Farmer protests in Chamrajnagar intensifies, highway blocked, police detain protesters
Chamrajnagar: In the backdrop of the Supreme court’s order to release Kaveri water to Tamil Nadu, the members of the Sugarcane Growers Association launched a protest in the city condemning the order. The protest which escalated led to the blockade of the highway near Somwarpet and leading to several detentions.
The protestors who gathered near the city’s tourist home, proceeded towards Somwarpet blocking the highway. Expressing agitation, they set fire to tires and shouted slogans against Tamil Nadu and state governments, leading the Police to detain the protesters.
Sugarcane growers association President Halkerehundi Bhagyaraj criticized the Supreme Court's verdict and termed it as condemnable, he further stated that, “There are even instances where former Chief Minister Bangarappa opposed the Supreme Court verdict. On this basis currently Karnataka should not discharge even one liter of water to Tamil Nadu even if the United Nations (UN) orders the state to release water.”
“Is it appropriate to order Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu when the state is grappling with drinking water scarcity? The state government must consider halting the water discharge to Tamil Nadu in any manner. If water is released, there will be disruptions such as blocking Tamil Nadu cinemas and vehicles from entering Karnataka. Water should not have been released to Tamil Nadu as per the all party policy. Failing which,” Bhagyaraj warned of violent protests in future.
Hali Nagaraju, Mahendra, Praveen, Doddaguru, Gurumallappa, Harisuthana Raju, Siddharaju, Basavarajappa, Nandish, Ravi, and several others joined the protest.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
