BJP to launch protest post-Ugadi against state govt. over price hike of basic commodities: R. Ashoka
Bengaluru: Opposition leader R. Ashoka has launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led state government, warning that the BJP will intensify its protest after Ugadi, accusing the government of burdening the public with steep hikes in electricity, water, and milk prices following the presentation of the state budget.
Addressing the media in Bengaluru on Friday, Ashoka criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly implementing guaranteed schemes on one hand while simultaneously raising the cost of essential commodities on the other. “The common man is suffering due to the increase in basic utility charges. The BJP will not remain silent we will begin our fight after Ugadi,” he declared.
Highlighting the plight of farmers, Ashoka said the government had failed to release the promised milk subsidy. “Farmers never demanded a milk price hike. The previous BJP government paid the arrears that the Congress had left pending. But now, the Congress is claiming to have cleared those arrears, which is false,” he claimed. He further alleged that although the government had promised to increase the milk subsidy from Rs. 5 to Rs. 7 per litre, the increase was never implemented.
Accusing Siddaramaiah of mismanaging state finances, Ashoka claimed that the Chief Minister alone was responsible for 65 percent of the state's total loan burden among all past CMs. “He has presented a budget full of misleading data. Prices are being increased like a festival gift. Even ward fees in government hospitals have gone up,” he said, branding the capital as “Expensive Bengaluru” instead of “Brand Bengaluru.”
In a stinging analogy, Ashoka said the government had “brought the state to a wheelchair” in the last 20 months. “The government is giving Rs. 2,000 and taking it back in other forms. People are being thrown from the frying pan into the fire. What face will they show to claim success after two years of such governance?” he questioned. He also accused the government of collecting 40 to 60 percent commission from contractors.
Responding to Upper House Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy’s remarks that BJP MLAs S.T. Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar might be expelled, Ashoka said that such decisions lie with the central leadership. “Our focus should be on fighting the Congress together. The party is like our mother no one should speak against it,” he added.
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Kerala Catholic bishops backs Waqf amendment bill, seeks unbiased approach from political parties
New Delhi (PTI): An organisation of Catholic Bishops on Monday came out in support of the amendments to the Central Waqf Act, contending that some of its provisions were inconsistent with the Constitution and secular democratic values of the country.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) also urged political parties to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to the issue.
The remarks from the leading body of Christian clerics come at a time when the government is pushing to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill for consideration in the ongoing Budget Session.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before Parliament and accused some organisations of "misleading Muslims".
The CBCI said that the Waqf Board in Kerala had invoked the provisions of the existing Waqf law to declare the ancestral residential properties of more than 600 families in the Munambam region as Waqf land.
"Over the past three years, this issue has escalated into a complex legal dispute. The fact remains that only a legal amendment can provide a permanent solution, and this must be recognised by the people's representatives," the CBCI said.
"As the Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be introduced in Parliament, CBCI urges political parties and legislators to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to this issue," it said.
The CBCI said that the rightful ownership of land must be fully restored to the people of Munambam.
"Any provisions or laws that contradict the principles of the Indian Constitution must be amended. At the same time, the rights of religious minorities, as guaranteed by the Constitution, must be safeguarded," the CBCI said.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council has also asked the state's MPs to support the Waqf Amendment Bill and vote in favour of amending the "unconstitutional and unjust provisions" in the existing Waqf Act.
Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju welcomed the statement of the Kerala Catholics Bishop Council.
"It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. This Bill is not against any community -- that is a propaganda spread to poison the minds of some," Rijiju said.
"A welcome step by the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC). Their call is for amending the sections which are unfair and anti-constitutional in the existing Waqf Act," Sitharaman said.
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