Murthy have misconceptions about Karnataka survey: CM Siddaramaiah
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy and author Sudha Murty have "some misconceptions" about the ongoing social and educational survey being conducted in the state.
"There is a notion that this is a survey for backward castes," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
"It is not a backward classes survey. Let them write whatever they want. People should understand what this survey is about. What can I do if they are unable to understand?" he said.
The chief minister’s remarks came after the Murthys declined to take part in the survey, noting on the pro forma that they do not belong to backward communities.
"Should Infosys (founder) mean ‘Brihaspati’ (intelligent)? We have said 20 times it’s not a backward classes survey but a survey for everyone," Siddaramaiah said.
He said the government had launched welfare schemes such as Shakti, which offers free bus rides to women in non-luxury government buses, and Gruha Lakshmi, which provides Rs 2,000 a month to women heads of families from economically weaker sections.
"Aren’t upper-caste women and those above the poverty line availing the Shakti scheme? Aren’t upper-caste people among the Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries?" he asked.
The chief minister said that despite repeated clarifications from ministers, there were still misconceptions about the exercise. "Now the Centre is also coming up with a caste census. What answer will they (Murthys) give then? I feel they have the wrong information," he said.
"I am making it very, very clear — this is not a survey for backward classes but a socio-economic and educational survey of seven crore people of Karnataka," he asserted.
On speculation about a possible leadership change in the state, dubbed ‘November Kranti’, Siddaramaiah said, "It’s not a Kranti. What is Kranti? Kranti is revolution. Change is not revolution."
He also said the issue keeps surfacing without reason and should simply be ignored.
Clarifying the cabinet’s recent decision banning activities on government land and in government schools and colleges — widely described as a move against RSS programmes — Siddaramaiah said, "It’s not just about the RSS. Any organisation conducting activities without government permission is not allowed. This rule was actually brought in by the BJP under Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar."
On the upcoming Bihar elections, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would perform well. "People want change. Rahul Gandhi’s march received an overwhelming response. Chances are high for us to win," he said, adding that he would attend the campaign if invited.
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Sunetra Pawar elected as NCP's legislature party leader
Mumbai (PTI): Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected as the leader of the NCP legislature party in Maharashtra on Saturday, three days after the death of her husband and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
She is set to take oath as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state later in the day.
Sunetra Pawar's name as the NCP's legislature party leader was proposed by senior leader Dilip Walse Patil and seconded by Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
She was elected during a meeting of the party's legislature wing, held at the office of late Ajit Pawar on the ground floor of the Vidhan Bhavan complex in south Mumbai.
Ajit Pawar, who was deputy chief minister and finance minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government, was killed in a plane crash in Baramati along with four others on January 28.
Sunetra Pawar paid floral tributes to a portrait of her late husband in the meeting hall. Their younger son Jay was also present.
Many ministers and legislators were teary-eyed when they entered the Vidhan Bhavan complex.
The Lok Bhavan has confirmed that the swearing-in ceremony of Sunetra Pawar as the state deputy CM will be held at 5 pm in Mumbai.
Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar had kept a low profile. In the Lok Sabha elections that year, she contested from Baramati as the candidate of her husband's party, but was defeated by her sister-in-law and incumbent NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule in the prestige battle.
Sunetra Pawar was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.
