Make your votes count
In democracy, the citizens are kings and our elected representatives are there to serve us and the society we live in. Even when we know this is an illusion, there is some happiness in believing it. The citizens, no doubt, are kings and hence are important. But that’s only on the day of voting. All the other days we live being servile to the politicians is the hard truth we are all used to. But then we cannot blame our rulers alone for this. They have been capitalizing on the weakness of voters since long. Our constitution has entrusted us with the right to choose an able candidate as our representative. But we have ‘sold’ that power for small prices. As a result, we are happy being single day kings.
We sell our votes for caste, community, faith, alcohol, sarees, small gifts or even money and spend rest of the days cursing the elected representatives. That cursing is like spitting at the sky. It lands right back on our face. Once we lose the opportunity to vote, we need five years to get it again. More than anything else, we need to take a vow that our votes won’t go a waste. Because once we give it away like a gift to someone, we lose all rights over it. And gifting our votes to someone is the biggest act of treachery we can commit. Likewise we shouldn’t sell our votes either. Once we give it away for sarees, money, alcohol and other small items that can never compensate for the power of vote, we cannot expect the elected candidate to work for us because we would have then handed over the power to him. It becomes corruption. And corruption never begets integrity or power. It makes us weak. Just the way as money, alcohol distribution is wrong; seeking votes in the name of religion is equally terrible. These politicians who do not do much, are now back to seek votes in the name of everything else apart from the works they did. Violence and development can never go hand in hand.
Constitution has given us the rights to choose our representatives. The ones who are speaking against the constitution need the old system to exist where some people had default access to society’s privileges, and one could never choose their representatives. When we go to vote today, we need to remember this. There are elements that want to push us to the medieval way of living such as the feudal system. These people want to push us into the system where we are rendered voiceless. We need to give our votes as a loan, not as a payment of gratitude to the candidate. When he/she knows they have this vote as a loan on them, they will be forced to repay it. And even those who give it as a loan, will have the rights seek repayment of the same. In case of no candidate being the appropriate one, we always have choice of NOTA where we can reject all candidates. But then, sometimes even this does not seem like a feasible solution since NOTA would still mean the candidate with highest votes is declared the winner either way. Why should we waste the vote? Let’s then make a choice of better ones among the lot.
Voting is the foundation of democracy. This would contribute to how strong the structure would be. Every stone to the foundation counts. Even one bad stone can contribute to the weakness of the structure at some point in time. Hence, let’s support those candidates who work to strengthen the identity of Kannada, Karnataka and its people. We need to provide strength to those ones who work for the empowerment of the poor, and hold up the integrity of the state. We owe this to our state and its people.
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
