Halal row: K'taka HM says those not respecting Constitution, court order should be taught a lesson
Koppal(PTI): Amid the raging halal row where some right wing organisations have asked Hindus not to use halal meat during 'Hosa Tadaku' festival, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Thursday said those who do not respect the Constitution and honour the court verdict should be taught a lesson.
The Minister's comment came as a section of Muslims had called for a statewide bandh against the Karnataka High Court verdict on hijab, which dismissed the petition of Muslim girl students from Udupi Government Girls' Pre University College, who wanted Hijab to be allowed along with the school uniform in classrooms.
The girls who petitioned to the High Court had contended that hijab was their essential religious practice and challenged the Government order which banned any cloth that could disturb peace, harmony and public order.
"Those who do not respect the Indian Constitution and say that the court verdict is not applicable to them should be taught a lesson. We are telling them sincerely that you should not function this way in this country. Nobody hates you and we have to live like brothers only," he told reporters here.
The Minister said the government has a limited role to play on the issue pertaining to halal, which is left to the wisdom of people.
Jnanendra said the 'Boycott halal food' campaign is not a law and order situation but something related to faith and sentiments, "which everyone knows."
He also wondered why the BJP was blamed by some for the campaign, which is related to faith and sentiments and individual choices. The Minister also blamed intellectuals for lecturing only the Hindus and not the others.
He said, "Secularism flows in our blood."
A day after the Ugadi festival, which will fall on April 1, a section of Hindus who eat non-vegetarian food, organise 'Hosa Tadaku' where they cook meat.
The Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and various Hindu outfits have been running a door-to-door campaign asking people not to use halal meat. They have been distributing leaflets as well.
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Karnataka sees drop in groundwater use, surge in recharge capacity: 2025 report
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka has recorded a significant decline in groundwater usage alongside a notable increase in annual recharge capacity, reflecting the impact of sustained water conservation efforts and good rainfall, Minister N S Boseraju said on Wednesday.
Releasing the 2025 Groundwater Assessment Report at Vikas Soudha, he said the gains are the result of good rainfall, focused policy interventions, and large-scale water conservation initiatives implemented over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
According to the report, overall groundwater extraction has reduced from 68.44 per cent in 2024 to 66.49 per cent in 2025, indicating more responsible and sustainable usage patterns across the state.
At the same time, annual groundwater recharge capacity has increased from 18.74 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 19.28 BCM in 2025, while annual extractable groundwater resources rose from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM, the minister’s office said in a statement.
“This simultaneous reduction in usage and increase in recharge reflects our government’s commitment to long-term water sustainability,” the Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister said.
The improvement has been driven largely by the expansion of water conservation structures (WCS) across the state.
Recharge through such structures increased by 29.11 per cent, from 0.81 BCM to 1.04 BCM within a year, the report stated.
Notably, the number of water conservation works has risen sharply from 3.15 lakh in 2024 to 3.94 lakh in 2025, strengthening the state’s groundwater recharge ecosystem.
The report indicates improvement in groundwater status across 11 taluks, with several regions moving to safer categories.
Highlighting these changes, the minister pointed out that Chamarajanagar taluk has improved from "over-exploited" to "critical".
Similarly, taluks including Athani, Channapatna, Molakalmuru, Ranebennur, Savanur, and Shiggaon have successfully transitioned from "semi-critical" to "safe" status.
Domestic groundwater extraction has also declined by 0.58 per cent, dropping from 1,21,731 hectare-metres (ham) in 2024 to 1,21,023 ham in 2025. Officials attribute this to increased reliance on surface water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Boseraju said that initiatives such as lake rejuvenation, year-round water supply through treated and surface water, sustained public awareness campaigns, and good rainfall have played a key role in reducing over-extraction and enhancing recharge.
“Instead of depending solely on the 120-day monsoon, we are ensuring water availability throughout all 365 days through scientific management. This has strengthened long-term water security for both farmers and urban residents,” he said.
Announcing a major technological step forward in future governance, the minister added, “To further safeguard our resources, we are rolling out the Digital Water Stack (DWS) initiative. Under this framework, we will soon initiate space technology and AI-based satellite surveillance to obtain real-time data for continuous groundwater monitoring.”
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