Lingayat issue: MHA forwards proposal to Minority Affairs Ministry
Begnaluru: The Home Ministry has forwarded the state government's recommendation to grant religious minority status to the Lingayats to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, saying the issue is beyond its jurisdiction, an official said on Thursday.
"The proposal to grant the minority status on Lingayats and Veerashaivas in Karnataka has been sent to the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The matter is now being dealt by it," the Home Ministry official said.
The Home Ministry had put up the proposal to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner for detailed examination and suggestions and it was later decided to sent it to the Minority Affairs Ministry, he added.
The official said the issue was "beyond the MHA jurisdiction and hence was forwarded to the Ministry of Minorities Affairs, which is the competent authority to take a decision."
According to the official, a decision on the issue is not expected soon as the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in Karnataka, where Assembly elections are due on May 12.
On March 19, the Karnataka government had decided to declare the Lingayats as a religious minority, as well as include Veerashaivas as a group within the community. The state then forwarded the proposal to the Centre for approval and notification under the National Commission for Minorities Act.
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Delhi polls: BJP issues 'chargesheet' against Kejriwal; vows to remove AAP from power
New Delhi (PTI): Senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Monday issued a "chargesheet" against AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of turning Delhi into a "corruption lab" through a series of "scams".
No immediate reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the allegations of the BJP leader.
Ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, the state unit of the BJP has formed a "chargesheet committee" that has so far issued detailed reports listing the alleged failures of the ruling AAP MLAs.
"What kind of a party is this which came to power promising to give corruption-free government but was involved in eight to nine scams related to the liquor policy, Delhi Jal Board, DTC, Waqf Board," Thakur charged.
"Ghotale Pe Ghotala, Kejriwal Ne Banaya Delhi Ko Bhrashtachar Ki Prayogshala" (Kejriwal turned Delhi into a laboratory of corruption with scams), Thakur gave the slogan and asserted that the BJP will remove the AAP from power in Delhi.
The elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due to be held in February next year.
The former Union minister also targeted the AAP and Kejriwal over education and health, alleging it failed to open new Mohalla Clinics and hospitals and did not use the Centre's funds to boost the city's healthcare infrastructure.
He charged that the smog tower in Connaught Place, which was supposed to provide relief from air pollution, was lying defunct although the AAP government spent crores of rupees on advertisement.
He cited water shortage, lack of sanitation, damaged roads, and other issues to corner the ruling AAP.
Thakur also alleged that the AAP has been supporting "anti-national" forces and Kejriwal questioned India's surgical strikes. He said the party got the support of "Khalistanti elements" during the Punjab polls.
