D K Shivakumar wades into controversy by waving JD(S) flag
Bengaluru: Congress leader D K Shivakumar has drawn flak from some of his party leaders for holding the JD(S) flag when he returned here from Delhi after getting bail in a money laundering case. A video of the incident has since gone viral.
A video of former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah criticising Shivakumar for the act, in a private conversation, is also now in wide circulation in social media.
In the video, Siddaramaiah is heard saying that Lingayats, a prominent community of Karnataka seen backing the BJP, are now distancing themselves with Lingayat strongman and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, and the Vokkaligas, another dominant community, are disenchanted with JD(S) and H D Kumaraswamy.
Justifying his act, Shivakumar said, "... wherever I go, people give me a number of flags including the Kannada flag and people from all walks of life come to meet me. Even now there are three JD(S) MLAs waiting to meet me. Can I tell them not to come?"
Shivakumar insisted that holding flag was not a big deal as he has been "a born Congressman". "I came straight to the Congress office, which is a temple for me," he clarified. Siddaramaiah termed making the video of his private conversation an act of mischief as it was an internal discussion.
Seeking to downplay Siddaramaiah's criticism, Shivakumar said, "Siddaramaiah has lots of love towards me." Kumaraswamy slammed Siddaramaiah for his comment in the video.
"Siddaramaiah is pure secular and we, who had supported him, are communal," Kumaraswamy sarcastically said. "Shivakumar might have held the JD(S) flag because some of our party workers went to support him. It doesn't require a big analysis," Kumaraswamy said.
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
