K'taka minister V Somanna apologises after viral video shows him slapping woman
Chamarajanagar, Oct 23: Karnataka Minister V Somanna apologised on Sunday after he allegedly slapped a woman who approached him with a plea to redress her grievance.
The incident, the video of which went viral on social media, took place when the Housing and Infrastructure Minister was participating in a property document distribution ceremony at Hangla village in this district.
Property ownership papers were handed over to landless people who were occupying government land for residential purposes.
During the ceremony on Saturday, the woman, later identified as Kempamma, approached the Chamarajnagar district incharge Minister reportedly pleading with him to allot a plot. The minister turned angry after he was shoved due to the unruly crowd and allegedly slapped her.
"This incident is not an incident at all. I have been in politics for the past 40 years. This was a programme organised for the downtrodden and economically weaker section of the society. Though I did not misbehave at all but if anyone felt hurt then I apologise and express my regret," he told reporters in Chamarajanagar.
According to him, Kempamma, a widow, was repeatedly coming on to the stage compelling him to ask her not to do so.
Though he told her that he will resolve her issue in 10 minutes once he comes down from the stage, she did not relent, Somanna added.
"I was trying to make her stand aside indicating her with my hand. There was no other intention other than that. I have high regards for women. I too come from a financially weaker background," the minister explained.
He added that he issued a 'Hakku Patra' (ownership paper) to Kempamma on Sunday.
Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah came down heavily on Somanna saying that the incident "showed his culture".
"A woman was narrating her woes to the government but she was responded with harsh words. Those in power should have patience. Somanna is unfit to be a minister," Siddaramaiah said.
"If you don't have patience and inept to address the grievances of people then you should resign and come out of the government," he said.
Congress national general secretary and Karnataka in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that the "arrogance has gone into the heads" of the BJP ministers.
Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh said: "What a difference from the way @RahulGandhi began the Karnataka leg of #BharatJodoYatra from the very same Gundlupet on 30th September! This shameless man should be sacked immediately!" Ramesh tweeted.
The Congress MP was referring to Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered Karnataka from Gundlupet last month, where the incident occurred on Saturday.
Somanna's office later shared a video where the woman said she was not slapped but was only consoled by the minister'.
"I bowed at his feet with the plea to grant me land and the minister lifted me consoling me that he would help me but it was publicised that he slapped me," the woman accompanied by her children said in the video.
ಸೆಪ್ಟೆಂಬರ್ 30ರಂದು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದೇ ಗುಂಡ್ಲುಪೇಟೆಯಿಂದ @RahulGandhi ಅವರು #BharatJodoYatra ಅನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದ ರೀತಿಗೂ, ಈ ಕೃತ್ಯಕ್ಕೂ ಅಜಗಜಾಂತರ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ!
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 23, 2022
ಈ ನಾಚಿಕೆಯಿಲ್ಲದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಸಂಪುಟದಿಂದ ವಜಾಗೊಳಿಸಬೇಕು! https://t.co/dSFGhGGDMF
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Rajnath to top commanders: Outmaneuver adversaries with strategic surprise
Jaipur/New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military commanders of the three services to integrate an "element of surprise" into modern warfare to outmaneuver India's adversaries and bolster strategic posture.
In his address at the joint commanders conference in Jaipur, Singh also described the Operation Sindoor as a testament to the "swift, precise, and joint response" of the Indian armed forces to safeguard national interests and called upon the military to remain ready to deal with any security challenges.
In their two-day deliberations, the commanders carried out a comprehensive review of the combat preparedness of the military in the wake of the evolving regional security situation.
Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's growing capabilities and a symbol of the nation's collective resolve and new military ethos, Singh said, a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
He also unveiled a 'Joint Doctrine for Integrated Communication Architecture' that is aimed at strengthening doctrinal clarity, interoperability and integrated communications across the armed forces in future multidomain operations.
The joint commanders' conference, themed 'Military Capability in New Domains', brought together the top leadership of the defence ministry and the three services to deliberate on emerging security challenges and future readiness.
Comprehensive deliberations were held on future warfare, multidomain operations, technological transformation and joint capability development.
The conference witnessed extensive discussions on cognitive warfare, cyber resilience against evolving quantum and AI-enabled threats, military capability development in emerging domains, indigenous innovation and AI-enabled warfighting concepts.
It was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh among others.
In his remarks, Singh asked the commanders to remain "future-ready" by learning from the operation as well as the current global security landscape.
He underscored the need to strengthen capabilities in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and secure communication networks to stay prepared in the rapidly evolving geopolitical security scenario. He emphasised that future conflicts will increasingly be shaped by hybrid threats, information dominance and operations conducted simultaneously across cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains, according to an official readout.
Highlighting the transformative impact of emerging technologies, Singh stressed on the importance of ensuring integrated national preparedness across all spectrums of conflict, it said.
Singh's remarks at the conference came a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The defence minister appreciated the progress achieved in enhancing jointness, integration and technological adoption across the three services, the readout noted.
Singh said that jointness constitutes a pivotal dimension within the transformative changes sweeping across the global defence sector.
"Future wars will not be won solely through weaponry, but through innovative thinking and enhanced synergy," he said.
The defence minister exhorted the commanders to cultivate the "element of surprise" to remain unpredictable to the nation's adversaries and secure a strategic edge in any given situation.
He, however, urged them to remain vigilant of the element of surprise of the enemy and always stay two steps ahead.
Singh also reiterated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the defence forces through state-of-the-art weapons and platforms. He added that special focus is being laid on research in niche domains.
During the conference, he released a documentary film on Operation Sindoor.
The film reaffirms the nation's and defence forces' commitment to operational preparedness and decisive national response capabilities.
Demonstrations of advanced systems and platforms developed for intelligence fusion, operational planning and information management were also showcased during the conference reflecting growing integration of cutting-edge technologies into joint operational structures, according to the defence ministry.
The discussions will contribute significantly towards shaping India's future military transformation and integrated operational preparedness, it said.
