Savarkar’s portrait unveiled in Suvarna Soudha despite Congress protest
Belagavi(PTI): Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's life size portrait was unveiled inside the Assembly chamber at the 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' here, along with several national icons, drawing criticism from opposition Congress, which alleged that it was a unilateral decision, keeping them in the dark.
The portraits of Swami Vivekananda, Subash Chandra Bose, B R Ambedkar, Basaveshwara, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Savarkar were unveiled by Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, inside the Assembly chamber, just before the commencement of the 10-day winter session of the state legislature in this border district.
Earlier, the Congress led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and party's state President D K Shivakumar staged a demonstration outside 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' holding pictures of several national and state icons like Kuvempu, Narayana Guru, Shishunala Sharif, Pandit Jwaharlal Nehru, Babu Jagjivan Ram among others.
Stating that it is his party's demand that portraits of national leaders and social reformers should be installed in the Assembly and they are not protesting against any one portrait, Siddaramaiah said without any discussions or consultation unilaterally decisions have been taken to install certain portraits inside the House.
"If any portrait has to be put inside the Assembly, the House has to be taken into confidence as they become the property of the Assembly, though the Speaker is the custodian. It has not been done, it was not even discussed in the Business Advisory Committee," he said.
Noting that he neither had invitation nor any information regarding unveiling of the portraits including that of Savarkar, and only got to know about it through the media, Siddaramaiah said, "We are not opposed to installing any portraits, but the Assembly has to be taken into confidence."
Suggesting that portraits of Nehru, Patel, Jagjivan Ram, and social reformers have to be installed and its their demand, he said, "they (BJP government) are doing it now because we will raise several issues like corruption, voter ID card scam, farmers, law and order, also several scams. In order to divert the attention of the people they are doing this unilaterally. We oppose this."
Reacting to the Congress' protest, Chief Minister Bommai said, "Whatever happens inside the Assembly is left to the Speaker and the Legislative Department, I'm yet to meet the Speaker, I will talk to him."
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SC to hear plea seeking enforcement of measures to curb pollution in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking enforcement of measures to curb air pollution in the national capital.
Delhi woke up to toxic air conditions on Sunday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the "severe" category.
The AQI stood at 429 at 9 am, according to the 'Sameer App', which provides hourly updates from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 417 at 4 pm on Saturday.
As per the cause list of November 18 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih is slated to hear the plea.
On November 14, the top court had agreed to urgently list the plea after it was told that Delhi should not become the most polluted city in the world due to the rising pollution.
The bench had agreed to list the matter after senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who has been assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the matter, requested for urgent hearing looking at the prevailing situation in Delhi.
The amicus had told the bench that she had intimated the Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) and they should explain the steps being taken to curb pollution.
On November 11, the top court had taken serious note of the violation of its firecrackers ban order on Diwali, and observed that no religion encourages any activity that creates pollution.
It had asked the Delhi government to decide within a fortnight on extending the firecracker ban throughout the year.
It had said the right to live in a pollution-free atmosphere was a fundamental right of every citizen, protected by Article 21 of the Constitution.
The apex court is hearing a plea seeking directions to curb air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas.
