Karnataka Congress to hold "symbolic protest" tomorrow against state govt
Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress will hold a "symbolic protest" against the BJP government on Wednesday against amending of the APMC act, proposed nominations to gram panchayats by postponing elections and plans to amend labour laws, among other issues.
The decision to hold the protest was arrived at the Congress Legislature Party meeting, chaired by CLP and opposition leader Siddaramaiah.
The protest will be held at 11 am tomorrow in front of Gandhi statue at the premises of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state secretariat and legislature here, Siddaramaiah's office said in a statement.
The meeting decided to petition the Governor and the State Election Commission in this regard in the days to come and fix appointments with them for the same.
It was also decided to hold protests against the "wrong decisions" of the state and central government, with regard to handling of the COVID-19 crisis, at district and taluk level.
Siddaramaiah, in his remarks at the CLP meeting, hit out at both the central and state governments over their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial packages announced.
He asked party legislators to explain to the people, the "failures" of the government.
Alleging that there was a conspiracy to nominate BJP workers as members to panchayats without holding elections because of COVID-19, the former Chief Minister said Congress should urge the government to continue with the current members and hold elections after six months.
"There is "Tughlaq Darbar" in the state, there is corruption.
Modi had criticised our government (Congress) as 10 per cent government.
He should now say Yediyurappa government is what per cent," Siddaramaiah said.
Congress will stage protests against amendments to the APMC act, labour laws and nominations to panchayats, he added.
Despite objections from opposition parties, the government recently came out with an ordinance that amended the laws to curtail the powers of the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC).
While the government said it was aimed at bringing in reforms to facilitate market access for farmers, opposition parties have vehemently opposed it, alleging that it would dilute the APMC laws and affect farmers' interests.
Also, the government is reportedly mulling over an ordinance relaxing labour laws in line with other BJP ruled states, like extension in work hours, among other things.
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Women BJP MLAs protest against opposition in UP assembly premises
Lucknow (PTI): Women BJP MLAs held a protest in the Vidhan Bhawan complex before the one-day special session of Uttar Pradesh assembly, slamming the opposition for defeating the passage of a bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Law, in the Lok Sabha.
This followed another demonstration by Samajwadi Party MLAs, who alleged that the BJP was misleading public in the name of women's reservation.
The women BJP legislators assembled in front of Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue in the assembly premises, holding banners inscribed with the slogan "Insult to Matrushakti (women's power), India will not tolerate it". The protesting members entered the main hall of Vidhan Bhawan carrying the banners.
Participating in the protest, the state Minister for Women Welfare and Child Development, Baby Rani Maurya, told reporters that all opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, had opposed the women's reservation, a stance for which they would have to pay a heavy political price.
"On this issue, all of us women stand united. We will ensure that we secure our reservation," she said.
BJP MLA Ketki Singh remarked that their protest represents the collective outrage of millions of women across the state.
Singh asserted that the opposition has betrayed women by creating hurdles in the path of women's reservation. The current demonstration is merely the beginning, and very soon, women from every street, intersection and household will join the protest movement, she said.
Minister Vijaylakshmi Gautam said, "We strongly condemn the despicable act committed by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in an attempt to hold back 'half the population' (women). Their action was directed against the very bill that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced to empower and strengthen Nari Shakti (women's power), and which he strived to pass expeditiously."
Uttar Pradesh assembly is holding a one-day special session on Thursday. During the session, the government is set to move a censure motion against the opposition parties over their failure to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, in the Lok Sabha.
