Focus on economic slowdown, unemployment, former CM Kumaraswamy tells Modi, Amit Shah
Bengaluru, Jan 22: Citing surrender of a jobless engineering graduate in the Mangaluru airport bomb case as an example, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to focus on core issues of economic slowdown and unemployment, instead of "divisive policies" like the CAA and NRC.
Accusing the BJP of trying to create rift between communities, the JD(S) leader said on Wednesday that the surrender of Adithya Rao also makes it clear that any particular community cannot be blamed for terror activities.
"Monday's incident in which Adithya Rao has surrendered looks dramatic to me, because he has come all the way from Mangaluru to surrender at the DG office here (Bengaluru)...It is still a question before me," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said he wants to bring the incident to the notice of the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister as Rao is a mechanical engineering graduate and was said to be disturbed without proper job.
"Who has led him to such a situation, it is us..we talk about illegal migrants, CAA, NRC, NPR, which should not be our priority."
Instead, issues of economic slowdown and growing unemployment should be immediately looked into, Kumaraswamy said.
"Modiji please look into real problems... instead of that (core issues) you are creating an atmosphere that will be favourable for violence or riots in the country.
"From today's surrender of the suspect it is clear that only those from Muslim community were not turning into terrorists, as being projected, but a situation has come that those from Hindu community are also turning into terrorists," Kumaraswamy said.
Attacking BJP leaders for allegedly blaming a particular community for terror incidents, he asked as to what will they earn by dividing society.
Thirty-six-year-old Adithya Rao, who is suspected to have planted the explosive at the Mangaluru international airport, surrendered before the police on Wednesday.
The JD(S) leader claimed if the suspect in the Mangaluru airpost case was from Muslim community, BJP leaders would have embarked on a large-scale campaign against the community, accusing them of being involved in terrorism.
"They (BJP) are silent now, as the suspect is a non-Muslim," he said.
Hitting out at a BJP leader's reaction to his statements flaying the government's functioning, Kumaraswamy said he does not expect any "certificate" from them.
Noting that Karnataka was a peaceful state, he said recently after BJP gained strength in the state, there have been incidents of violence or riots here, and alleged that the saffron party's conduct was responsible for it.
The former chief minister on Tuesday had described the entire exercise of detection and defusing of explosive materials at Mangaluru Airport on Monday as a "mock exercise" and "farce", which had elicited sharp reaction from the ruling BJP which called him "anti-national."
Alleging that BJP was indulging in "communal and caste" politics, Kumaraswamy on Wednesday, while defending his comments, accused the saffron party of turning a commercial hub into a hub of terror and communal activities.
"At a time when the chief minister is leading a delegation to attend the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos to attract investment into the state, what message are you sending to the investors?" he asked.
"I still call it an incident of firecracker, why that man kept it (explosive) at the airport, the government has to find out," he said, as he chided the bomb defusing exercise that was carried out amid full media coverage on Monday.
Kumaraswamy also claimed a section of officials were being used by the current dispensation in the state to create rift between communities, using pressure tactics.
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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.
