K'taka govt prohibits inter, intra district movement for Mekedatu Padayatra
Bengaluru, Jan 12: Aimed at curtailing mobilisation of people from various districts for Congress' ongoing padayatra, the Karnataka government on Wednesday prohibited inter district and intra district (within Ramanagara), movement of vehicles and persons for participating in it, with immediate effect.
Directing, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, all Police Commissioners of the State, for the strict implementation of the order, Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar said the Transport Commissioner has also been asked to take adequate measures to implement it and aid the District administrations.
"...all, inter district (within Karnataka) and intra district (within Ramanagara), movement of vehicles and persons for participating in 'Nama Neeru Namma Hakku' padayatra or whichever name it is called with similar purpose from Mekedatu to Bengaluru is prohibited with immediate effect and will be in force until further orders," the government's order said.
It said, despite the explicit order of banning dharnas and protests vide orders on January 4 and 11 which is in force until January 31, it is observed that certain groups of people have organized and mobilized people from various districts to Ramanagara district to participate in the padayatra, defying government orders.
The act of defiance is endangering the lives of a large number of people, it further said, adding that the padayatra is likely to aggravate the already worsening COVID-19 situation in the State.
Any person violating these measures will be liable under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, besides legal action under Sections of the IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable.
The order has come on a day, when the Karnataka High Court 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.
The Congress' 10-day long padayatra demanding implementation of Mekedatu project, to which neighbouring Tamil Nadu is opposed, 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.
The padayatra that began on January 9, spanning a distance of nearly 139 km, is scheduled to conclude at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on January 19.
Police have already filed three FIRs against Congress leaders including its state president D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah, for taking out the march defying COVID-19 curbs.
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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.
