Kerala CM accuses Sangh Parivar of treating minorities as 'enemies', BJP hits back
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Sangh Parivar of treating Muslims and Christians as 'enemies of the nation' and urged everyone to unite against such divisive actions, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP.
Vijayan said the Constitution, which was the best weapon to fight against caste discrimination and religious hatred, was presently under attack.
The CM alleged the Sangh Parivar and the RSS have made it clear that their aim was to turn India into a 'Hindu rashtra'.
He also accused the party in power at the Centre of being followers of a political group which did not take part in the freedom struggle.
"They are attacking the very roots of our country, its democracy and the Constitution," he said while speaking after inaugurating the Constitution Protection Conference and Secular Meet here on Thursday.
In his speech, Vijayan said that if the Constitution was destroyed, everything -- from an individual's dignity to the sovereignty of the country -- would be lost, he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit back, saying the CM has no moral right to utter a single word on the Constitution.
BJP state president K Surendran alleged that Vijayan does not give any importance to the Constitution and accused him of 'whitewashing' extremist and terror groups.
The Kerala CM also alleged that besides the attacks on the Constitution, there were also attempts to rewrite history.
Examples of the same that he mentioned were -- the terming of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination as a 'death' and the claims from certain quarters that B R Ambedkar was not one of the drafters of the Constitution.
Apart from that, in some parts of the country Muslims are being termed as the opposite of Hindu, he claimed.
Vijayan claimed that not only religious minorities, but Dalits and tribals were also under threat and were being attacked and exploited in various parts of the country.
The Constitution was one of the best weapons to fight against caste discrimination and religious hatred and therefore, it should be protected against the attacks on it and values upheld by it.
He further alleged the Constitution was under threat from those duty-bound to protect it. Those who take oath on the Constitution were airing dangerous views that were contrary to it.
Vijayan said even persons in the highest Constitutional positions were making statements that could derail Constitutional principles.
One example of the same, according to Vijayan, was the Indian Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar's recent statement which in effect meant that the Supreme Court decision of 1973, upholding the 'basic structure doctrine', was not correct and that the Parliament was sovereign and Judiciary will not be allowed to encroach upon it.
"It is the country which is sovereign and the Constitution ensures it," he said.
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BESCOM to organise EV expo for Secretariat employees in Jan 2025
Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.
During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."
According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.
"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.
He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.
"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.
The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.
"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.
The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.
