Shivakumar slams ED arrest of Congress MLA, calls it 'politically motivated'
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said there was "no situation" for the Enforcement Directorate to arrest Congress MLA Satish Sail, alleging that his party leaders are "being selectively targeted for political reasons."
The ED arrested Sail in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal iron ore exports in the state.
"There was no situation for arresting Satish Sail. Things have been going on (in this case) since 2010. For politics, Congress people are being selectively targeted," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Sail, 59, the MLA from Karwar in Uttara Kannada district, was taken into custody late Tuesday night after questioning at the ED’s Bengaluru zonal office, according to official sources.
He is the second Karnataka Congress legislator to be arrested by the central agency in recent weeks. Last month, the ED arrested Chitradurga MLA K C Veerendra ‘Puppy’ in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal betting.
The case against Sail pertains to the alleged illegal export of iron ore by a company reportedly linked to him.
The ED probe stems from a 2010 Karnataka Lokayukta case, which found about eight lakh tonnes of iron ore illegally transported from Bellary to Belekeri port.
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Karnataka govt to strictly implement the paid menstrual leave policy, after HC directive
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad has said that the government will strictly implement the paid menstrual leave policy across all sectors at the earliest, following the High Court directive.
The High Court of Karnataka had recently directed the state government to "strictly and faithfully" implement the menstrual leave policy, pending formal enactment of the proposed legislation.
"I welcome the directive issued by the Karnataka High Court in support of our state government's ambitious menstrual leave policy," Lad said.
The state government has taken firm steps to implement the menstrual leave policy comprehensively, and as a model to the country, he said in a post on 'X' on Thursday.
"In line with the court's opinion that menstrual leave is a matter of women's dignity, justice, and humane recognition of their lived realities, we will strictly implement the paid menstrual leave policy--equivalent to one day per month, or 12 days per year--across all sectors at the earliest," he added.
The court had said that in the interregnum, it shall be incumbent upon the state to ensure effective operationalisation of the policy through the issuance of suitable guidelines, circulars, and administrative instructions, as may be necessary to secure its uniform, consistent, and rigorous implementation across all sectors.
The court issued the directive while hearing on a petition filed by 41-year-old Chandravva Hanumant Gokavi, who works in a hotel in Mudalgi of Gokak taluk in Belagavi district, before the Dharwad bench, seeking implementation of the November 20, 2025, order of the government providing one-day menstrual leave for all working women.
