Karnataka Congress' padayatra continues, third FIR against 64 leaders for violating COVID-19 curbs
Bengaluru, Jan 12: As the Congress' 'padayatra' demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river entered its fourth day on Wednesday, a third FIR has been registered against 64 party leaders, including D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, for taking out the march defying COVID-19 curbs.
The FIR has been registered at the Kanakapura police station for defying restrictions on Tuesday, during which Congress leaders and a large number of party workers had marched a distance of about 14.3 km from Kanakapura to Chikkenahalli.
Several Congress leaders, including Shivakumar's brother and Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, Ravi S, Dhruvanarayana, Priyank Kharge, Eshwar Khandre, Tanvir Sait, Salim Ahemad, Yatindra Siddaramaiah, Nalapad Haris, are among those mentioned in the FIR.
They have been booked for violation of guidelines, by gathering in huge numbers, without wearing face masks and not maintaining social distancing, under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act and sections of Indian Penal Code, the FIR said.
This even as the Congress' 10-day long padayatra demanding for implementation of Mekedatu project, to which neighbouring Tamil Nadu is opposed to, continued for the fourth day on Wednesday for a distance of about 15 km from Chikkenahalli to Ramanagara with participation of hundreds of party workers and supporters.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday questioned the state government as to why it allowed the Congress' padayatra, which is being held in violation of its COVID curbs, and why no appropriate action was taken by the authorities to restrain the march.
It has also asked the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) whether it had obtained permission for the padayatra and whether measures have been taken in compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the government to prevent the COVID-19 spread.
The court has asked both the state government as well as the Congress to respond by Friday.
While the first FIR filed at the same Sathanoor police station for defying restrictions on Sunday had named 30 people including senior Congress leaders like Shivakumar, Suresh, Siddaramaiah, Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjun Kharge, among others; the second FIR is against 40 party leaders for defying orders on Monday.
The padayatra spanning a distance of nearly 139 km is scheduled to conclude at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on January 19.
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Is it caste census or census of hatred, asks Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): Criticising the caste census report tabled before the Karnataka Cabinet, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday questioned whether it was a caste census or a census of hatred.
In a statement, Kumaraswamy, who holds steel and heavy industries portfolio, sought to know the population of Vokkaliga, the dominant agrarian community, which he belongs to.
“What is it really — a caste census or a census of hate? Is this so-called census a conspiracy designed to deliberately provoke unrest in the state? Or is it merely a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the embarrassment caused by relentless price hikes and a series of corruption scandals?” the Minister questioned.
He further said, “If the entire state ends up engulfed in the flames of caste divisions, is this move by the Congress government in Karnataka a premeditated attempt to politically and socially marginalize certain communities?”
Expressing concerns over the leaked caste census report, Kumaraswamy said the ‘so-called statistics’ from this report are now floating everywhere. Some unknown hand has systematically leaked them into the public domain, he alleged.
The Minister sought to the know the actual population of the Vokkaliga community residing across the Old Mysuru region such as Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, and Chitradurga.
He also took a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for taking a U-turn on the caste census, despite having previously opposed it.
“Sleepless in his pursuit of the Chief Minister’s chair, he (Shivakumar) once begged the community saying, ‘Just give me a pen and paper once!’ And now, is that same man bowing his head and endorsing the Siddha Conspiracy Report?" Kumaraswamy said.
Siddha is apparently referred to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“I do not support this report. I am fully prepared to fight against this injustice,” the Minister added.
The Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, caste census in short, was presented before the Karnataka cabinet on April 11.
The report was commissioned by Siddaramaiah during his first term as Chief Minister in 2015. H Kantharaj had initially started the work which was carried forward by former Minister K Jayaprakash. The report was submitted to the Chief Minister in February 2024.
The Chief Minister said there would be a detailed discussion on the report in a special cabinet meeting on April 17.
