Don't tweak Constitution, freedom fighter urges Modi
Bengaluru: Veteran freedom fighter H S Doreswamy and senior Congress leader Prof B K Chandrashekar, in an open letter, have demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi should declare that the saffron party will not change the Constitution.
The duo wants Modi and Joshi to declare that the words 'India' and 'Bharat' will not be changed to 'Hindustan,' that the words 'socialist secular' will not be deleted from the Constitution and Articles 29-30 (protection of minorities) will not be removed.
"If you fail to explicitly declare as increasingly expected by the people, we will be justified to conclude that you are bound by the founding concepts of Veer Savarkar, Golwalkar and Hedgewar of 'Hindustan' or 'Hindu Rashtra,'" the letter said. Joshi had prepared the BJP's 2014 election manifesto.
Lastly, the letter demands an explanation from Modi over his failure to create one crore jobs every year. "At least 5 lakh youth in Karnataka - both skilled and technically well-educated - expected benefit every year from your promise and voted for you. How will the BJP answer them now?" the letter says.
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.
Karnataka govt to establish Gig Workers’ Welfare Board
Bengaluru, Apr 3 (PTI): The Karnataka government decided to establish a Gig Workers’ Welfare Board, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office said on Thursday.
The decision was made following a discussion between Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Rahul Gandhi inquired about the timeline for formulating the Gig Workers' Welfare Act, which he had promised during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and the elections.
"The Karnataka government has decided to establish a Gig Workers' Welfare Board to ensure the well-being of workers employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, and others," the statement said.
It further stated that a five per cent cess would be collected from the concerned companies, while the state government would provide the remaining funds required to support welfare schemes for gig workers.
"A comprehensive bill covering all aspects of gig workers' welfare will be prepared and presented before the state cabinet for approval," the statement added.
Three gig worker representatives—Rakshitha Dev, Sheikh Salahuddin, and Nikhil Dev—were also invited to the meeting.
They appreciated the government's initiative and expressed hope for improved working conditions.
State ministers Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and M B Patil were present at the meeting.
Santosh Lad was quoted as saying that Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier advocated for gig workers' rights during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, welcomed the eight-point proposal prepared by the Labour department.
Rahul Gandhi also emphasised the need for swift implementation to safeguard gig workers' interests.
"The Karnataka Labour Department has already introduced three key bills—covering workers' gratuity, cinema workers' rights, and now, gig workers' welfare. The unorganised workers' sector has lauded the government's efforts and extended full support for this progressive move," the statement quoted Lad as saying.
