CM Siddaramaiah slams RSS leader over call to review Constitution's secular, socialist ideals
Bengaluru, Jun 28 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday slammed RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale for calling to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution.
"The RSS believes in Manusmriti. They have no respect for the Indian Constitution and no faith in democracy," Siddaramaiah told reporters, while responding to a question on Hosabale’s call for amending the Constitution.
"They have a mindset of changing the Constitution and imposing Manusmriti in the country. What else can they say apart from it?" the CM said.
According to him, B R Ambedkar headed panel drafted the Indian Constitution, which was later accepted by the constituent assembly after a detailed discussion.
Regarding the call to remove the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’, Siddaramaiah said, "The words were inserted in the Constitution after a discussion in the Parliament. Amendment to the Constitution cannot be done as per Hosabale’s wish," he said.
Addressing an event organised in New Delhi on the Emergency, Hosabale said, "The Preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words. During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, judiciary became lame, then these words were added."
He said discussions were held on this issue later but no effort was made to remove them from the Preamble. So whether they should remain in the Preamble should be considered, he added.
"The Preamble is eternal. Are the thoughts of socialism as an ideology eternal for India?" Hosabale said.
The suggestion from the RSS' second senior-most functionary to consider removing the two terms came as he hit out at the Congress for its Emergency-era excesses and demanded an apology from the party.
The RSS leader's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution is not about dismantling it but about restoring its "original spirit", free from the "distortions" of the Congress' Emergency-era policies, said an article published in an RSS-linked magazine on Friday.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
