Karnataka Congress' padayatra continues, third FIR against 64 leaders for violating COVID-19 curbs
Bengaluru, Jan 12: As the Congress' 'padayatra' demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river entered its fourth day on Wednesday, a third FIR has been registered against 64 party leaders, including D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, for taking out the march defying COVID-19 curbs.
The FIR has been registered at the Kanakapura police station for defying restrictions on Tuesday, during which Congress leaders and a large number of party workers had marched a distance of about 14.3 km from Kanakapura to Chikkenahalli.
Several Congress leaders, including Shivakumar's brother and Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, Ravi S, Dhruvanarayana, Priyank Kharge, Eshwar Khandre, Tanvir Sait, Salim Ahemad, Yatindra Siddaramaiah, Nalapad Haris, are among those mentioned in the FIR.
They have been booked for violation of guidelines, by gathering in huge numbers, without wearing face masks and not maintaining social distancing, under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act and sections of Indian Penal Code, the FIR said.
This even as the Congress' 10-day long padayatra demanding for implementation of Mekedatu project, to which neighbouring Tamil Nadu is opposed to, continued for the fourth day on Wednesday for a distance of about 15 km from Chikkenahalli to Ramanagara with participation of hundreds of party workers and supporters.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday questioned the state government as to why it allowed the Congress' padayatra, which is being held in violation of its COVID curbs, and why no appropriate action was taken by the authorities to restrain the march.
It has also asked the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) whether it had obtained permission for the padayatra and whether measures have been taken in compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the government to prevent the COVID-19 spread.
The court has asked both the state government as well as the Congress to respond by Friday.
While the first FIR filed at the same Sathanoor police station for defying restrictions on Sunday had named 30 people including senior Congress leaders like Shivakumar, Suresh, Siddaramaiah, Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjun Kharge, among others; the second FIR is against 40 party leaders for defying orders on Monday.
The padayatra spanning a distance of nearly 139 km is scheduled to conclude at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on January 19.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
