Dileep row: Actor-MLA Ganesh Kumar slams politicians, actresses
Thiruvananthapuram, June 30 : An audio clip of actor-turned-MLA K.B. Ganesh Kumar criticising the role of politicians and four actresses who resigned from the artistes body AMMA, surfaced on Saturday.
The Pathanapuram MLA can be heard calling the politicians "limelight hoggers" and the four actresses "perennial trouble-makers". Kumar was in conversation with Association of Malayalam Movie Artists general secretary Edavela Babu.
In the clip, Kumar advises Babu to "just keep silent" as the outburst over the revoking of Dileep's suspension in AMMA will die down in two days.
"These four actresses have never been active in AMMA, nor in the field of acting. They never participated in the AMMA shows and are perennial trouble makers.
"With regards to politicians, they are interested to give sound bites to TV channels just to stay afloat in public domain.
"You just keep quiet and need not respond. The media is out to create ruckus and the only thing they have is negativity in their news.
"What should be noted is AMMA is not a political body, but formed to look after our welfare and hence the public also need not be unduly concerned," says Kumar.
Leading actresses from the Malayalam film industry -- Rima Kallingal, Remya Nambisan, Geetu Mohandas had resigned on Monday along with the victim of the February 2017 kidnapping case in which Dileep was alleged to have been involved that landed him in jail for 85 days.
The audio clip has come a day after the CPI-M decided not to seek an explanation from Ganesh Kumar for his stand in the ongoing reinstatement row of accused actor Dileep's membership in the AMMA.
On Friday, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist's Kerala Secretariat gave a clean chit MPs Innocent and Mukesh and Kumar by deciding not to seek any explanation from them on this issue.
Dileep was suspended from AMMA last year but on June 24, at the annual general body meeting of the body, the new set of office bearers led by superstar Mohanlal revoked his suspension.
Since then there has been a huge outcry from several quarters against this decision and it's at this time Kumar's audio clip surfaced.
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Cong slams Modi govt as 'anti-worker', calls for review of new Labour code
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.
On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.
"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.
The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.
"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.
The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.
Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.
The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.
"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.
The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.
The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.
He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.
Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.
"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.
