India's G20 presidency focused on people's participation, inclusivity: Principal Secretary to PM
New Delhi: During the G20 University Connect Finale at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, emphasized India's focus on Jan Bhagidari (people's participation) during its Presidency of the G20. He highlighted that over 1.5 crore citizens actively engaged in various G20-related activities.
These activities included awareness rallies, contests like "selfie with monuments," essay and quiz competitions, workshops, marathons, cleanliness drives, and Yuva Samvaad (youth dialogues). These efforts aimed to bring the objectives of the G20 to every corner of the country.
Mishra underlined that it was the Prime Minister's vision to make the G20 a nationwide event, with activities organized in every State and Union Territory. This approach decentralized and democratized the G20, showcasing India's cultural diversity through unique contributions from each region, Mishra added.
One of India's key priorities during its G20 Presidency was fostering inclusivity, ensuring that the voices of the Global South were not overlooked. An important achievement in this regard was India's proposal, accepted by the G20, to include the African Union as a permanent member of the group, he further added.
Addressing the youth, P K Mishra encouraged them to embrace the opportunities arising from India's G20 Presidency and become leaders in an era of innovation. He concluded his speech with a quote from APJ Abdul Kalam, "The best way to predict the future is to create it," emphasizing the role of young minds in shaping the future.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
