Guarantees played key part in Congress victory in Telangana & BJP's in MP: CM Siddaramaiah
Belagavi, Dec 3: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the Congress guarantees were aimed at empowering the poor economically and socially and not winning elections.
In the election results of the four states announced on Sunday, the BJP won in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
The Congress unseated the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana and came to power with a thumping majority. The party had deployed its teams of Karnataka leaders for poll campaigning in Telangana
In the run-up to Telangana elections, the Karnataka government had even publicised the "success" of its guarantees assuring the voters there that they would also get the same benefits if Congress is voted to power.
Speaking to reporters here, Siddaramaiah dismissed suggestions that the guarantees did not work in the elections to four states.
"How did we win in Telangana if the guarantees had not worked? Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan too had announced guarantees there. How did his party (BJP) win there?" he sought to know.
Siddaramaiah, however, also said that these guarantees were not for winning elections.
"We formulated these programmes to empower people socially and economically irrespective of their caste and religion. We called these programmes as 'guarantees' but these are meant for economically weaker sections," the Chief Minister explained.
Regarding the Assembly session which commenced in this district headquarters town on Monday, Siddaramaiah said the government is ready to face the opposition.
"The Legislature session is starting from today. There are certain bills. The state government is ready to face the opposition. We will also discuss the problems in the north Karnataka to resolve them," he said.
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Kerala: Court imposes 41-year jail term on man for sexual assault of minor
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy near Valayam in 2021.
Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court judge K Naushad Ali sentenced 64-year-old Panchara Musa, also known as Ganapathiyat Musa, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to special public prosecutor Manoj Aroor.
As the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict will have to serve the highest term of 20 years’ imprisonment, SPP Aroor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Musa.
The incident took place in August 2021 when the accused allegedly took the 14-year-old boy to a bus stop in Valayam town and sexually assaulted him, the prosecutor said. The accused also gave Rs 50 to the boy, he added.
Following the incident, the boy and his father lodged a complaint at the Valayam police station.
A case under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC was registered, and the accused was subsequently arrested, the SPP said.
The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and submitted 16 documents to substantiate its case against the accused, he added.
