Textbook row: Members of Cong students wing try to create ruckus at Minister's house; 15 held
Bengaluru, June 1: Some members of the Congress' student wing - NSUI (National Students Union of India) - allegedly tried to stage a protest and besiege the house of Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh at Tiptur in Tumakuru district of Karnataka on Wednesday over the school textbook controversy.
The activists were said to be protesting against the textbook review committee, headed by Rohith Chakratirtha, and alleged inclusion of RSS's philosophy in school textbooks. There have been demands for sacking Chakratirtha for allegedly saffronising school textbooks by including in them a lesson on RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar's speech, and for changing the content in the books.
There are also allegations of erroneous content on a 12th century social reformer Basavanna in the textbook, also accusations on insulting poet Kuvempu.
"NSUI workers barging into the premises of the Education Minister B C Nagesh's house and creating a ruckus is condemnable. Such a conduct does not suit students... Merciless action will be taken against those involved in such acts," Bommai tweeted.
State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra's office, in a statement, said the miscreants, said to be from NSUI, entered the premises of Nagesh's house, raised slogans and set fire to the uniform of the RSS.
Police stopped things from getting out of control and took 15 people into custody.
Jnanendra, also in-charge of Tumakuru district, visited Nagesh's residence and took stock of the situation.
Condemning the incident, he said a policeman was injured in the incident. "Strict action will be taken against those involved." The police intervened and pushed protestors outside the premises of Minister's house, official sources said, adding that 15 people have been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
As the news of the alleged ruckus by NSUI activists at Nagesh's house spread, several of his Cabinet colleagues, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, condemned the incident.
Jnanendra, who is also in-charge of Tumakuru district, visited Nagesh's residence and took stock of the situation.
He said a policeman was injured in the incident. "Strict action will be taken against those involved."
State BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, State Health Minister K Sudhakar, PWD Minister C C Patil and Power Minister Sunil Kumar too condemned the students wing members.
Meanwhile, Bommai said Nagesh would submit a report on textbook revision on June 2 in the wake of the controversy.
A few seers and literary figures have written to Bommai seeking action on the controversy.
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Delhi HC orders Rs 30 lakh compensation to kin of 3 deceased sanitation workers
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court has directed the city authorities to pay Rs 30 lakh compensation each to the families of three sanitation workers who died during manual scavenging in 2017.
The HC allowed the petition by the family members seeking higher ex gratia in accordance with a Supreme Court order in 2023 which increased the compensation payable to the dependents of the victims who lost their lives in manual scavenging to Rs 30 lakh from the existing Rs 10 lakh.
The family members said in the petition that the three sanitation workers died in August 2017 while cleaning a drain in Lajpat Nagar. The plea said the deceased were engaged by a Delhi Jal Board sub-contractor.
The petitioners said that after they died, a compensation of Rs 10 lakh was awarded to the family members. However, they prayed that the amount be increased to Rs 30 lakh.
"It can be seen that the directions issued by the Supreme Court were expressly made applicable to all the statutory bodies including corporations, railways, cantonments as well as the agencies under its control.
"Moreover, the Union and State governments were directed to ensure that the rehabilitation measures were taken with respect to sewage workers, including the family of those who have lost their lives. Specifically, it was directed that the compensation of Rs 10 lakh that was given to the family members of the deceased workers be enhanced to Rs 30 lakh," Justice Sachin Datta said.
The high court said necessarily, the ameliorative directions, strictures and the embargo imposed by the Supreme Court are applicable to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) as also to any agency that may be engaged by the board within any part of Delhi in connection with the work relating to the collection of sewage or carrying out connected works.
"Any disregard or violation thereto would invite strict consequences" as envisaged in the apex court verdict, it said.
Considering the reasoning given by the apex court, it would be a travesty if the entitlement of the family members of the deceased scavenging workers is confined to Rs 10 lakh, the high court said.
"The same would defeat the directions of the Supreme Court to enhance the compensation to Rs 30 lakh on the basis that the previously fixed compensation of Rs 10 lakh was fixed as far back as in the year 1993 and could not be considered to be an adequate compensation," it said, adding that the family members of the deceased sanitation workers are entitled to a compensation of Rs 30 lakh.
The high court said the remaining amount be paid to the family members within eight weeks.
Observing that manual scavengers have lived in bondage, systematically trapped in inhuman conditions for a long time, the Supreme Court had in October last year asked the Centre and state governments to completely eradicate manual scavenging across the country.
Passing a slew of directions for the benefit of people involved in manual scavenging, it had asked the central and state governments to pay Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of those who die while cleaning sewers.
"The court hereby directs the Union and the States to ensure that the compensation for sewer deaths is increased (given that the previous amount fixed, that is, Rs 10 lakh) was made applicable from 1993. The current equivalent of that amount is Rs 30 lakh. This shall be the amount to be paid, by the concerned agency, that is, the Union, the Union Territory or the State as the case may be. In other words, compensation for sewer deaths shall be Rs 30 lakh," the Supreme Court had ordered.
It had also said that the authorities needed to take measures for the rehabilitation of the victims and their families.
