Let BJP make Chrisitians, Muslims RS members or union ministers: DCM DK Shivakumar
Gadag (Karnataka), Mar 16 (PTI): Defending the decision to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday hit out at the BJP for opposing it and asserted that the Congress government thinks about all citizens.
He said let the BJP make people from Chrisitians and Muslim communities MLCs or Rajya Sabha members or ministers in the union cabinet.
Shivakumar was reacting to state BJP president B Y Vijayendra's post on 'X', accusing the government of Muslim appeasement, while criticising the decision on reservation for Muslims in public contracts.
Vijayendra said: "The BJP has always adhered to the principle of equality in share and livelihood for all, but the Congress government has decided to follow the policy of majority for Muslims, small share for others and has set fire to the concept of the state being a garden of peace for all races, as envisioned by Kuvempu (in the state anthem)."
Reacting to this, Shivakumar said, whether it is Muslims or Christians or Sikhs or Buddhists, all are citizens of the country and Karnataka state.
"We think about all minorities and backward classes. He (Vijayendra) is speaking about equality. Let him or his party make persons (from minority) as MLC, or Rajya Sabha member, or ministers in the central government," he said.
Speaking to reporters here, the Deputy CM said, let the BJP give such positions to a couple of Christians or three Muslims, then Vijayendra will have the right to speak about equality in share and livelihood for all.
"Let him read the state anthem written by Kuvempu properly, as to who all will form a garden of peace. He has now become the president of the BJP, let him be at his level," he added.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
