Veteran Congress leader claims Veerashaiva Lingayats got raw deal in Karnataka
Yediyurappa welcomes statement
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran Congress leader and MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's statement that Veerashaiva Lingayat community is getting a raw deal under his party's government in Karnataka, seems to have created a stir within the ruling party and gained support from BJP's B S Yediyurappa.
Sensing an opportunity to target the Congress government, opposition BJP has accused it of neglecting the numerically large community.
Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Yediyurappa, who also hails from the community, on Sunday welcomed Shivashankarappa's statement and called on the Veershaiva Lingayats to be united.
The 92-year-old Shivashankarappa, who heads the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, a body that represents the dominant community, made his grouse public during the weekend, which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has denied.
"Many (officers from the community) have not been given (good posts)...our community and its officers are facing trouble," Shivashankarappa had said.
Responding to a question on whether there should be a Lingayat CM, he said, "Earlier Lingappa (Nijalingappa) and Veerendra Patil were there (as CMs). During their tenure, we ran the administration, they had kept us good. Now our people have become helpless."
Further stating that the community need not settle for the post of a Deputy Chief Minister post, he responded to a question saying, "Who wants a DCM post...if possible become CM or else leave it."
Shivashankarappa's statement, despite the fact that his son S S Mallikarjun is part of the government as a minister, has caused embarrassment to the ruling Congress party.
The Veerashaiva Lingayats are said to constitute about 17 per cent of the state's population, and many in the state Congress are worried that such a statement by Shivashankarappa, a senior leader of the community in the state, may impact the party.
During the 2023 assembly polls, Congress had managed to cause a dent in BJP's Veershaiva Lingayat support base, with a campaign alleging that that the saffron party had neglected the dominant community.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, rejecting Shivashankarappa's claim on Saturday, had pointed out that there are seven Lingayat ministers in his Cabinet.
"...how can there be injustice? There is no chance for any injustice. No religion or caste will face injustice under Congress," he said.
Reacting to Shivashankarappa's statement, Yediyurappa today said, "Shamanur Shivashankarappa is national president of Veerashaiva community body. The feelings that he has expressed -- I'm in complete agreement with it."
Shivashankarappa's concern about the current government's alleged neglect of the numerically large Veerashaiva Lingayats is shared by not only himself, but all the leaders of the community, he said.
"So, I welcome his statement. In such a situation I call upon the Veerashaiva Lingayat community to awaken, and to unite."
Responding to a question on Yediyurappa's support for Shivashankarappa's statement, CM Siddaramaiah today said, "Our's is a secular government, there will be no injustice to anyone."
Pointing out to government schemes, he said they are not specific to any community or religion. "We don't practise caste or community politics. We see everyone equally."
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Andhra Pradesh: Four children die of suffocation after getting locked in parked car
Vizianagaram: In a devastating incident that has shocked the local community, four children died of asphyxiation on Sunday after accidentally getting locked inside a parked car in Andhra Pradesh’s Dwarapudi village of Vizianagaram rural mandal.
The children, identified as Mangi Uday (8), Burle Charumathi (8), Burle Charishma (6), and Kandi Manaswini (6), were playing in the village when they entered an unattended vehicle to take shelter from the rain. Tragically, the car door locked behind them, trapping them inside without ventilation, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The car had reportedly been left near the Mahila Mandali office by an unidentified individual two days earlier. The vehicle remained unattended, and it is believed the doors were not properly secured, allowing the children to enter unnoticed.
As the children failed to return home by evening, their families began searching for them across the village and surrounding areas. After more than three hours of searching, the children were found unconscious inside the car. The windows were broken in an attempt to rescue them, but all four had already succumbed to asphyxiation due to extreme heat and lack of oxygen inside the vehicle, added the report.
The bodies were rushed to the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Vizianagaram, where doctors confirmed that the cause of death was suffocation.
Local police have launched an investigation to trace the owner of the vehicle.
Vizianagaram MLA Aditi Vijayalaxmi visited the grieving families at the hospital and expressed her condolences. She assured that all necessary assistance would be provided to the families of the deceased children.
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