BJP levelling baseless charges against me as I am pro-poor, pro-Dalits & for social justice: CM
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the BJP of levelling baseless allegations against him as he was always pro-poor, pro-Dalit and for social justice.
His comments came in the backdrop of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting sanction permitting investigation against him under 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and prosecution under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, on corruption charges.
Speaking at a programme to pay tributes to former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi and former Karnataka Chief Minister late Devaraj Urs on their birth anniversary, Siddaramaiah alleged that it was "impossible for the BJP to be with poor, backward classes, Dalits and minorities."
“Congress is always pro-women, pro-poor, pro-minorities and pro-Dalit. Since I am against inequality in the society and pro-poor, the BJP is against me and doing all that which should not be done. That’s why they make baseless allegations against me,” the Chief Minister said at the state headquarters of the Congress here.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP always wants the poor to remain in the same condition, and also not become socially and economically strong.
“(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi says ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (Together with all, Development of all). But the truth is, for him it’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vinash’ (Together with all, destruction of all),” he alleged.
Siddaramaiah has termed as "trumped-up" the allegations relating to irregularities in the allotment of sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
In his writ petition challenging the Governor's order in the High Court on Monday, the Chief Minister submitted that it was issued without due application of mind, in violation of statutory mandates, and contrary to constitutional principles, including the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India.
Siddaramaiah, who has vehemently denied any wrong doing, said the Governor’s decision is legally unsustainable, procedurally flawed, and motivated by extraneous considerations.
On the petition filed by him, the High Court on Monday passed interim orders directing the trial court to defer proceedings on complaints against him and further instructing that no precipitative action be taken pursuant to the sanction till August 29.
The BJP has demanded the Chief Minister's resignation to pave way for a transparent and unbiased investigation.
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SC to hear on May 4 PIL seeking stringent guidelines for issuing Aadhaar to adolescents, adults
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking a direction to the Unique Identification Authority of India to issue new Aadhaar cards only to citizens up to the age of six years, and frame stringent guidelines for its issuance to adolescents and adults to stop infiltrators from masquerading as Indian citizens.
As per the apex court's causelist of May 4, the plea would come up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay has also sought a direction to the authorities to install display boards at common service centres stating that the 12-digit unique identification number is only a "proof of identity" and not a proof of citizenship, address or date of birth.
Besides all the states and Union Territories, the plea has made the UIDAI -- which is the authority that issues Aadhaar -- and the Union ministries of home, law and justice, and electronics and information technology as parties.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, said Aadhaar, originally intended as a proof of identity, has increasingly become a "foundational document" enabling individuals to obtain other identification documents, such as ration cards, domicile certificates and voter identity cards.
"The UIDAI has issued 144 crore Aadhaar and 99 percent Indians have been enrolled. Therefore, the petitioner is filing this writ petition as a PIL under Article 32, seeking a direction to UIDAI to issue new Aadhaar to children only and frame new stringent guidelines for adolescents and adults, so as to stop infiltrators from getting it and masquerading as Indian citizens," the plea said.
It said the need to file the plea arose when the petitioner came to know the manner in which infiltrators are able to procure Aadhaar through a verification process that is weak and can be easily manipulated.
"Foreigners apply for Aadhaar under the 'foreign' category. But infiltrators apply for Aadhaar under the 'Indian citizen' category and get it easily made. Thereafter, they obtain a ration card, birth and domicile certificate, driving licence, et cetera, essentially becoming indistinguishable from Indian citizens…," it said.
Besides seeking other directions, the plea has raised legal questions, including whether the Aadhaar Act 2016 has become "temporally unreasonable" for failing to keep up with the legislative intent of distinguishing foreigners from Indian citizens.
It said the alleged misuse of Aadhaar undermines targeted welfare delivery and leads to diversion of public resources.
