Rahul Gandhi promises Rs one cr per village panchayat, Rs 5,000 cr for Kalyana Karnataka region
Jevargi/Ballari, Apr 28: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised allocation of Rs one crore for each village panchayat, and Rs 5,000 crore for the Kalyana Karnataka region if his party is voted to power in the May 10 State Assembly polls.
The former Congress chief also promised to set up an apparel park in Ballari with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore.
Amid rains, he addressed an election rally at Jevargi in Kalaburagi district, where he promised to fill 50,000 government job vacancies.
"We will allocate Rs 5,000 crore for this region. Each village panchayat will get Rs one crore," a drenched Gandhi said.
The Kalyana Karnataka region comprises the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Vijayanagara.
At Ballari, it was his promise to set up an apparel park and not that of the Congress, he said, adding that he would ensure that the district became the number one jeans hub' in the world.
"This is my promise to make Ballari a jeans capital'. I want to see the day when whoever wears jeans will have Made in Ballari' written on it," Gandhi said.
Criticising the ruling party, he said Ballari was at the centre of the 40 per cent theft' and the "amount of theft BJP did in Ballari, no one else would have ever done here".
"This theft caused enormous loss to the people of Ballari. Now the major change will happen here. Not just in elections but in your life," Gandhi added.
He also made a 'prophecy' that the ruling BJP would get only 40 seats "since it loves this number".
READ ALSO: Congress targets BJP, demands expulsion of Basangouda Yatnal for calling Sonia Gandhi 'vishkanya'
Gandhi alleged that BJP ministers in Karnataka collected 40 per cent commission for public works from contractors and, hence, the party would not get more than 40 seats, while the Congress would win 150 seats and form the next government.
Calling the incumbent BJP government "a government by theft", he said the ruling party had purchased MLAs from opposition ranks.
"We are going to form the government. No one can stop our party from coming to power," Gandhi said.
He also reiterated the four key "guarantees" of the Congress: Rs 2,000 to woman head of families, 200 units of free power to every household, Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18 to 25 years) for two years, and 10 kg rice to every member of a BPL family a month.
Apart from this, Gandhi also announced the party's fifth "guarantee" on Thursday free bus ride for women in public transport buses.
From Bellary to Bengaluru, the people of Karnataka have spoken and their message is loud and clear - Congress is back and here to stay with 150+ seats!
— Indian Youth Congress (@IYC) April 28, 2023
Scenes from Shri @RahulGandhi‘s roadshow and public meeting at Bellary today. pic.twitter.com/TMewKPUD3k
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sexual abuse case: Group of writers, academics write to CM Siddaramaiah demanding action
Bengaluru, May 15: A group of litterateurs and academics of Karnataka have written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanding the immediate arrest of Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexually abusing several women but has gone abroad, "absconding" from the law.
The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Director General of Police B K Singh to probe multiple instances of sexual abuse and related cases involving Prajwal Revanna, and the Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice against the Hassan MP, who reportedly left the country on April 27.
Prajwal is the son of MLA and former Minister H D Revanna, who too has been accused in a case of molestation and another case of abduction, and grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.
ALSO READ: Sexual abuse case: SIT conducts raids in multiple locations in Karnataka's Hassan
Condemning the alleged sexual abuse of women by Prajwal, as many as 107 intellectuals comprising litterateurs, academics, playwrights, singers and social activists have written to Siddaramaiah demanding his immediate arrest.
In their letter, they said the incident shows the feudal mindset of a powerful family, whose members hold key positions in Parliament, the legislative assembly, the legislative council, panchayats and municipal bodies.
They said it is a big crime that the victims of sexual exploitation were allegedly threatened and kidnapped in order to "cover up a crime which has been happening for many years."
The group highlighted the threat to the lives of the victims and the trauma their families are going through after the scandal broke out.
They said that some women after suffering ignominy attempted suicide while many stigmatised families migrated from Hassan.
The group said a fearless atmosphere should be created for victims to come forward and lodge complaints. They also sought a brake on trading of charges by political parties, and the completion of the SIT probe within a time-frame.
Reacting to the letter, state Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said the government would take it seriously.
“We will take their letter seriously because they are the ones who have concern for the society. They take note of the issues around them,” he said.
