Congress to hold statewide protest to save Panchayat Raj system: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: KPCC President D K Shivakumar has said that the Congress members oppose appointment by nominations instead of being elected to Panchayaths.
“We have seen in the media that the Cabinet has decided to appoint without election to the Panchayaths. The Congress demands that elections be held to the Panchayaths and will legally fight against direct appointment,” said Shivakumar.
He was addressing reporters after attending a meeting chaired by the Speaker in the Vidhan Soudha on Thursday on the Anti-defection Act.
“The government should remember that a decision to appoint workers of our choice in a democracy is favorable neither for us nor the democratic setup. If the government shows preference to appointment over elections, we will organize a statewide protest to save the Panchayath Raj system,” he warned.
“The Central and state governments are both treating workers in a very demeaning manner. The workers are not being provided food packets and grocery kits. There are no jobs or food. Each worker needs at least Rs. 1,000 to reach his or her native place, but the government refuses to provide the workers financial help,” Shivakumar said while speaking about the plights of migrant labors.
“The workers, who are a support system for the country, should not be treated like bonded laborers. Instead, they should be treated with due respect and sent home. The government should also have given them moral support in the present difficult times. Up to seven lakh food packets were readied for the workers by the Corporation and the Labor Department, but the packets reached only the BJP workers. The beneficiaries got hardly 10% of the packets,” alleged Shivakumar.
He said that the Anti-defection Act is being discussed at national-level. “This is a major problem for all parties and needs to be resolved now to prevent problems in future for our democratic system. Our state itself is an example to explain the need for resolution. We have all tried a lot to bring in change, but have been a cause too, for the issue being raised at present,” he added.
Speaking further, the KPCC president said that there are regular cases of changing parties for the sake of power, resigning as legislators to change parties and then withdrawing the resignation, resigning in order to get another party to power. “If there is no control over such acts, the situation is going to worsen. The contestants who win should get the power, but change of parties to get others to power is against the system, and should not be permitted,” insisted Shivakumar.
The president said that the party has expressed its opposition to permitting elected representatives who resign and change parties for personal matters contest elections from other parties. “We will also discuss the matter at party-level. The opinions of senior and junior leaders of the party and experts too will be collected by June 10 and give a consolidated response,” said Shivakumar.
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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.
