Villagers stop Dalit MP from entering the village in Chitradurga Lok Sabha Constituency
Bengaluru, Sep 17: In a shocking incident of untouchability, a Dalit BJP MP in Karnataka was allegedly prevented from entering a Gollarahatti, a settlement of Golla (Yadavs), at a village in Tumakauru district, prompting the authorities to order an inquiry.
The incident occurred Monday evening as Chitradurga MP A Narayanaswamy went to Pemmanahalli village, which falls under his Lok Sabha constituency, for some development work with a video of the conversation surfacing.
Karnataka Industries Minister and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday condemned the incident while a top police official said the local Tahsildar, staff of Social Welfare department and police have been asked to visit the village and hold an inquiry into the denial of entry for the MP.
According to police, when the MP approached near the settlement, some people asked him not to enter saying as he was a Dalit and it was against their traditions.
They also pointed out that earlier too Dalit public representatives have not entered their hatti.
Speaking to local news channels, Narayanaswamy said he was 'pained' that such practices continued even today.
The MP said he tried to convince those who prevented his entry that he was there for developmental work and not for any political reason.
"Some among them wanted me to go in, but I moved away with the intention that there should not be any differences between the people within the community leading to clashes," he said.
"But, in the days to come I will certainly work towards eradicating such superstitious beliefs in the community and for their development ," he added.
Tumakauru Deputy Commissioner K Rakesh Kumar said meetings will be held in the village to sensitise the locals and if needed he would also visit them.
"I will have to get the report on what was the reason for their (people) conduct. If we get to know who has done, we can book case under SC/ST Atrocities act," he told reporters.
A video of the MP talking to people and trying to convince them by asking them whether he should work for their development or not, was telecast in local news channels.
In the video, Narayanaswamy can be seen telling people that he has come to do good for them but a section of them were adamant on not letting him inside hatti.
Meanwhile, some villagers told local TV channels that according to their traditions, "Dalits cannot enter" their community settlement. Any 'violation' of the tradition would result in "something bad" happening, they claimed adding there were precedents.
Another villager admitted that the MP had come for a good reason. But said people have been following certain traditions for long. "I apologise to the MP, if he is pained," he added.
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31 students test positive during anti-drug screening drive in educational institutions in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Thirty-one students tested positive during an anti-drug screening drive conducted in educational institutions in Vijayanagar area of the city, police said on Thursday.
The drive was conducted as part of Karnataka State Police department's newly introduced initiative called "Sanmitra" aimed to address the serious issue of drug addiction, which has been severely impacting the youth across the state, they said.
This initiative aims to adopt a transformative approach to find solutions and take compassionate steps towards building a drug-free society, police said.
According to police, as part of this directive, on March 4, under the leadership of DCP West Division Yatheesh N, inspections related to drug consumption were conducted within the limits of Vijayanagar Sub-Division police stations under Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate.
With the consent and no-objection certificates obtained from the management of six educational institutions and two hostels, inspections and checks were carried out.
"Urine samples were collected from more than 1,200 students, out of which 585 samples were randomly tested, and 31 samples were found to be positive," police said in a statement.
The operation was conducted with the full cooperation of officers and staff of local police stations, along with doctors, technicians, and staff from nearby hospitals, police said.
Necessary arrangements will be made to provide counseling with mental health professionals and to ensure required medical support for those in need, they said.
The identity and family details of individuals tested will be kept strictly confidential, police assured.
