Rahul Gandhi promises unemployment aid, filling up 2.5 lakh govt job vacancies in poll-bound K'taka
Belagavi (K'taka), Mar 20: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday called on party leaders in poll-bound Karnataka to fight the BJP in a united manner as he exuded confidence about "sweeping" the upcoming assembly elections.
The party also wooed the youth with promises of unemployment allowance -- its fourth poll 'guarantee' -- and filling up of vacancies in government jobs, in the event of the party coming to power in the State, where Assembly elections are due by May.
While thanking people of Karnataka for supporting his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and making it successful, Gandhi took a dig at the BJP-led government at the Centre.
"The Yatra sent out a message that this country belongs to everyone, not just to select two to three, not Adaniji's (industrialist Gautam Adani). This country belongs to farmers, labourers, the poor and youth," the Wayanad MP said.
He dubbed the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in Karnataka as "most corrupt in the country" and a "40 per cent commission government".
"We will fight the election together. All Congress leaders will fight together. Congress will sweep this election, because the BJP government is a 40 per cent commission government, and the people of Karnataka want to get rid of this government. They want a government that will work for poor, downtrodden, middle class, small traders," Gandhi said.
Taking into account the message of the youth that they are not getting jobs, the Congress has decided to give Rs 3,000 per month to every graduate, and Rs 1,500 per month to every diploma holder, for two years as unemployment allowance, he said. "We understand your (youth) problem and BJP is not giving you jobs."
He said the Congress government in the state will provide jobs to 10 lakh youth in five years, and assured that 2.5 lakh government vacancies will be filled up.
Addressing the youth convention 'Yuva Kranti Samavesha' organised by the party's state unit here, he said,: "We will defeat BJP together and make Congress win with a huge majority."
His message of unity to party leaders and workers, ahead of ticket distribution, gains significance amid speculation that disgruntlement may surface within the party following the selection of candidates. Also, there is already a game of one-upmanship between top leaders for the Chief Minister post in the event of it coming to power.
This was the former AICC President's first visit to poll-bound Karnataka, months after the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', led by him, marched its way through parts of the state.
During the foot march, there was a clear message against hate, he said, adding: "In the market of hate, lakhs of people had opened shops of love. This is our Hindustan."
Noting that during the yatra, he got two to three clear messages from the people of Karnataka, Gandhi said the youth told him that the state government has failed in providing jobs.
The party has already announced three poll guarantees' 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), and 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), on coming to power.
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party's state unit chief D K Shivakumar, Legislature Party leader and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah among several leaders were part of the mega rally.
Highlighting the major message he got from the people of the state during the Yatra that the incumbent Karnataka administration is the "most corrupt government in the country" with "40 per cent commission" sought in public works, Gandhi said the letters written by the contractors' association and school managements' association to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining about the extortion charges "has not got response".
Listing out alleged corruption scandals in the state, he said BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa's son was caught with Rs 8 crore in the cash-for-contract scam-hit KSDL Corporation, "but no action has been taken, and the government is protecting him".
Also, there were job scams relating to recruitment of Police Sub Inspectors (PSI), Assistant Professor, Assistant Engineers, he further said, adding that there is a list. "This is the most corrupt government in the whole country."
Corruption is happening because all benefits are going to just two to three people, Gandhi said, while noting that he spoke about Adani (following the Adani-Hindenburg issue) in Parliament. "All the businesses and industries in the country are being given to him, whether it is airports, ports, roads, are all being given to Adaniji, the same thing is happening here (in Karnataka)."
"Select few people who are BJP government's friends, all the benefits are being given to them. Because of this, there is rampant corruption in the state," he alleged.
Gandhi also urged the BJP government that it should fulfil its promise of hiking the reservation of SCs from 15 to 17 per cent and STs from 3 to 7 per cent by implementing it.
