LS results in Karnataka proved people rejected Cong's misrule: BY Vijayendra
Bengaluru, Jun 22: The BJP on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Congress in Karnataka, saying the Lok Sabha election results in the state have proved the people have stood up against the latter's 'misrule' in just one year.
With the BJP and its alliance partner JD(S) bagging 19 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, the party's state president B Y Vijayendra said the election results have proved once again that the state is BJP's citadel in south India.
During an event organised to felicitate the 19 NDA MPs including 17 from BJP, Vijayendra said people have blessed the alliance between the saffron party and the JD(S).
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He also congratulated the party leaders and workers for their tireless work during the election, which fetched good result in the LS elections.
"We have to fight against the misrule of the Congress party in the state for the next four years. The election results show that people have rejected the Congress party due to its misrule," Vijayendra said.
He claimed that when BJP was in power, Karnataka was leading in all fields but due to one year's misrule of the Congress, the state is losing ground.
The Congress party which won one seat earlier may have won 9 seats now. But, on the other hand, BJP and JDS are leading in more than 145 assembly constituencies in the state. Our candidates have got the lead even in the constituency where there is a Congress minister, Vijayendra said.
Speakers including union ministers flayed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah led state government for the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices and the alleged Rs 94 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.
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'Fraud on Constitution': SC rules against religious conversion for quota benefits
New Delhi (PTI): In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court has said religious conversions undertaken solely to avail reservation benefits without genuine belief amounted to a "fraud on the Constitution".
Justices Pankaj Mithal and R Mahadevan passed the verdict on November 26 in a case filed by one C Selvarani and upheld a Madras High Court decision of January 24 denying a scheduled caste certificate to a woman who converted to Christianity but later claimed to be a Hindu to secure employment benefits.
Justice Mahadevan, who wrote the 21-page verdict for the bench, further underscored that one converted to a different religion, when they were genuinely inspired by its principles, tenets and spiritual thoughts.
"However, if the purpose of conversion is largely to derive the benefits of reservation but not with any actual belief in the other religion, the same cannot be permitted, as the extension of benefits of reservation to people with such ulterior motives will only defeat the social ethos of the policy of reservation,” he noted.
The evidence presented before the bench was found to have clearly demonstrated that the appellant professed Christianity and actively practiced the faith by attending church regularly.
"Despite the same, she claims to be a Hindu and seeks for a SC community certificate for the purpose of employment," it noted.
"Such a dual claim made by her," said the bench "was untenable and she cannot continue to identify herself as a Hindu after baptism".
The top court, therefore, held the conferment of scheduled caste communal status to the woman, who was a Christian by faith, but claimed to be still embracing Hinduism only for the purpose of availing reservation in employment, "would go against the very object of reservation and would amount to fraud on the Constitution".
The top court underlined a religious conversion solely to access reservation benefits, without genuine belief in the adopted religion, undermined the fundamental social objectives of the quota policy and her actions were contrary to the spirit of reservation policies aimed at uplifting the marginalised communities.
Selvarani, born to a Hindu father and a Christian mother, was baptised as a Christian shortly after birth but later claimed to be a Hindu and sought an SC certificate to apply for an upper division clerk position in Puducherry in 2015.
While her father belonged to the Valluvan caste, categorised under scheduled castes, he had converted to Christianity, as confirmed by documentary evidence.
The verdict said the appellant continued to practice Christianity, as seen by the regular church attendance, making her claim of being a Hindu untenable.
The bench noted individuals converting to Christianity lose their caste identity and must provide compelling evidence of reconversion and acceptance by their original caste to claim SC benefits.
The judgement said there was no substantial evidence of the appellant's reconversion to Hinduism or acceptance by the Valluvan caste.
Her claims lacked public declarations, ceremonies, or credible documentation to substantiate her assertions, it pointed out.
"One converts to a different religion when genuinely inspired by its principles. Conversion purely for reservation benefits, devoid of belief, is impermissible," the bench held.
The apex court opined in any case, upon conversion to Christianity, one lost their caste and couldn't be identified by it.
"As the factum of reconversion is disputed, there must be more than a mere claim. The conversion had not happened by any ceremony or through 'Arya Samaj'. No public declaration was effected. There is nothing on record to show that she or her family has reconverted to Hinduism and on the contrary, there is a factual finding that the appellant still professes Christianity,” it noted.
The bench said there was evidence against the appellant, and therefore, her contention raised that the caste would be under eclipse upon conversion and resumption of the caste upon reconversion, was "unsustainable".
