Congress boycotts assembly proceedings over Parbhani violence, sarpanch murder
Nagpur (PTI): Congress members boycotted the Maharashtra assembly proceedings on Tuesday to protest the government's handling of the recent Parbhani violence and murder of a sarpanch in Beed district.
Members of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) staged a walkout along with the Congress MLAs. But legislators of the Shiv Sena (UBT) later returned to House. Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi did not walk out with the other opposition members and remained present in the House.
Violence erupted in central Maharashtra's Parbhani city after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr B R Ambedkar's statue outside the Parbhani railway station was vandalised on the evening of December 10. More than 50 persons have been arrested and multiple cases registered in connection with the violence.
In Beed, the sarpanch of Massajog village, Santosh Deshmukh, was abducted and murdered on December 9. After the House assembled on the second day of the winter session of the state legislature here on Tuesday, Speaker Rahul Narwekar rejected an adjournment notice by Congress member Nitin Raut, saying the issue has been listed for a discussion on Wednesday. However, Raut and his party colleague Nana Patole demanded the issue be taken up for a debate immediately since the incidents are recent and threaten to disturb the social fabric of the state.
NCP (SP) member Sandeep Kshirsagar said Valmik Karad was the main accused in the murder of the sarpanch of a village in Kaij tehsil of Beed district and was still absconding. An extortion case has been filed against him but not of murder, he said.
BJP MLA from Kaij, Namita Mundada, said Santosh Deshmukh was a good man. Despite being an elected representative, he was killed on the highway after being tortured. The murder took place on December 9 and the main accused has still not been nabbed, she said.
Patole claimed that Ambedkarites were enraged over the death of Somnath Suryawanshi, following his arrest after protest against the desecration of the Constitution's replica in Parbhani on December 10. He claimed the government had not handled the situation effectively, resulting in the "unrest". However, Speaker Narwekar was firm that the discussion will take place on Wednesday.
Patole said, "We are boycotting the day's proceedings since the government is not serious about the law and order situation."
All opposition members, except those of the Samajwadi Party, walked out of the House. After sometime, members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) returned to the House, while the Congress legislators stayed away.
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Karnataka Muslim Convention to be held in Bengaluru on May 16
Muslim organisations to release report on Congress govt’s three-year performance
Bengaluru: Major Muslim organisations and federations in Karnataka have decided to organise a large public convention titled ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’ at Town Hall in Bengaluru on May 16. During the convention, a comprehensive report reviewing the three-year performance of the Congress government under the theme “What did the Congress government promise? What did it do? What next?” will be released.
According to a statement issued on Friday, no politicians will be invited to the convention. The report will be submitted to the government and all MLAs after the event.
The convention is being held at a time when the Congress government is nearing the completion of three years in office on May 20. Muslim organisations have expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that despite extending strong support to the Congress in bringing it to power, the community is being neglected.
The Convention is being organised at time when there are concerns over inadequate political representation for Muslims, alleged neglect of community demands, and the suspension of senior Muslim leaders who had worked for the party for decades.
The organisers said the convention aims to raise questions on what the Congress government has delivered so far and what further steps are expected from the government.
The decision to hold the convention was taken during a meeting held on May 6 at A J International Hotel in Shivajinagar, Bengaluru. Representatives of major Muslim organisations, associations, ulema bodies, federations, and members of the ad hoc committee of Karnataka Rajya Muslim Okkoota attended the meeting.
More than 75 representatives and delegates, including senior ulemas, jamaat leaders, lawyers, retired officials, journalists and members of the KRMO ad hoc committee, participated in the discussions.
Members of the KRMO ad hoc committee’s report preparation team and experts from different sectors presented a detailed report on the Congress government’s three-year performance. The report examined promises made to Muslims on ten major issues, the extent to which they were fulfilled, pending promises, alleged discrimination in representation, and the demands now being placed before the government.
The report covered issues such as the hijab ban, reservation cancellation, hate speech and hate crimes, budget allocation, political representation, waqf matters, the anti-cow slaughter law, anti-conversion law, scholarships and educational grants.
Participants offered suggestions and recommendations on various points, and necessary corrections to the report were accepted after detailed discussions.
The meeting also reportedly expressed strong dissatisfaction over the manner in which the Congress government has treated the Muslim community. Participants are said to have opined that if the government and the Congress party continue in the same manner, the community should keep its political options open.
It was later decided that the report would be officially released at the large public convention on May 16 under the title “Karnataka Muslim Convention – What did the Congress government promise? What did it do? What next?”
The organisers appealed to people from all districts of the state to participate in large numbers and send a strong message to the government and the Congress party through the convention.
They also decided that all organisations, jamaats and associations should work towards ensuring participation from every district in Karnataka.
The statement reiterated that no politicians would be invited to the May 16 convention and that the report on the Congress government’s three-year performance would be submitted to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, ministers and MLAs after the event.