BJP's 40% Commission Sarkar wiped away jobs & opportunities.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 20, 2023
Congress’ #YuvaNidhi will empower Karnataka’s unemployed Youth
✅ ₹3000/month for Graduates
✅ ₹1500/month for Diploma holders
✅ 2.5 lakh Govt jobs in 1 year
✅ 10 lakh Pvt sector jobs
That’s a Congress Guarantee! pic.twitter.com/eNmXvIa5lr
Congress' promise to the youth of Karnataka-
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 20, 2023
🔹₹3,000/month to all the unemployed graduates for 2 Years
🔹₹1,500/month for all diploma holders for 2 Years
🔹Employment for 10 lakh youth
🔹Filling up 2.5 lakh vacant government posts within one and a half years pic.twitter.com/s5vC9YAt6X
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SC dismisses pleas seeking review of 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage
New Delhi, Jan 9: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a batch of pleas seeking to review its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage.
A five-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, B V Nagarathna, P S Narasimha and Dipankar Datta took up about 13 petitions related to the matter in chambers and dismissed them.
"We do not find any error apparent on the face of the record. We further find that the view expressed in both the judgements is in accordance with law and as such, no interference is warranted. Accordingly, the review petitions are dismissed," the bench said.
It said the judges have carefully gone through the judgements delivered by Justice (since retired) S Ravindra Bhat speaking for himself and for Justice (since retired) Hima Kohli as well as the concurring opinion expressed by Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, constituting the majority view.
The bench also rejected a prayer made in the review petitions for hearing in an open court.
According to practice, the review pleas are considered in chambers by the judges.
The new bench was constituted after Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the present CJI, recused from hearing the review petitions on July 10, 2024.
Notably, Justice P S Narasimha is the only member of the original Constitution bench comprising five judges which delivered the verdict, as former CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices S K Kaul, Ravindra Bhat and Hima Kohli have retired.
A five-judge Constitution bench led by then CJI Chandrachud on October 17, 2024, refused to accord legal backing to same-sex marriages and held there was "no unqualified right" to marriage with the exception of those recognised by law.
The apex court, however, made a strong pitch for the rights of LGBTQIA++ persons so that they didn't face discrimination in accessing goods and services available to others, safe houses known as "garima greh" in all districts for shelter to members of the community facing harassment and violence, and dedicated hotlines in case of trouble.
In its judgement, the bench held transpersons in heterosexual relationships had the freedom and entitlement to marry under the existing statutory provisions.
It said an entitlement to legal recognition of the right to union, akin to marriage or civil union, or conferring legal status to the relationship could be only done through an "enacted law".
The five-judge Constitution bench delivered four separate verdicts on a batch of 21 petitions seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriages.
All five judges were unanimous in refusing the legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act and observed it was within Parliament's ambit to change the law for validating such a union.
While former CJI Chandrachud wrote a separate 247-page verdict, Justice Kaul penned a 17-page judgement where he broadly agreed with the former's views.
Justice Bhat, who authored an 89-page judgement for himself and Justice Kohli, disagreed with certain conclusions arrived at by the former CJI, including on applicability of adoption rules for such couples.
Justice Narasimha in his 13-page verdict was in complete agreement with the reasoning and conclusion of Justice Bhat.
The judges were unanimous in holding that queerness was a natural phenomenon and not an "urban or elite" notion.
In his judgement, the former CJI recorded Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's assurance of forming a committee chaired by the cabinet secretary to define and elucidate the scope of entitlements of such couples in a union.
The LGBTQIA++ rights activists, who won a major legal battle in 2018 in the Supreme Court, which decriminalised consensual gay sex, moved the apex court seeking validation of same-sex marriages and consequential reliefs such as rights to adoption, enrolment as parents in schools, opening of bank accounts and availing succession and insurance benefits.
Some of the petitioners sought the apex court to use its plenary power besides the "prestige and moral authority" to push the society to acknowledge such a union and ensure LGBTQIA++ persons led a "dignified" life like heterosexuals.
