PM fulfilling "anti-Muslim agenda" of Jana Sangh, Hindu Mahasabha, alleges Deve Gowda
Says attempts are being made to treat Muslims as second grade citizens
Bengaluru, Jan 23: JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Thursday called on secular regional parties and Congress to fight against the "divisive policies" of the central government like the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens with a Common Minimum Programme.
The former Prime Minister also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fulfilling the "long standing anti-Muslim agenda" of Jana Sangh and Hindu Mahasabha, and leading the country to the margins of danger.
Gowda said that during these trying times, regional parties and the Congress still believing in secular principles have to fight with a CMP "to avert the disaster that may explode anytime."
It was a matter left for bigger leaders to decide, but the JD(S), being a small party, should be ready to fight these acts at any level and be ready to go to jail if such a situation arose, he said, addressing a JD(S) convention here.
Alleging that attempts were being made to treat Muslims as second grade citizens of the country, he accused Modi of "fulfilling the nearly 70-year-old anti Muslim agenda" of the Jana Sangh and Hindu Mahasabha, after his party won over 300 seats in the Lok Sabha in the 2019 parliamentary polls.
Pointing to nationwide agitations, he said "this government has led the country to the margins of danger..."
Noting that Congress and JD(S) as "secular parties", had formed a coalition government in Karnataka that eventually collapsed, the regional party's national President said he would not discuss who was right or wrong and reasons for the government to fall. "But somewhere we have stumbled," he said.
"How the BJP government was formed in Karnataka, how long will it survive, where did we stumble...let's not discuss about it.
Let's concentrate on strengthening our organisation...be prepared for everything. Only then will the party survive,"he added.
Pointing to his defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and the party getting 15 seats in the assembly polls, Gowda asked JD (S) workers not to be disheartened, fearing the party's poor prospects in the future.
"...the strength of the party is you (workers) and it is you who can build and rejuvenate it. You will have to work with zeal. Without your support one Deve Gowda or one Kumaraswamy (his son) cannot achieve anything," he added.
The JD(S) also passed three resolutions- against the "weakening" economic situation in the country and growing unemployment and to hold a mass public movement in this regard; agitation against discrimination in allocation of funds to the state by the centre if it is not set right soon; and demand to withdraw Citizenhisp Amendment Act to maintain peace in the country.
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Karnataka government employees demand return of Old Pension Scheme
Bengaluru: Government employees in Karnataka have urged the state government to scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and bring back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), The New Indian Express reported.
The demand was made by the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association, whose leaders met senior IAS officer Uma Mahadevan on Monday and submitted a memorandum. The association asked the NPS Review Committee, headed by senior IAS officer Anjum Parvez, to recommend the reintroduction of OPS in the state.
Association president C.S. Shadakshari reportedly said the review committee has already visited Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where NPS was revoked and OPS re-implemented. The committee is yet to submit its report, but has told the government it will do so soon.
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Shadakshari allegedly said NPS has been in force in Karnataka since 2006. He pointed out that West Bengal never adopted the scheme, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana replaced NPS with a contributory pension model.
States including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand have already scrapped NPS through cabinet decisions or budget announcements.
“Under NPS, 10% of the employees’ basic salary and DA, and 14% contribution from the state is credited to the employees’ fund. It constitutes 24% of the total which is non-withdrawable. This is invested in the share market and the final amount depends on the ups and downs of the market,” TNIE quoted Shadakshar as saying.
As per the report, he said that by limiting its contribution to 14%, the government could save up to ₹1.87 lakh crore annually if all vacancies are filled, strengthening the case for bringing back the old pension system.
