India spoke through Bharat Bandh
Through the bandh that was called by opposition parties on Monday, it has been very evident that people are very upset with the current regime. The bandh called by Congress, other parties and other pro-people organisations has been a whopping success.
The whole country starting from Kashmir to Kanyakumari has spoken, and how! People participated in this bandh on their own accord. People had high expectations from the Narendra Modi government that assumed power four and half years ago, riding on its own lies.
People assumed black money would come into their bank accounts and each of them would get at least Rs 15 lakh as mentioned by the then PM candidate Modi. He had also assured them that he would create 2 crore jobs every year and that he’d control corruption, inflation/price rise, and run the government scam-free.
But none of these assurances were met in the last four and half years that Modi has been in the office. Not just that, he put everyone into unspeakable misery with his gimmicks of extracting black money, with demonetization that put people into massive hardships. No black money came out.
Another drama unfolded in the name of GST. Even that fell flat. Corporate defaulters like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya ran to foreign shores right under the nose of the government, with big loans taken from banks for their booty. The government in a way, aided their escape.
Rationale given for demonetization was that fake currency up to Rs 3 lakh crore would be controlled. But more than 99% money came back into banks. Over Rs 6 lakh crore was spent to print new notes. They not only let the people down, but subjected them to various difficulties.
Innocents were chased and killed by communal goondas under the name of Gau Raksha. The caution issued to them by the PM was just lip service. The Modi government tried its best to crush the Dalit voices across the country. This led to the death of a student Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad University, under suspicious circumstances.
The government attempted to saffronise the Jawaharlal Nehru University and created an environment of total unrest.
The promise of corruption-free administration has fallen flat. The government has been caught in quite a few big value scams regarding the Rafale warplanes deal with France. This whole issue was unknown to the minister of external affairs, and minister for defence. The PM had entered into this deal with the France-based company directly in order to make massive profits for Ambani and the others that are in his good books. The government does not reply to RTI queries regarding the deal.
The inflation has skyrocketed. Essential items consumed by people cost a lot more than they did before, and the government hardly intervenes to control prices.
Though the crude oil/petrol, diesel prices and LPG are a lot lesser than before in the international market, common people can never get the benefit of it. Each cylinder now costs over Rs 800 per unit. Diesel costs Rs 75 per litre now, and petrol is at Rs 85.
The common people have been so frustrated by all these expenses that they responded to Bharat Bandh quite well. Narendra Modi had assumed power with the assurance of creating 2 crore jobs every year. He hasn’t been able to deliver even 10 lakh jobs per year.
The government isn’t even willing to fill the vacancies right now. Since everything is boiling down to accountability, PM says one could even earn a livelihood by selling Pakodas. Another minister Nitin Gadkari says there are no jobs in the government so they cannot create reservation posts for the sake of people.
The population of India has crossed 130 cr. Unemployment is biting people hard. More than half of the young people are in tension about their future. If there is a vacancy for a few hundreds of posts, lakhs of applications come in for the same.
But the government is unable to provide jobs. According to available data, more than 24 lakh jobs are lying vacant in state and central government. They need to be filled fast. Education department alone has 10 lakh vacancies. Railways has 3 lakh, police department has 6 lakh vacant posts, Anganwadi has 2.2 lakh vacancies, Health sector is awaiting filing of 1.5 lakh posts with armed reserve forces showing a vacancy of 50,000 posts.
The government has been unable to meet its promises. Hence, people were forced to take to streets yesterday to express their anger against this government. Hope the message has gone out loud and clear.
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Inappropriate for MLAs seeking free IPL tickets, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd President D.K. Suresh on Monday said it is inappropriate for MLAs to seek free IPL tickets, adding that those interested in watching matches should pay for them personally.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “IPL is a commercial tournament and does not represent the country. It is not right for public representatives to focus too much on such matters.”
Referring to the recent controversy during the RCB celebrations, he said, “let us find out who benefited the most from the statements made during the incident.” He also pointed out that BJP MLAs had received IPL tickets as well.
Responding to discussions about relocating the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suresh said the government has already approved the construction of a new stadium at a location he had proposed.
“I had suggested building a stadium in Surya City and submitted a proposal for it. Bengaluru needs four stadiums in four directions to cater to its growing population and encourage youth participation in sports,” he said.
He noted that apart from Kanteerava Stadium, KSCA, and the Football Stadium, there are limited facilities in the city.
“When I was a Lok Sabha member, I had proposed allocating 100 acres in my constituency at Surya City. The land was later earmarked and the plan approved,” he added.
Suresh said he has discussed the project with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Chairman Shivalingegowda, and Anekal MLA Shivanna.
“The Cabinet has now approved the project, and a stadium will be developed on around 50–60 acres,” he said.
He further added that he has requested the Deputy Chief Minister to build another stadium at Shivarama Karanth Layout through the BDA, where 40 acres have been allocated. Plans are also being discussed to develop a well-equipped stadium in Bidadi.
Commending state government's recent bilingual policy move, Suresh said forcing children to learn three languages could affect their comprehension.
“It is a good decision to make two languages compulsory. Learning a third language should be left to the choice of students and parents,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, he said their tendency is to oppose every decision of the government.
“To please their central leadership, they take a pro-Hindi stance. Instead, they should advocate for the adoption of Kannada in all states,” he said.
When asked about the earlier three-language policy under Congress, he said, “the situation is different now. Today, the focus should be on quality learning. Kannada should remain the primary language, while students and parents can choose an additional language.”
