she was greeted by the crowd gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings.
Large number of party workers holding Congress flags were seen marching along with the vehicle, as it passed through the streets, amid drum beats and slogans like ‘Congress Congress’ and ‘Priyanka Gandhi ki jai’.

Vadra was accompanied by AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and other local party leaders.
She even clicked a selfie from the vehicle for an “admirer” standing on the road, and shook hands with a couple of them.
Addressing the people at the end of the roadshow, she urged them to change the government in Karnataka which is “looting” them.
“For the sake of your future, vote for Congress and bringing in a new government which will usher in a new hope in Karnataka,” she added.
Earlier in the day at a Congress public meeting, Vadra accused the BJP government in Karnataka of rampant corruption and charged that Rs 1.5 lakh crore has been “looted” from the state by the ruling dispensation.

The Congress leader later also interacted with women in Hanur town of Chamarajanagar district where she spoke to a couple of women personally and tried to understand their issues. She urged women voters not to take this election lightly, and said it is important for the future of their children and youth.
The Congress is going all out to unseat the ruling BJP in Karnataka and form the next government.
Voting is scheduled on May 10 and the results will be out on May 13.
[ad_2]
#Priyanka #Gandhi #holds #roadshow #Karnataka #urges #people #vote #Congress
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
BJP against religion-based reservation: Amit Shah on Muslim quota in Karnataka

[ad_1]
Bagalkote: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday defended the BJP government’s decision in Karnataka of scrapping the four per cent quota for Muslims saying the party never believed in religion-based reservation’.
The former BJP chief also took a dig at Congress for its stand that the quota would be restored if it is voted to power in the state after the May 10 Assembly polls.
“There was a religion-based reservation of four per cent for Muslims. Without falling for the vote bank politics, the BJP government abolished the Muslim reservation,” he said addressing a public meeting at Terdal in this district.

“We believe that religion-based reservation should not happen,” Shah opined.
The Minister added that after abolishing Muslim reservation, the BJP government increased the reservation for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Vokkaligas and Lingayats.
Referring to the Basavaraj Bommai government’s decision to increase the SC reservation from 15 per cent to 17 per cent, Shah noted that the internal reservation of SC (Left) now stands at six per cent, SC (Right)- 5.5 per cent and other SCs 5.5 per cent.
Responding to Congress president D K Shivakumar who has promised to restore the Muslim reservation if his party comes to power, Shah sought to know whose quota the party will scrap if it manages to form the government in Karnataka.
“Whose reservation will be decreased if four per cent reservation for Muslims is restored? Will it be Vokkaligas or Lingayat, Dalits, Scheduled Tribes or the Other Backward Castes?” the Minister asked.

At the fag end of its term, the BJP government decided to abolish the four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2-B category. The four per cent was later split into two and distributed among Vokkaligas in 2-C category and Lingayats in 2-D category.
Vokkaligas and Lingayats are the two major dominant communities of Karnataka. Shah’s statement came on a day when the Supreme Court directed that the state government’s decision of scrapping the quota for Muslims will not be implemented till May 9.
[ad_2]
#BJP #religionbased #reservation #Amit #Shah #Muslim #quota #Karnataka
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
Karnataka will be afflicted with riots if Congress comes to power: Amit Shah

[ad_1]
Bagalkote: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said if the Congress comes to power in Karnataka, dynastic politics will be at an all-time high in the state and it will be ‘afflicted with riots.’
The former BJP chief also said the development of the state will be in “reverse gear” if the Congress forms the government.
Seeking the people’s mandate for “political stability” in Karnataka, which would vote on May 10, Shah said at a public meeting at Terdal in this district that only the BJP can lead the state towards a ‘New Karnataka.’
“If the Congress comes to power, dynastic politics will be at an all-time high and Karnataka will be afflicted with riots,” added Shah, one of the party’s key poll strategists and campaigners.

