BJP's protest against Rahul is like 'butchers protesting against animal cruelty': CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Sep 12: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that the BJP leaders' protest against Rahul Gandhi, falsely accusing him of making anti-reservation statements, is like "butchers protesting against animal cruelty".
He also pointed out that when former Prime Minister V P Singh implemented the Mandal Commission report, the BJP launched the 'Kamandal' movement, attempting to fill people’s minds with the opium of religion.
"In Karnataka, the BJP opposed local body reservations, even filing a petition in the Supreme Court led by the late Justice Rama Jois. Across the country, the BJP has consistently protested against reservation policies," said Siddaramaiah, according to a press statement issued by the CM's Office.
The CM said BJP leaders lack the understanding or wisdom to interpret Rahul Gandhi's statement.
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"The primary objective of the reservation is to ensure equal opportunities for all in education, employment, and access to resources. This isn’t just something Rahul Gandhi is saying - I stand by it too. How can this be construed as an anti-reservation statement?" asked Siddaramaiah.
Two days ago, Gandhi, while giving a talk at Georgetown University in the USA, when asked about the future of reservations in India, said, "We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place. And India is not a fair place."
Siddaramaiah also blamed the BJP leaders for the social inequality that still persists in India, stating that the RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, has defended the caste system since its very inception.
"Today, BJP leaders lack the courage to openly oppose reservations due to the growing awareness among beneficiaries," he said.
He stated that the Supreme Court recommended a caste-based socio-economic survey precisely to determine whether equal opportunities have been achieved.
|"If BJP leaders and their Union Government are truly committed to social justice, they should immediately conduct a nationwide Caste Census. This is essential to determine whether the reservation has truly reached the most marginalised sections of society," he added.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
