Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Minister and senior Congress leader Priyank Kharge on Saturday took note of the grievances reported by entrepreneur Ravish Naresh about the inconveniences start-ups face in Bengaluru (known as India’s Silicon Valley), and slammed Karnataka CM and his party for focusing on communal issues rather than focusing on growth and development.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Kharge posted screenshots of entrepreneur Ravish Naresh’s tweet and Telegana Minister KTR Rao’s reply to Naresh suggesting he move to Hyderabad which he said provides “better physical infrastructure and equally good social infrastructure”.

“Startups in HSR/Koramangala (India’s Sillicon Valley) are already generating billions of $ of taxes. Yet we have v bad roads, almost daily power cuts, poor quality water supply, unusable foot paths. Many rural ares now have better basic infra than India’s Sillicon Valley” (SIC) Naresh had stated in his tweet.

Replying to the tweet, KTR Rao had written “Pack your bags and move to Hyderabad! We have better physical infrastructure & equally good social infrastructure. Our airport is 1 of the best & getting in & out of city is a breeze. More importantly our Govt’s focus is on 2 i Mantra; innovation, infrasdtructure & inclusive growth” (SIC).

Kharge took a sly dig at the CM and his party adding “A few more economic jihads from your party will ensure that we neither get investments or jobs.” Taking a dig at BJP General Secretary CT Ravi’s remark on halal meat calling it to be “Economic Jihad” by Muslim traders.

“Congratulations. We now have our neighbour telling startups to move to Hyderabad for not only better infrastructure, but also better “social” infrastructure. A few more economic jihads from your party will ensure that we neither get investments nor jobs,” Kharge wrote in his tweet tagging CM’s official handle.

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Mangaluru: Voting is not just a right but a duty, and neglecting it is an act of disrespect towards the Constitution, said District and Sessions Court Judge Mallikarjuna HS. He was speaking at the 15th National Voters’ Day programme organized by the Dakshina Kannada District Administration and the District Legal Services Authority at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall in Mangaluru on Saturday.

The judge highlighted that India had around 98 crore registered voters for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the number has now crossed the 100-crore mark. However, he pointed out that the voter turnout last year was only 66 percent, meaning nearly 30 crore eligible voters skipped the elections. While around three crore people could not vote due to unavoidable reasons, the remaining 30 crore abstentions reflect a disregard for the Constitution, he remarked.

Despite this, he appreciated the efforts of district officials in ensuring a good voter turnout in every election. Urging young voters to take the initiative, he said it is the responsibility of the youth to ensure voter turnout crosses 90 percent in the next elections. They must spread awareness among their friends, classmates, and neighbors about the importance of voting.

Judge Mallikarjuna also explained the significance of National Voters’ Day, which was first observed in 2011. Though the Indian Constitution came into effect in 1950, authorities later noticed that despite rising literacy levels, voter awareness was declining. This led to the launch of National Voters’ Day in 2011 to encourage greater participation in elections, he said.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anand, the chief guest at the event, administered the oath of voting to citizens. Eligible voters were handed representational voter ID cards, and officials who had made significant contributions during the last elections were felicitated.

The event was presided over by Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Mullai Muhilan. Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. G Santhosh Kumar and senior officer Khader Shah were also present. The event was compered by Manjula Shetty.

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