“If the Congress comes to power by mistake then corruption will be all-time high and there will be ‘appeasement’,” said Shah, who is on a two-day tour of Karnataka to hold a series of public meetings, roadshows and review meetings with his party leaders.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Karnataka #afflicted #riots #Congress #power #Amit #Shah
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
Don’t give more than 40 seats to BJP: Rahul appeals to Karnataka voters

[ad_1]
Bengaluru: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday appealed to the voters of the poll-bound state of Karnataka to not give more than 40 seats to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming May 10 assembly elections.
Addressing a public rally at Hangal town in Haveri district, the former Congress president requested the people to give at least 150 seats to Congress, “otherwise the BJP will again try to form a government”.
“Don’t give more than 40 seats to them,” he reiterated.

Rahul Gandhi said even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks of corruption, “he shares the stage with corrupt leaders who take 40 per cent commission”.
“This shows that he doesn’t fight against corruption,” he said.
“Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar was denied a ticket by the BJP as he didn’t indulge in corruption, and as he did not take 40 per cent commission,” the Congress leader said.
He further said: “An MLA’s son was caught red-handed in the Mysore Sandal Soap scam. There were many other scams, like Police Sub-Inspector recruitment scam, Assistant professor scam, Assistant Engineer job scam, etc. BJP formed the previous government by ‘stealing’ MLAs with money. It was a stolen government.”
“BJP leaders talk of Basavanna ji, they bow down before him but work against his teachings. The BJP makes one community fight against another. BJP leaders don’t follow Basavanna ji’s ideals, they help 2-3 billionaires but don’t care about problems of farmers and labourers,” Rahul Gandhi said.

“BJP took 40 per cent commission from people in every contract in the last 5 years. Now, we (Congress) want to do something for the people,” he added.
He further said: “We make four promises to the poor people of Karnataka — ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme in which every woman head of a household will get Rs 2,000 a month; ‘Gruha Jyoti’ scheme in which 200 units of free electricity will be given per month to every family; ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme in which 10 kg free rice will be given to BPL families per month, and ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme in which Rs 3,000 per month will be given to every graduate and Rs 1,500 per month will be given to every diploma holder. And this will be done on the very first day. They took a 40 per cent commission. We will fulfil these 4 promises.”
[ad_2]
#Dont #give #seats #BJP #Rahul #appeals #Karnataka #voters
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
Reservation based on religion unconstitutional, says Amit Shah in poll-bound Karnataka

[ad_1]
Hubballi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said reservation based on religion was unconstitutional, and asserted that the BJP would implement the quota formula adopted by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led government in Karnataka.
He said BJP has given tickets for May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka on merits of winnability, and not on the basis of majority or minority, and also nowhere a non-Lingayat candidate has replaced a Lingayat.
Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar who recently quit BJP and joined Congress will not win the polls this time, Shah declared, as he pointed out that Hubballi-Dharwad has always voted for BJP.

“I want to assure the people of Karnataka that whatever formula of reservation that has been adopted by the Bommai government, we would implement it on the ground, including the sub category reservation (internal reservation) among the Dalits. This is our promise,” Shah said.
Addressing a press conference here, he said reservation on the basis of religion was unconstitutional, and never would it have “permission” under the Constitution.
About the reservation crossing 50 per cent, Shah said, “it has been challenged in the court, wait for its order.”
Congress leaders are saying that they would once again bring in Muslim reservation. “I want to ask them with utmost humility as to whose would you reduce to bring it back? Whether you would reduce Vokkaligas or Lingayats or Dalits or STs. Congress will have to come out clear on this.”
“Those Muslim community categories that are under OBC, we are ready to give them reservation even today and we are giving, but no one should be given reservation based on religion, it is the fundamental spirit of the Constitution,” he added.

