Delimitation based on population will be injustice to southern states: Mallikarjun Kharge
Gadag (Karnataka), Mar 16 (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that if the delimitation exercise is based on population, it will be an injustice to the southern states as it would reduce their representation in the Lok Sabha and urged people to unite against this "injustice."
Speaking at the centenary celebrations of the late K H Patil, a former minister, he also criticised the central government, expressing concern over the alleged lack of emphasis on education and the large number of vacancies in educational institutions.
"The central government talks about cooperative federalism. If there is cooperative federalism, why are people not receiving the funds they are entitled to? Are cooperatives in Karnataka getting the money they should from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)? It has decreased by 58 per cent," Kharge said.
Addressing the gathering, he urged the people of Karnataka to unite and fight against the injustice being done to them.
"When the issue concerns Karnataka and its development, everyone should speak in unison," he said.
"Delimitation based on population is being planned, through which efforts are being made to reduce the number of parliamentary and legislative assembly seats in South India," Kharge stated, adding that in the northern states, representation is expected to increase by 30 per cent.
"Such reports are emerging, and we should wait and see. If this happens, it will be an injustice. We must unite against this injustice," he added.
Accusing the union government of interfering in various institutions, the AICC chief said that the education sector is not receiving the importance it deserves.
Alleging a reduction in central funding for education, he said, "The number of vacancies that should be filled, the number of teachers who need to be appointed—whether in Navodaya schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, or universities—50 per cent of these posts remain vacant."
"If 50 per cent of positions are unfilled at central universities, IITs, IIMs, and Kendriya Vidyalayas, how will our children study and progress?" he asked.
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PIL against racial violence: SC asks attorney general to consider plea
New Delhi (PTI): Identifying persons on grounds of race, region, sex and caste would amount to treading a regressive path, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday while refusing to entertain a PIL seeking to prevent discrimination and violence against citizens from the northeast and other regions.
“A crime is a crime and it must be dealt with an iron hand,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said. It asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to consider and refer the petition to an appropriate authority.
"Identifying persons on the ground of race, region, sex and caste would amount to treading a regressive path after so many years of independence," the bench said.
At the outset, petitioner Anoop Prakash Awasthi, a Delhi-based lawyer, said the matter was raised on the floor of Parliament but lawmakers declined to make any such agency to deal with such hate crimes.
The PIL was filed on December 28 last year in the backdrop of the brutal killing of Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura. Chakma died on December 26, 2025 to grievous injuries sustained in a racially motivated attack in Selaqui area of Dehradun.
The lawyer said no one came forward to save Chakma.
The apex court refused to entertain the PIL and said, “As of now, we deem it appropriate that the aforesaid issue ought to be brought before the competent authority.”
“The instant writ petition is disposed of with liberty to the petitioner to hand over the soft copy of the petition to the office of AG , also along with a copy of this order,” the bench said, adding that the top law officer will do the needful.
The PIL has sought judicial intervention to address the "continuing constitutional failure" to prevent and respond to racial discrimination and violence against citizens from northeastern states and other frontier regions.
Chakma had gone to Dehradun after completing his graduation in Holy Cross School, Agartala, to pursue an MBA. He was stabbed to death in the presence of his younger brother Michael.
His family members want capital punishment or at least life imprisonment for all the accused involved in the incident. The plea made the Centre and all the states and Union territories as parties.
