Rahul Gandhi to visit Dakshina Kannada in March first week
Mangaluru: KPCC General Secretary UB Venkatesh informed that the Congress President Rahul Gandhi would visit Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in the first week of March.
Addressing media persons at Congress Bhavan here on Wednesday, UB Venkatesh informed that Rahul Gandhi during his four days tour would visit all the eight constituencies in Dakshina Kannada via bus with senior leaders of the party to address public meetings.
"Rahul Gandhi will be traveling in a special bus throughout the district with KPCC leaders, MLAs, and ministers from the state," Venkatesh added.
He also said that the Congress had already completed a major part of the election campaign work. "During the last four and half years tenure, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has given corruption-free administration. Hence Congress will win in all the eight constituencies in Dakshina Kannada", he added.
A meeting for candidate selection on Feb 17
The state government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has worked for the benefits of all the people without seeing minority and majority. The party will move forward by taking minorities along with them. On February 17, candidates from Dakshina Kannada districts for the upcoming elections will be finalized.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bharat Bandh today: Nationwide strike disrupts services as over 25 cr workers protest govt policies
New Delhi: A nationwide strike or Bharat Bandh called by ten central trade unions is underway today, with over 25 crore workers from both organised and unorganised sectors participating. The strike, which is also supported by several rural and agricultural labour organisations, is a protest against the central government’s economic and labour policies, which unions claim favour corporates at the cost of workers, farmers, and the poor.
Key demands of protesters:
► Withdrawal of the new labour codes,
► Increase in minimum wages,
► Creation of more government jobs,
► Hike in MGNREGA wages and workdays,
► A similar urban employment guarantee scheme,
► End to hiring retired officials over younger professionals in government departments.
A 17-point charter of demands has been submitted to the Union Labour Ministry, but union leaders allege no meaningful engagement has been initiated by the government so far.
Disruptions reported:
While banks, stock markets, and government offices are functioning as usual, disruptions are being reported in public transport across several states:
West Bengal: Protesters blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur railway station despite police deployment. Bus services continued amid high security, with some drivers seen wearing helmets as a safety measure.
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and parts of Delhi and Maharashtra reported sporadic disruptions in bus and train services.
Schools and colleges remain open in most places, though some institutions announced last-minute closures depending on local conditions.
Unions leading the strike:
The strike is being spearheaded by major trade unions including: INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS, SEWA, AIUTUC, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC, and TUCC.
The new labour laws, a major flashpoint, have drawn flak for allegedly weakening worker protections. Union leaders say the changes:
► Extend working hours,
► Restrict the right to strike,
► Undermine collective bargaining.
The unions have also criticised the trend of hiring retired officials instead of young jobseekers. With 65% of India's population under the age of 35, they argue that ignoring youth employment in sectors like Railways, steel, and education is both unjust and economically damaging.
This is not the first large-scale strike organised by the trade unions. Similar nationwide protests were held on:
November 26, 2020,
March 28–29, 2022,
February 16, 2024.
All of them focused on issues like the privatisation of PSUs, job insecurity, and the casualisation of the workforce.
