No party invited to meeting; all interested parties have come: KC Venugopal on excluding JD(S)
Bengaluru: Leaders of all parties aiming to fight against the BJP will attend the two-day meeting of opposition parties here of their own accord, they need not be invited, Congress National General Secretary KC Venugopal said, when asked why the JD(S) leaders were not called for the meeting.
Addressing the media in the city on Monday, Venugopal said, “The JD(S) has already given a clear picture on its stand in the matter.” He also told the reporters to focus on the problems faced by the country rather than the leader of the opposition party’s confederation.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, “The high-level meeting being organized on Tuesday is to discuss the future of the country. It is not about a specific political party, but about the problems faced by the 140 crore people of India and we have gathered to try and find a solution to the problems.”
Shivakumar expressed confidence in the meeting, hosted by the Congress, bringing about a change in the national political field. “On behalf of the Karnataka Congress, I welcome the leaders of all parties to the meeting. Just as Karnataka witnessed a major political change through the Assembly elections this year, we are sure to see a change in the country with the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
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SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
