Lorry strike not good for farmers, says K’taka Transport Min. Ramalinga Reddy
Bengaluru: Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has said that any kind of strike is not good for the interest of the public and farmers.
After a meeting with representatives of the State Lorry Owners Association, Reddy addressed the media, pointing out that the strike was being held only now despite a decade of rising fuel prices under the central government.
The minister noted that the price of diesel has nearly doubled from ₹49.54 in 2015 to ₹91.05 currently without sparking similar protests during that time. He attributed the current economic strain on state governments to the central government's fiscal policies, arguing that state-level taxation was a forced measure to keep the system afloat. “When the real issue lies at the Centre, why strike now?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, G.R. Shanmukhappa, president of the State Lorry Owners Association, said the group has written multiple times to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah but has yet to receive a response. He reiterated that the association is ready for discussions if the government reaches out.
Their demands include a review of diesel prices, an end to extortion by RTO officials at border checkpoints, and the easing of restrictions on lorries entering Bengaluru, particularly those transporting daily essentials.
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SC notice to Centre on PIL against Muslim personal law sections being 'discriminatory' against women
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Centre's response on a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, on the ground that those are allegedly discriminatory against women.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Panchol took note of the submissions made by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who appeared in the matter for petitioners Poulomi Pavini Shukla and the Nyaya Naari Foundation, and issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The plea says the current Shariat inheritance rules are "manifestly discriminatory" against women, often granting them only half or less of the share allocated to their male counterparts.
Bhushan said the 1937 Act violates Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution.
He said matters of succession are civil in nature and do not constitute an "essential religious practice" protected under Article 25.
"Saying women will get half or even less than half compared to male counterparts is discriminatory," the lawyer said.
