President denounces political violence in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 6: President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday expressed regret over political violence in Kerala which he said did little justice to the glorious traditions of the state and its people.
"It is important for all political groups and enlightened citizens to do their utmost to curb the development of such tendencies," the President said after inaugurating the 'Festival of Democracy', a series of programmes to mark the conclusion of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala Assembly.
"Violence has no place in our Constitution and it would be appropriate if we could give some thought to this... The people of Kerala, and the citizens of India, deserve that we do serious thinking on the issue," he said.
The political violence which plagues certain regions of Kerala was unfortunate, he added.
The programmes, attended by the Governor P. Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and a host of MLAs from several states, includes a series of national level seminars aimed at strengthening the values of democracy.
In his inaugural address, the President commended the Speaker for taking the initiative for this event comprising six seminars on key themes including the relevance and wider applicability of the Kerala developmental model.
These, he pointed out, were extremely meaningful themes and a celebration of these ideas was entirely in keeping with Kerala's rich intellectual legacy.
The diamond jubilee celebration was a befitting tribute to stalwarts like E.M.S. Namboothiripad, E.K. Nayanar and K. Karunakaran amongst others who helped shape the Assembly to its present identity, he said.
Focussing on the "Kerala Model", which has achieved a lot in literacy, healthcare and social sectors, the President said it was now time for the youth of Kerala to derive greater benefits from the model.
Earlier, presiding over the function, Governor Sathasivan said people often lamented the fall in the standards of democratic institutions and more importantly in the growing disregard for procedure and convention in such bodies.
"It may be true that newer issues need to be confronted through novel modes of protest and dissent. But such protests cannot ignore the basic dignity of the democratic institution nor can they hamper the constitutional rights of the members, no matter whether they rule or sit in the opposition," he said.
Chief Minister Vijayan said the present LDF Government in Kerala had been making path breaking interventions.
He underlined that though the central government had dropped the Plan process, the Special Component Plan (SCP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), Kerala had retained the Plan process as well as the SCP and the TSP.
These were essential in ensuring that there was just allocation of resources for the disadvantaged sections, he said.
"While vested interests try to weaken our democracy through orchestrated campaigns, it is the duty of all of us who have assumed office having sworn allegiance to the Indian Constitution to protect democracy and strengthen secularism," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Concern is not number of LS seats, who benefits 'disproportionately': Siddaramaiah on delimitation
Bengaluru (PTI): Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent remarks on Lok Sabha seats, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the concern is not whether the number of seats are increased, but how the expansion is carried out and who benefits "disproportionately".
He alleged that having "failed" to win the trust of southern people, the Modi government is now attempting to weaken the region's voice through a "manipulative restructuring of representation."
PM Modi had on Thursday said that Lok Sabha seats would not be reduced in South Indian states that have successfully controlled population, and that the total number of seats will increase to benefit states across the country.
Addressing an NDA Assembly election rally at Thiruvalla in Kerala, Modi said, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, which adjourned on Thursday, will reconvene on April 16 for three days to take up legislation, including increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to implement women's reservation.
In a post on 'X', Siddaramaiah said, "I welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally opening his mouth on the proposed delimitation exercise. This sudden concern for reassuring southern states appears less like statesmanship and more like election-driven messaging, timed conveniently with political calculations in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu."
"Let us be clear, the issue has never been about whether the number of Lok Sabha seats of southern states increases. The concern is about how they increase - and who benefits disproportionately."
Noting that every state may see an increase, the rate and scale of increase clearly favour BJP-dominated states, the CM said, "Uttar Pradesh is expected to go from 80 to 120 seats (+40), Maharashtra from 48 to 72 (+24), Bihar from 40 to 60 (+20), Madhya Pradesh from 29 to 43–44 (+14–15), Rajasthan from 25 to 37–38 (+12–13), and Gujarat from 26 to 39 (+13)."
"In contrast, southern states see smaller gains. Karnataka rises from 28 to 42 (+14), Tamil Nadu from 39 to 58–59 (+20), Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 37–38 (+12–13), Telangana from 17 to 25–26 (+8–9), and Kerala from 20 to 30 (+10).
"The numbers are telling. Five southern states together gain barely 63–66 additional seats, while just these seven BJP-dominated states gain about 128–131 seats - nearly double."
He argued that after the expansion of the Lok Sabha to 816 seats, the collective share of southern states would remains around 24 per cent "unchanged and already modest".
Siddaramaiah claimed that states that performed better in population control and governance are being penalised, and Karnataka - a key driver of national growth - risks being deliberately sidelined.
"If our share does not improve while the numerical dominance of larger states grows, what exactly is Karnataka gaining from this exercise?"he asked.
"The result is a widening imbalance," he pointed out, adding that today, Uttar Pradesh has 52 more seats than Karnataka - this gap will increase to 78. Maharashtra’s lead over Karnataka will expand from 20 to 30 seats.
This is not just expansion; it is concentration of power, he said. "This is not cooperative federalism - this is another blatant assault on federalism, designed to concentrate power and silence states like Karnataka."
He allegd, "Having failed to win the trust of southern people, the Modi government is now attempting to weaken our voice through a manipulative restructuring of representation."
Such a structural change cannot be pushed without consultations or public debate, Siddaramaiah said adding that at a time of economic and global challenges, the union government is more focused on political arithmetic over national priorities.
"The people of Karnataka - and all who believe in federalism - deserve fairness, respect, and transparency. We will firmly oppose any attempt to weaken our voice," he said.
