Congress govt to undertake caste re-enumeration in Karnataka; party top brass discusses stampede
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday said it has decided to hold caste re-enumeration in Karnataka to address concerns of some communities who complained of being left out of the survey that was conducted 10 years ago.
The party's top brass met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy and Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar at the Congress' new headquarters and discussed various issues, including the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru.
Sources said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi expressed their displeasure over the involvement of the state government in the IPL victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bangaluru (RCB) during which 11 people lost their lives in the stampede.
A source said Rahul Gandhi told the chief minister and PCC president that human lives are of great value to the Congress party and the government has to be responsive towards people, "unlike the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh or the Left government in Kerala where no responsibility was taken for the loss of lives during the Kumbh and Sabarimala tragedy respectively".
AICC general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal and the general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, Randeep Surjewala, were also present during the three-hour discussion on state issues at the Indira Bhawan, where the party leadership told the chief minister that the Congress government in the state should adopt a pro-people approach.
The Congress government in Karnataka has faced sharp criticism from the opposition BJP and JD(S), with both parties holding the chief minister and his deputy directly responsible for the tragedy and demanding their resignation. They have also sought a special Assembly session to discuss the incident.
The stampede occurred on June 4 evening in front of the Chinnaswamy stadium, where a large number of people had gathered to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations.
Venugopal told reporters that they discussed the current political situation in the state, including the unfortunate incident that happened in Bengaluru.
He said the caste census was among the issues that came up in the meeting, and the Karnataka government is going to discuss it at a special cabinet on June 12.
"The caste census was discussed. The Congress party is thinking that whatever the Karnataka government has done in the caste census should be agreed to in principle. But there are some apprehensions from some sections and communities about the counting of the caste."
He noted that the state government had conducted the caste census a decade ago and the data was now outdated.
"The Congress party has suggested to the chief minister to do a re-enumeration process within a stipulated time, say 60-80 days. This is what we decided about the caste census in the meeting," he said, adding the chief minister will provide more details on the issue.
The move comes close on the heels of the Centre announcing the schedule of the national Census with caste enumeration.
Venugopal said the chief minister and the PCC president briefed the leadership about the Bengaluru incident and the action taken by the state government. The chief minister was asked by the central leadership to present a report on the stampede incident.
"Certainly, we are very much concerned about every human life and so is our party. An unfortunate incident happened and the Government of Karnataka has already ordered a judicial inquiry to know what really happened," he said.
While the party chose not to delve into the specifics during the ongoing judicial inquiry, Venugopal emphasised that the Congress had a "clear view that there should be a clear-cut pro-people attitude on this issue".
Siddaramaiah has distanced himself from the incident, saying he was informed late and that the government did not organise the stadium event.
The meeting also addressed the issue of "inadequate" central plan allocation to Karnataka.
"They (Centre) are completely neglecting the state of Karnataka on planned allocation. The central plan allocation to Karnataka is totally unacceptable. They are marginalising Karnataka into a corner. The Modi government is doing this type of injustice to Karnataka, which is not at all acceptable," Venugopal said.
According to sources, four names recommended to the Governor for nominations to the Legislative Council are also learnt to have been discussed. The names were reportedly withheld after directions from the party high command.
Asked about any possible changes in the government, Shivakumar said, "Nothing is on the cards".
He said the AICC general secretary has already spoken and added, "It is one voice, one party".
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
