Video shows Dalits being asked to serve K'taka CM only branded tea
Bengaluru, Oct 13: The Congress on Thursday shared a video purportedly showing officials instructing a Dalit family to serve only branded and packaged tea powder instead of ordinary tea to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, among others.
Bommai, Yediyurappa, along with Tourism Minister Anand Singh, Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol and other BJP leaders had breakfast in a house at Kamalapura in Vijayanagara district on Wednesday. Later, the Chief Minister's office shared the picture and videos of their breakfast.
Today, the Congress came up with the video in the twitter handle wherein the officials were purportedly giving instruction to the family even before Bommai and his team reached there.
In the video, an official accompanied by a police sub-inspector is heard saying that they would take the sample.
"... Get 250 grams of...any company's tea. Keep other tea dust separately. Don't use it. Get the company (branded) items," the official is purportedly telling the family in the video.
The video ended showing a local newspaper report, which reported that the officials told the Dalit family to use branded item and not others. Also, the video claimed that only packaged drinking water was served to the Chief Minister and others.
The Congress said this incident exposed the mentality of Sangh Pariwar.
"The real mentality of the Sangh Parivar has been exposed in the Chief Minister's 'Dalit house meal' farce. Meals at Dalits' home had been an insult for the BJP, now it suspects it too. Did the PayCM Basavaraj Bommai entered Dalits' houses to insult Dalits? Is BJP so suspicious of Dalits?" the Congress tweeted.
The PayCM is the Congress coinage accusing the Chief Minister of running a corrupt government where hefty commission is charged for public works.
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP to this tweet.
ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳ 'ದಲಿತರ ಮನೆಯ ಊಟ' ಪ್ರಹಸನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಘಪರಿವಾರದ ಅಸಲಿ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಅನಾವರಣವಾಗಿದೆ.
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) October 13, 2022
ಬಿಜೆಪಿಗೆ ದಲಿತರ ಮನೆಯ ಊಟ ಅವಮಾನಕರವಾಗಿತ್ತು, ಈಗ ಅನುಮಾನಕರವಾಗಿದೆ.
ದಲಿತರನ್ನು ಅವಮಾನಿಸಲೆಂದೇ ದಲಿತರ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋದ್ರ #PayCM @BSBommai ಅವರೇ?
ದಲಿತರೆಂದರೆ ಅಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಅನುಮಾನವೇ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಗೆ?#BharatJodoYatra pic.twitter.com/2T5yeXovua
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Steel mirrors deployed in Mysuru to discourage public urination
Mysuru (PTI): Fed up with people relieving themselves along roadsides, the Mysuru City Corporation has adopted a unique strategy to curb the practice and promote civic sense by installing reflective steel mirrors along pavements, officials said on Friday.
In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Corporation installed stainless steel sheets with a mirror finish along an 80-metre stretch opposite the Mysuru Suburban Bus Stand.
Officials said the reflective sheets are intended to confront anyone attempting to urinate in public with their own reflection, thereby discouraging the act psychologically.
“The idea is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, prevent public nuisance, and promote civic sense. It is a simple yet psychological approach that encourages self-awareness through reflection,” officials added.
Soon after the mirrors were installed, videos of the initiative went viral on social media, with many people appreciating the administration’s innovative attempt to address public urination. At the same time, some users pointed out the lack of basic civic sense among people.
Several social media users also suggested that more public toilets, maintained in a hygienic condition, were needed to further discourage open urination.
Explaining how the idea originated, Nitesh Patil, Administrator and Regional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation, told PTI that despite a public toilet being located next to the bus stand, many people continued to urinate in the open.
Even fines and warnings failed to deter them from relieving themselves against vacant compound walls, leaving behind a foul smell.
“One of our engineers came up with this idea, and we decided to implement it. The initiative has received a very positive response from the public, social media, and the press. We are now planning to identify more such locations in the city and install similar reflectors,” he said.
According to him, to ensure that the installation is both effective and visually appealing, LED lighting that switches on along with the streetlights has also been added, causing the stretch to glow at night and enhancing the city’s appearance.
Patil said the initiative had helped create civic awareness while also beautifying the city.
“We want our city to be clean and hygienic. We aspire to become the cleanest city in the country,” he added, recalling that Mysuru secured third place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25 last year.
