Purported Mangaluru man threatens Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal on live TV
Siddaramaiah condemns act, demands arrest of culprit
Mangaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Saturday condemned the incident where a purported man from Mangaluru threatened Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal on live TV.
Siddaramaiah took to his official handle and tagged Mangaluru City Police Commissioner demanding the arrest of the culprit who claimed on TV that he was a member of Sangh Parivar.
“I condemn the act of threatening our @INCKarnataka spokesperson @LavanyaBallal during a live debate in a news channel. @compolmlr should arrest this culprit who claims to be from Sangh Parivar” he wrote in the tweet.
Lavanya Ballal, who hails from Mangaluru and is a Karnataka Congress spokesperson, was on a live TV Debate when a man claiming to be from Mangaluru called the television as a part of their call-in program and threatened that the RSS Bajrang Dal activists will assault her if she speaks in public.
He was referring to a video Lavanya had posted on her social media profile criticizing the moral policing incident that took place last Sunday at Surathkal.
“You say RSS and Bajrang Dal people are not teaching anything good for our kids, right? Why are you sitting in an AC car and talking? Come out in public and talk and we will assault you too. If you have a daughter, you bring her as well, we will assault her too” the man is heard saying in the video clip that is now going viral on Twitter.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati over a phone call, Lavanya added that she stands by her words in the video and said the Sangh Parivar is teaching no good to future generations.
“We have a police force to take action if something wrong is happening. The constitution does not give any right to any organisation for that matter to take the law into their hands and harass youngsters” she said.
On September 26, Sunday, a mob of Sangh Parivar activists had intercepted a car of medical students and had harassed them for traveling and hanging out with their friends of other communities.
I condemn the act of threatening our @INCKarnataka spokesperson @LavanyaBallal during a live debate in a news channel.@compolmlr should arrest this culprit who claims to be from Sangh Parivar. pic.twitter.com/XA1ITmU2zt
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 2, 2021
ಮಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಸುದ್ದಿವಾಹಿನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಪಕ್ಷದ ವಕ್ತಾರೆ @LavanyaBallal ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬದವರಿಗೆ ಹಲ್ಲೆಯ ಬೆದರಿಕೆಯೊಡ್ಡಿರುವುದು ಖಂಡನೀಯ. @compolmlr ಅವರು ತಕ್ಷಣ ಸಂಘ ಪರಿವಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದವನೆನ್ನಲಾದ ಈ ದುಷ್ಕರ್ಮಿಯನ್ನು ಬಂಧಿಸಿ, ವಿಚಾರಣೆಗೊಳಪಡಿಸಬೇಕು. pic.twitter.com/7RIH0Gd1if
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 2, 2021
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BJP to resolve decades-old Gorkha issue within 6 months of forming govt in Bengal: Shah
Kurseong (WB) (PTI): Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the politically crucial hill electorate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday promised that the BJP would resolve the decades-old Gorkha issue within six months if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal.
He said no party other than the BJP could find a solution acceptable to the Gorkhas.
Addressing a rally at Kurseong in Darjeeling district, Shah said the BJP understands the concerns and aspirations of the Gorkhas and would work towards a settlement on their terms.
"Within six months of the BJP forming the government in West Bengal, every Gorkha will have a smile on his face. We will find such a solution to the Gorkha issue that Gorkhas can live in peace," he said.
The Gorkha issue refers to the century-old demand for a separate state in the Gorkha-majority hill districts of north Bengal, although Shah did not utter the words 'Gorkhaland' or 'statehood' in his speech.
Instead, echoing the BJP's long-standing promise of a "permanent political solution" to the hill question, Shah said the issue would be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the Gorkhas.
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"I am leaving today after promising you that as soon as the BJP government is formed, the decades-old Gorkha issue will be resolved according to the Gorkhas' terms," he said.
The BJP, which has won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in every election since 2009, has consistently promised a permanent political solution to the hill issue without committing itself to a separate state.
The home minister accused the Mamata Banerjee government of refusing to engage with efforts to resolve the issue and said that after becoming home minister, he had convened three meetings on the matter.
"After becoming home minister, I convened three major meetings to resolve the Gorkha issue, but not even once did a representative from Mamata's side attend," Shah said.
"Mamata Didi, we are not dependent on you for a solution to the Gorkha issue. We have appointed an interlocutor who is preparing a report by engaging with Gorkha organisations here and officials of the West Bengal government," he added.
Claiming that the BJP alone understands the concerns of the hill residents, Shah said, "We understand you and your problems. No one except the BJP can resolve the Gorkha issue."
The home minister alleged that the Congress and the TMC had betrayed the people of the hills for decades.
"The Congress and the TMC have done injustice not only to Darjeeling but also to our patriotic Gorkha brothers," he said.
Seeking to broaden the BJP's pitch beyond the Gorkha issue, Shah sought to portray the election as a battle to free north Bengal and the hills from what he called years of neglect and injustice under the TMC rule.
"This election is to free the entire West Bengal from TMC's crimes. In a way, it is an election to gain freedom from the injustice happening for decades in north Bengal and Darjeeling," he said.
Referring to the Sandeshkhali controversy, Shah said, "The whole of West Bengal has decided that it is time for Didi to step down. This election is about protecting our sisters across the state. The Sandeshkhali incident has brought shame to the state."
The BJP leader told the gathering that while Darjeeling had repeatedly backed the BJP, the party needed support from the rest of West Bengal this time.
"For three elections, Darjeeling has been voting for the BJP anyway, but the rest of West Bengal did not provide as much support. But this time, the whole of West Bengal has made up its mind that it's time to oust Didi," he said.
Shah also raised the issue of Gorkhas' names being allegedly deleted from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
"The names of some Gorkhas were deleted during SIR. Once the BJP government is formed in West Bengal, all such names will be included in the electoral rolls again," he said.
He further alleged that hundreds of false cases had been slapped on Gorkha activists and promised that these would be withdrawn if the BJP formed the government.
"They have filed hundreds of false cases against our Gorkha brothers and sisters. The results will come out on May 4, and a BJP government will be formed on May 5. Before July 31, the BJP government in West Bengal will withdraw all cases against Gorkha brothers and sisters," Shah said.
The home minister also attacked the Mamata Banerjee government over budgetary allocations for the tribals.
"For tribal development, for Adivasis, for the hills, and for north Bengal, the Mamata government's total budget is Rs 2,000 crore. But for Muslims and madrasas, the Mamata government's budget is Rs 5,800 crore. This injustice will not last much longer," he said.
The demand for Gorkhaland and greater political autonomy for the Darjeeling hills has remained one of the most enduring and emotive political issues in north Bengal, often shaping electoral outcomes in the region.
Successive agitations -- from the Subhash Ghising-led GNLF movement in the 1980s to the later stir spearheaded by Bimal Gurung and the GJM, have repeatedly convulsed the hills.
Yet, despite the BJP's rise in Darjeeling and its continued dominance in the Lok Sabha seat since 2009, the party has so far stopped short of endorsing a separate state as it would have an adverse impact on south Bengal, preferring instead to speak of a "permanent political solution".
