Congress to fight 2023 K'taka polls under collective leadership, says ex-deputy CM G Parameshwara
Bengaluru, Jun 25: Senior Karnataka Congress leader G Parameshwara on Saturday said the party will face the state assembly polls scheduled for next year under a collective leadership.
Ruling out speculation that he was sulking over being sidelined in the party and planning to join the BJP, the former deputy chief minister in reply to a question on his chief ministerial aspirations, maintained that the party high command will decide in this regard, when Congress comes to power in the state.
"Our (state) president D K Shivakumar has said it will be collective leadership...we will go (for polls) under collective leadership," Parameshwara told reporters in response to a question whether Congress will face the 2023 assembly polls under Siddaramaiah (Congress Legislature Party leader) or Shivakumar's leadership.
To a question whether he was upset over not being given an appropriate position in the party, Parameshwara said, "No, I'm not upset. I have worked as the party president successively for eight years and also as Deputy Chief Minister in the (coalition) government, I'm not unhappy or upset."
Asked about talks in the political circles that he may join the BJP, the former KPCC chief merely said, "I don't know about it."
The message of collective leadership from a senior party leader comes amidst ongoing political one-upmanship between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, both nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions on Congress coming to power.
Asked about him raising in the past the issue of Karnataka not having a Dalit CM, Parameshwara, who hails from the community, said, according to the situation several people express their opinion, and as of now the only intention is to bring the party to power.
"The party has to come to power first, right? We are making efforts for it," he added.
Stating that there is nothing to be surprised about several leaders in the Congress being in the race for the Chief Minister's post, Parameshwara said there are several senior leaders who have served the party for decades and it is natural for them to have a desire.
When questioned whether he too has such a desire, the Congress leader said the party high command will ultimately decide on it (CM) and added "let's bring the party to power first."
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SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
