After Statue Vandalism, Mamata, TMC leaders change Twitter, Facebook DPs to Vidyasagar’s photo
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several top TMC leaders have changed their Facebook and Twitter display picture (DP) with photo of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on Wednesday to protest the desecration of the bust of the noted reformer and key figure of the Bengal Renaissance.
Trinamool Congress's official profile on Twitter and Facebook was also changed with a picture of Vidyasagar.
Banerjee is scheduled to take out a protest rally on Wednesday to protest the smashing of the bust of the social reformer by alleged BJP activists in north Kolkata on Tuesday.
Launching a scathing attack on BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday, Banerjee had said, "What does Amit Shah think of himself? Is he above everything? Is he God that no one can protest against him?"
Banerjee said this after supporters of the BJP and the TMC fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during a roadshow by Shah.
A college named after Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, a key figure in the Bengal Renaissance, was ransacked and a bust of the 19th century social reformer shattered allegedly by BJP workers during the clashes.
The CPI(M) has also called for protest rallies against the incident.
The intellectuals of the city will take out a protest march from College street on Wednesday evening.
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Railway exams postponed after pro-Kannada activists protests over exclusion of language
Bengaluru (PTI): South Western Railway on Tuesday abruptly postponed its recruitment examinations following protests by pro-Kannada organisations over the conduct of tests only in English and Hindi.
Members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike gathered outside exam centres in Bengaluru and Hubballi, demanding that the exams also be held in Kannada.
"The recruitment examinations have been postponed due to the protests and next dates would be announced later," a SWR official said.
Officials said the South Western Railway (SWR) had scheduled promotion examinations on Tuesday to fill 295 posts, including 194 posts of goods train manager.
Following the development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged the Union Government to ensure that Kannada-speaking candidates are not subjected to "such injustice".
He also sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue necessary directions in this regard, demanding that the cancelled examinations be conducted at the earliest, with provision to write them in Kannada.
The morning exams were postponed after members of the pro-Kannada organisation staged protests near the exam centres in parts of the state including Bengaluru. The exams scheduled for the afternoon hours have also been postponed, he said.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has been opposing the move to drop the local language from the recruitment exams, stating it could prevent local candidates from appearing.
Welcoming the postponement, the organisation warned it would resume protests if the exams are held again without meeting its demands.
"Every state language must be respected. Candidates must be allowed to write exams in their respective state languages...Kannada in Karnataka, Tamil in Tamil Nadu, Marathi in Maharashtra, so that local candidates can have better opportunities to serve in higher positions," Hanumanthappa Ambigeri, a member of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, told reporters in Hubballi.
Taking to social media platform 'X', Siddaramaiah said the Railway Department has abruptly cancelled the promotion examinations scheduled to be held today for 194 Goods Train Manager posts in South Western Railway and 101 LDCE posts in the Hubballi division, placing Kannada employees in uncertainty.
This follows strong opposition from Kannadigas and Kannada organisations, he said.
Siddaramaiah pointed out that thousands of Kannada-speaking employees had already raised objections over the lack of provision to write the examination in the local language.
Despite peaceful protests, he alleged that the department failed to respond in time, cancelling the examinations at the last moment and leading to the present confusion.
"Had the department acted early and allowed the examination in Kannada, this situation could have been avoided. Instead, its indifferent approach and last-minute cancellation after protests intensified is condemnable," Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister claimed that this is not the first instance, nor will it be the last, of Kannadigas facing injustice in central government examinations.
"Due to the continued imposition of Hindi in recruitment processes across central departments, Kannada candidates have long been subjected to unfair treatment," he alleged.
"It is unfortunate that this has occurred even when (state MP) V Somanna serves as Minister of State for Railways. I had expected that he would stand for Kannadigas and address this injustice, but that expectation has not been fulfilled. He must move beyond words and act in the interest of Karnataka," he said.
Siddaramaiah said that Kannadigas have already experienced the adverse impact of the Centre's preference for Hindi and neglect of regional languages. Restricting central examinations to Hindi and English is unacceptable, he said.
"India is a union of states formed on linguistic foundations. We do not oppose Hindi, but we will not accept its imposition over Kannada. Kannadigas are not seeking employment or promotion as charity, but asserting their right in the language they were educated in," he added.
