No differences with anyone in party, says D K Shivakumar
Belagavi (Karnataka), Jan 20 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said that he has no differences with anyone in the party and appealed to the media not to drag him into any controversy.
Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said his sole responsibility is to "save" the party and government.
"My only responsibility is to save the party and keep the government stable. I don't have any responsibilities other than this. I don't have differences with anyone. Please don't drag my name unnecessarily into everything," he said, while speaking to reporters here.
The statement comes in the midst of a demand by a section of ministers and MLAs who wanted a full-time Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president.
Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi recently raised this demand, saying that ministers cannot do justice to the important post of building the party.
Shivakumar said he has been diligently doing his duty of protecting the interests of the party and the party workers.
"It is between the party, the high command and me. Don't whip up fake controversies within the party by reporting that there is dissidence in the party," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Asked if there was no internal rift in the Congress party, he said, "There is no rift in the party. I don't have differences with anyone in the party personally. I am the president of the Congress Karnataka unit and I treat everyone in the party equally. It is my duty to take everyone along."
To a question about some ministers writing to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanding the replacement of AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Shivakumar termed it as speculation and refused to react to it.
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Pleas challenging validity of Waqf law mentioned in SC for urgent hearing
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider listing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, that the petitions needed to be listed for urgent hearing.
He said several other petitions have already been filed.
"I will see the mentioning letter in the afternoon and take a call. We will list it," the CJI said.
President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was earlier passed by Parliament after heated debates in both Houses.
Several petitions, including one by Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, have been filed in the apex court challenging the validity of the Act.
In its petition, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has said that this law was a "direct attack on the country's Constitution, which not only provides equal rights to its citizens but also grants them complete religious freedom".
"This bill is a dangerous conspiracy to strip Muslims of their religious freedom. Therefore, we have challenged the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in the Supreme Court, and the state units of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind will also challenge the constitutional validity of this law in the high courts of their respective states," the Jamiat stated.
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