Congress should give three top portfolios to Muslims
After forming the JDS-Congress coalition government amidst political high drama, now it is time for the coalition to confront another round of political strategies from different communities seeking representation to their communities while constituting the Cabinet. It is natural in a democratic set up. It is a social justice to ensure equal representation to each community based on its population in the administration and development. So, every community has the right to ask its share of portfolios while forming the cabinet.
Now, Lingayat and Vokkaliga (DK Shivakumar) communities have been attracting the attention in the state because of their demand of deputy chief minister post. In fact, the Lingayat leaders and community have been lobbying for this post in a big level. But the most surprising thing is there seems to be no strong demand or debate for the representation for Muslim community. A few Muslim MLAs have been demanding the positions. Apart from this, as a community, the Muslims have not placed their demand for the posts in a strong voice and it has not become a news either.
Though the Congress has no majority, it has formed the government. It is high time for the Congress high command on how to ensure justice to the Muslim community which has supported the party wholeheartedly. Even after recommending the Centre to consider Lingayat community as a separate religion in the state, Siddaramaiah did not get expected votes from that community. But the Vokkaliga community has supported the JDS in its strong bastion and in some parts, it has supported BJP. The interesting factor in this election is, the Congress has ‘lost’ the Ahinda votes from its basket. Despite a number of good programmes for the Dalits and Backward Classes and Siddaramaiah government was branded as ‘Ahinda government’, the result and voting share itself shows that the Congress has not got the votes from these two communities as it expected. But the Muslims have supported the Siddaramaiah government. Going by the result analysis and vote sharing, it is confirmed that more than 80 per cent Muslims have endorsed the government programmes and voted the Congress. This means, Muslims have played a pivotal role in Congress getting 78 seats. The Congress leadership should not forget this fact. The Congress leaders should think about ensuring natural justice to the community which supported them.
Now the Congress has seven Muslim MLAs. But both BJP and JDS have no Muslim MLAs this time. in recent years, this time the Muslim community has less number of MLAs. At this time, the Congress should not give excuses and cheat the Muslim community. Out of 22 portfolios, the Congress should give at least three posts to the community and while considering them, top portfolios like revenue, industry, health, education and others should be given. Those who were elected from Congress have all abilities to handle any portfolios. Considering the experience, previous achievements, the votes they have taken, regional representation, service to the party and opinion among people, the Congress should give cabinet ranks to minimum three members out of seven MLAs. Other minorities like Jains, Christians and others should also get their share. Social justice should not remain as a slogan, but it should be implemented effectively.
If the Muslims were cheated without doing this, the Congress will have to face the opposition from the community. Those who are against giving portfolios to Muslim community saying that Hindus would detach from the Congress, should clarify about how many Hindu houses they have reached, how many programmes of the Siddaramaiah government they have taken to the houses of Hindus? Just making loud speeches on the stages would not help as such speeches would not convert into votes. They have to work hard to get votes. But some Congress leaders have forgotten this very simple mantra. Such leaders have raised their objection on giving more seats to Muslims.
No community should be given more seats than it deserves. But it should get the seats it deserved as a social justice. Then only, we could ensure social justice. If it is forgotten, then Muslims may think of cornering the Congress in future.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
