Believing rumours of Rs. 2000 being deposited in accounts; hundreds of labourers violate lockdown
Mangaluru: Violating all the regulations and norms of the country-wide lockdown due to the spread of Corona Virus, hundreds of daily wage labourers gathered outside a private building in the city on Wednesday afternoon. The move by the labourers was prompted by a rumor that spread like a wildfire adding that Rs. 2000 were being deposited into their account.
The labourers also reportedly violated the regulations of social distancing. At least 750 labourers gathered outside the building in a queue with their bank passbooks.
Stunned by the gathering, when local enquired as to why the labourers had gathered at the place, a few of them informed that they had come to collect their Rs. 2000 that was being deposited in the bank accounts. When asked who informed them about the depositing of money, they had no clear answer.
They were holding bank passbooks, Aadhaar cards till 3:30 pm. Later, labor officials arrived at the spot but could not find any clear information. In the meantime, youths who were collecting information about the labourers also fled the scene.
Neither police department, local corporator, nor the MCC Commissioner had any information about this. It was finally understood that someone forced the labourers to stand under the scorching sun and violate the lockdown.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
