Two BJP MLAs defy party decision to stage walk-out from Karnataka Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 13: Two BJP MLAs S T Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar on Friday defied the party's decision and stay put in the Legislative Assembly, when all other saffron party legislators staged a walkout.
BJP members staged a walkout from the Assembly as ruling Congress members allegedly tried to obstruct Leader of Opposition R Ashoka from raising the Waqf issue.
Some Congress MLAs led by P M Narendraswamy sought to raise some cases against BJP MLA N Munirathna.
Soon after the zero hour, Speaker U T Khader allowed Ashoka to raise the Waqf issue. At this point Narendraswamy, Nayana Motamma, and few others demanded that they be allowed to raise Munirathna issue, accusing him of making casteist slur. They said "it cannot be tolerated."
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Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda also requested that he be allowed to make a statement on the rains and damages caused by it in the state.
Angered by this conduct of the ruling party, Ashoka along with all other BJP members staged a walkout making comments targeting the government.
Somashekhar remained seated in his seat when all other BJP MLAs walked out, later Hebbar too joined him.
Somashekhar and Hebbar are seen as "rebels" in the party for some time now.
At the recent state BJP core committee meeting it was decided to take action against both Somashekhar and Hebbar, either by suspending them and moving for their disqualification as MLAs immediately, in consultation with the high command.
Later BJP members came back to attend House proceedings, and discussion was allowed on Waqf issue.
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Drug use increased in Haryana post-2021 farmers' stir: BJP MP Jangra
Chandigarh, Dec 13: BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana Ram Chander Jangra has alleged that after the 2021 farmers' agitation, the use of drugs increased in Haryana.
He also alleged that during the stir against three farm laws on Delhi's Singhu and Tikri borders, around 700 women from Haryana went missing. "Where they went, no one knows."
Farmer leaders took strong exception to Jangra's remarks and challenged him to cite any FIRs filed in the missing incidents he alleged took place.
Parrying charges, Jangra later said his statements were not directed at farmers and that he was merely highlighting the "side effects" of the 2021 agitation.
On Thursday, addressing a gathering of farmers at Meham in Rohtak district, Jangra said earlier there were only two types of addicts in Haryana – those who smoked cigarettes and those who drank alcohol.
"After 2021, the drugs spread in villages, some are consuming 'chitta', heroin, cocaine, and smack. Where did it come from?" he said.
"In 2021, for one year, 'Punjab ke nashedi' (drug addicts from Punjab), who sat on Singhu and Tikri borders, spread a drug network in Haryana.
"For your information, you should ask for the CID report, from villages near the Singhu border and on the Tikri border, 700 girls went missing. Where they went, no one knows?" Jangra said.
He also claimed that some of the farmer leaders were capitalising on the agitation to bankroll their political careers.
"Rakesh Tikait (BKU leader) fought two polls in UP, and he forfeited his security deposit. (Haryana BKU chief) Gurnam Singh Charuni fought from Pehowa, he got 1,170 votes. They come to provoke you, collect funds, drive a wedge between us and leave.
"On Kundli border, 100 factories shut down, at Bahadurgarh border (Tikri) too 100 factories were shuttered. Who suffered the loss? It was Haryana, our farmers. Whose brotherhood was spoiled, whose funds they took, whose girls went missing, whose youth fell prey to drugs? it was ours. Our state had to bear such losses due to this agitation," Jangra said.
The politician, however, later said his remarks were not aimed at farmers, who, he said, "make a big contribution to the country's economy."
"I was referring to the aftereffect, the side effect of such agitations. I have not blamed farmers," Jangra told PTI over the phone.
"Punjab being a border state, everyone knows that because of Pakistan, the drug menace had spread … Drug peddlers got a chance to spread their network and after this (the 2021 stir) in Haryana too it spread.
"I have not blamed farmers. I have said due to the side-effects of that agitation such people (peddlers) got an opportunity and drugs spread in Haryana...," he said.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, while speaking to reporters at the Shambhu border, slammed Jangra for his remarks.
"Jangra has said that 700 girls went missing. BJP is ruling at the Centre and in Haryana. Were FIRs registered in all these cases? Why did he remain silent for such a long time? If he has any proof, he should present it before the people of the country … Or else, he should apologise," Pandher said.
Pandher demanded that the BJP expel Jangra from the party.
"We want to ask if drugs were being sold, then what was Haryana police doing? Such remarks have been made only to defame the farmers," he said.
