Siddaramaiah sparks row over remarks on Lingayat, Vokkaligas
Bengaluru, Oct 28: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday found himself in the midst of a row over his purported remarks about two dominant communities in the State in a video that has gone viral.
The comments were reportedly made during a private conversation with a few Congress leaders recently.
Siddaramaiah is purportedly heard saying Lingayats, a prominent community seen backing the BJP, were now distancing themselves from Lingayat strongman and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, and the Vokkaligas, another dominant community, disenchanted with the JD(S) and H D Kumaraswamy.
Yediyurappa and Kumaraswamy flayed Siddaramaiah, who is opposition leader in the state assembly, for his alleged comments.
"He is behaving like a dictator as if he is holding all the responsibilities. He believes that the people were with him. I am unable to comprehend why (such) statements are made," Yediyurappa said.
The Chief Minister claimed Siddaramaiah has been trying to create confusion in the Congress.
He reminded him that people were closely noticing all his activities.
Sharing the video, the state BJP unit too slammed the Congress veteran for not rising above "caste based politics."
"India is progressing forward. Will the master of "Appeasement Politics" ever grow beyond Caste?" the party tweeted.
Retorting, Siddaramaiah said "Casual private discussion at my residence is being misinterpreted by BJP leaders to derive sadistic pleasure."
Illumination of truth shall always prevail over the darkness of lies. This will be my Deepavali message to my political rivals," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
He said Ambedkar, Gandhiji, 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara and noted Kannada poet Kuvempu were his inspiration for his commitment to social justice and his effort to dismantle caste structure.
"The statement in the video is, in fact, my expression of happiness that people see beyond the caste to decide their representatives. This is a sign of social progress and matured electorate.
What is wrong if I say that people are being secular?" Siddaramaiah sought to know.
Kumaraswamy also slammed Siddaramaiah for his comments in the video.
"Siddaramaiah is pure secular and we, who had supported him, are communal...," Kumaraswamy sarcastically said.
In a video that has gone viral, @INCKarnataka leader @siddaramaiah is seen commenting that Lingayats are not with CM @BSYBJP and Vokkaligas are no more with former CM @hd_kumaraswamy
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) October 28, 2019
India is progressing forward. Will the master of "Appeasement Politics" ever grow beyond Caste? pic.twitter.com/eyngpSUGKP
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