Just ahead of the announcement of polls in Karnataka, the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had decided to scrap the four per cent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota and to distribute it equally among the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.
Earlier, the government had decided to increase reservation for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 per cent to 7 percent, taking the total reservation in Karnataka to 56 per cent, exceeding the 50 per cent cap, and recommended to the Centre to bring it under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
With a section of Scheduled Castes demanding internal reservation alleging that only a few influential sub-castes were taking away a majority of the benefits while many communities were still marginalised, the Cabinet had also made a recommendation in this regard to the Centre.
Asserting that there is no single instance of a non-Lingayat being given a ticket replacing a Lingayat, Shah hit out at the Congress by asking as to what the party did for the community.
“In their history, Congress made two Lingayats Chief Ministers, both were humiliated and removed, one was removed by Indira Gandhi, while the other was humiliated and removed from airport by Rajiv Gandhi, I’m speaking about Patil Saab (Veerendra Patil), Congress cannot speak on this,” he said, as he added that BJP respects all communities and try to take along everyone.
Asked about family members of politicians getting tickets, while BJP accused JD(S) of parivarwaad (dynastic), the Union Minister said, unlike in JD(S), in BJP party president and Chief Ministers are not decided on the basis of the family. “Tell me someone who is not contesting polls in JD(S) family (Deve Gowda family), other than one or two.”
“BJP is always against parivarwaad in the main system, at many places family members of party karyakartas may contest polls, but it doesn’t mean BJP follows parivarwaad,” he said.
To a question on Muslims not getting tickets from BJP, he said, “Tickets were given on the basis of merits of winnability, we do not believe in the concept of majority or minority.”
Responding to a question on Congress seeking support of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Shah said Congress party earlier used to take the support of Popular Front of India (PFI); now that it has been banned, it is asking support of its SDPI which is the political wing. “For Congress, secure and safe Karnataka is not important, winning elections is important. BJP will not join hands with such parties.”
Jagadish Shettar quitting BJP will cause no loss to the party, he said, adding that “Jagadish Shettar will lose the election, Hubballi has always voted for BJP not to any person. BJP workers are united….reason for him not being given the ticket was conveyed to him.”
Jagadish Shettar is contesting from Hubballi Dharwad Central constituency as Congress candidate.
[ad_2]
#Reservation #based #religion #unconstitutional #Amit #Shah #pollbound #Karnataka
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 24, 2023
Karnataka HC relief for Kannada actor Chetan, stays order on returning OCI card

[ad_1]
Bengaluru: In a temporary relief to Kannada actor and anti-Hindutva activist Chetan Kumar Ahimsa, the Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed an earlier order of the Central government on the cancellation of his Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status.
Chetan Kumar had challenged the order in the court. The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna has ordered that neither the state nor the central government should initiate any action against Chetan till June 2, 2023. The bench had also asked Chetan not to tweet anything about the judiciary. He was also directed not to issue any statement regarding pending cases.
The bench asked Chetan to remove all the tweets and submit an affidavit within four days. This direction is part of the final order and if any of the conditions are violated, the interim stay order will be vacated, the court told Chetan Kumar.

Senior counsel Aditya Sondhi who argued for Chetan submitted that the petitioner should have been given an opportunity to present himself before issuing the show cause notice. The Central government should establish how the tweets of Chetan amount to sedition? If the court does not grant a stay on this order, the petitioner faces the threat of being extradited from the country.
Once the OCI card is cancelled he will become an illegal immigrant. The petitioner’s interest should be protected by the court, the counsel stated.
Additional Advocate General Arun Shyam who appeared for the state government submitted in the court that the actor has the habit of tweeting against the judiciary also and hence he should not get interim protection.
The Union home ministry had cancelled the Overseas Citizenship of India status of Chetan Kumar and he was asked to surrender his OCI card within 15 days.
Condemning the move, the actor had stated that the notice has been issued to him as he can’t be defeated in his social oriented and rational work.

Chetan’s recent claim that the Tirupati temple had been built after demolishing a Buddha temple had stirred a controversy. In an interview he claimed that Hindu temples were never Vaidik institutions. He said that Hindu temples were built after destroying Buddhist temples.
Chetan in his social media post claimed that Hindutva is based on falsehood. He said the statement of BJP icon Veer Savarkar that the Hindu nation took shape when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana is incorrect.
He also stated that the claim of Ramjanmabhoomi being at the site of the Babri Masjid is also a lie. In 2023, their (BJP) statement of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda killing then Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan is also false.
Chetan underlined that Hindutva could be defeated by the truth. “Truth is equality,” his post stated.
[ad_2]
#Karnataka #relief #Kannada #actor #Chetan #stays #order #returning #OCI #card
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 24, 2023