Cong leaders write to Rahul Gandhi asking him to warn those aspiring for K'taka CM post
Bengaluru, Sep 10: A group of Congress leaders have written to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to warn party leaders and state Ministers, who are weighing in for the Chief Minister's post, in the event of leadership change in Karnataka.
The signatories of the letter including current and former lawmakers and some ex-Ministers have also urged him to issue a direction not to issue damaging statements in future, in the interest of the Congress party and the state of Karnataka.
As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the Governor's sanction for his prosecution in the MUDA site allotment case is being heard in the High Court, Congress leaders seem to be preparing for a race to become CM, in case of leadership change in the state, with several of them openly expressing their desire.
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"...... more than six leaders including senior Ministers are issuing statements claiming the post of Chief Minister, instead of fighting against BJP and JD(S). Due to this many of our leaders and workers are getting demoralized and losing hope in the government and the party," the letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi said.
Similarly, the people of Karnataka are gradually losing faith in the party and government, because of "infighting and reckless statements" of some leaders, it said.
"Therefore, we humbly appeal to your esteemed office to take note of the statements issued by the said leaders and warn them against issuing such damaging statements in future in the interest of Congress party and state of Karnataka," it added.
Congress leaders B L Shankar, V S Ugrappa, H M Revanna, V R Sudarshan, L Hanumanthaiah, Prakash Rathod are some of the signatories of the letter.
State Congress working president Manjunath Bhandary and MLC Dinesh Gooligowda on Monday had written to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, asking him to curb speculation over the Chief Minister’s tenure.
While Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar is seen as a prime contender for the post in case of any change in leadership, names of senior Parameshwara and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi too are doing rounds, especially following their recent meeting with party leadership in New Delhi.
A verbal duel of sorts had erupted between two senior Ministers -- M B Patil and Shivanand Patil -- about seniority as the yardstick to become the Chief Minister.
Senior Congress MLAs -- Administrative Reforms Commission Chairperson R V Deshpande and Basavaraj Rayrareddy, who is Siddaramaiah's financial adviser -- too have expressed their wish to become the Chief Minister.
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Mother-son duo in Bengaluru assault BBMP sanitation workers over garbage dispute
Bengaluru: Five women sanitation workers, known as pourakarmikas, employed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), were assaulted by a mother and her son in Byadarahalli on Wednesday, September 11. The incident occurred after a dispute over garbage collection outside the duo's residence, and the assault was captured in a video that has since gone viral on social media.
The Byadarahalli Police have registered an FIR against the accused under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocity) Amendment Ordinance-2014, along with various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to causing injury, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult. The complaint was lodged by Lakshmi C, one of the injured workers.
According to the complaint, the accused, identified as Chandru and his mother, residents of 14th Cross at Bharathnagar in Byadarahalli, approached the sanitation workers while they were cleaning the street. Chandru's mother demanded that the workers clear a pile of garbage outside their house. The workers explained that the waste was too much for them to manage and asked her to wait for the auto tipper that regularly collects large amounts of waste.
However, the situation quickly escalated. Lakshmi reported that Chandru’s mother verbally abused the workers, stating that they were paid with the tax money from their family and called her son to "teach them a lesson," using derogatory remarks about their caste. When Lakshmi attempted to record Chandru's abusive comments, he allegedly snatched her phone, threw it to the ground, and physically assaulted her by pulling her hair, slapping her, and tearing her uniform.
The situation worsened when Lakshmi's colleagues tried to intervene. Chandru, with help from his mother, allegedly assaulted the other workers as well, including hitting Ramakka on the hand and kicking Asha, Munirathna, and Anniyamma. Chandru also issued death threats during the altercation, according to Lakshmi's complaint.
Fearing for their jobs, the sanitation workers refrained from retaliating and instead reported the incident to their superior. Despite this, the verbal and physical abuse continued in the presence of the superior. Eventually, the workers approached the police, leading to Chandru’s detention.
As a result of the attack, Lakshmi's phone, worth Rs 30,000, was damaged, and Ramakka’s bangles were broken. Lakshmi sustained injuries to her back, head, and stomach, while her colleagues suffered minor injuries.
Nirmala M, president of the BBMP Pourakarmika Sangha, condemned the assault, stating, "We are not slaves. We are respected people, and we're just doing our job. Using abusive language and violence against us is unacceptable. We urge the police to take swift action and arrest the accused immediately."
