We are not anti-Muslims: Former PM Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, December 24: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda said that as there was no difference in Congress party, the coalition government in the state would function safely.
Speaking to reporters at the party office here on Monday, the JDS supremo said that no Congress MLA would resign from their membership. So, the coalition government would not have any problem, he said.
Preparations were being made for the next Lok Sabha elections. They have come together to keep BJP away from power. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has been touring the state to prepare for the election. Discussion was going on regarding panchayat elections in Chikmagalur, he said.
“Party leaders and Congress leaders would expand the Cabinet. JDS was a small regional party. We will also expand the Cabinet, but not now. Our regional party had given various programmes in 1998. Then we had won 16 Lok Sabha seats. But unfortunately, we have only two seats now”, he said.
Leaders have been working to strengthen the party. Every day, Kumaraswamy would discuss the issue with him and party meetings were being conducted after getting his approval, he said.
‘We aren’t anti-Muslims’
“We are not anti-Muslims. It is Janata Dal which brought reservation to women in this country. We have been running the government keeping in mind the political reservation, women reservation and Muslim community. But some people have been branding our party as caste-based party which is not true”.
- HD Deve Gowda, former prime minister
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
