‘All upper castes united against caste survey’: Cong chief taunts D K Shivakumar in parliament

News Network
December 12, 2023

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has taken strong exception to Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s opposition to releasing the report of the State caste survey conducted during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's first term in office.

Intervening in a debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill in the parliament on Monday, Kharge, when cornered by the treasury benches on the pending caste survey report, said that “all upper-castes are united on this.”

Kharge’s response was triggered by BJP MP and former Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi’s assertion that Shivakumar, while holding office, has made his opposition to the report public.

“Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has signed a memorandum that the report of the caste census should not be made public;” Modi said.

The Congress president was quick on his feet to clarify the party’s position on the issue.

“He said that our deputy CM is opposing caste census. He is doing it and they (BJP) are also doing it,” Kharge responded.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi joined the sharp exchange to underscore the differences in the Karnataka government.

“They have also warned the government that if the caste census report is made public, they will oppose it. They have said it clearly Kharge ji. You also come from Karnataka,” Joshi said.

Kharge responded to Joshi’s assertion alleging “all upper caste people are united internally on this. You are also there, and he is also there.”

After this brief exchange, Sushil Modi resumed the debate but not before challenging the Congress to make the report public.

“Kharge ji is sitting here. If he has courage, I request him to announce in this house that the caste survey report will be made public within a month,” Modi said.

I.N.D.I.A allies, especially those from UP, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu have sought to make holding a nationwide caste census a major political issue for 2024. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also backed the demand, which he reiterated during the campaign for the recently held elections to the 5 state assemblies.

After Bihar government released its caste census data, Siddaramaiah has been facing increasing pressure to disclose the findings of a parallel study called the Socio-Economic Survey.

However, the results have not been made public after leaked information suggested a shift in the perceived dominance of Vokkaligas and Lingayats.

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News Network
November 11,2024

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The Manipur Kuki MLAs have released a statement calling out Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's 'lies' in the Supreme Court. In a joint statement, the MLAs, including those from the Bharatiya Janata Party, said they had not had any meeting with the Chief Minister since May 3, 2023, nor did they intend to meet him in the future as “he was the mastermind behind the violence”.

As per the MLAs, the SG lied about state CM N Biren Singh speaking to Kuki MLAs to control the situation there, in order to halt a Supreme Court probe into the leaked tapes which allege that Singh has been complicit in the violence that broke out between Kukis and Meitis there.

"We...clarify that we have never had any meeting with Chief Minister, Shri N. Biren Singh since May 3, 2023, nor have any intention to meet him in future as he is the mastermind behind the violence and ethnic cleansing of our people from the Imphal valley, which is continuing till today, the latest being the brutal killing and burning of Mrs Zosangkim Hmar on November 7, 2024," the letter read, while condemning the recent 'barbaric' killing of the woman there, and noting the SG's assertion is 'tantamount' to misleading the top court.

“We, the undersigned ten MLAs, have come to know that during the Supreme Court hearing held on November 8, 2024, the Solicitor General of India submitted that ‘CM is meeting all Kuki MLAs and trying to bring the situation down to get peace’. In this connection, we hereby categorically state that this submission is a blatant lie and tantamount to misleading the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” the statement said.

The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition by a Kuki organisation, asked that it submit audio tapes to substantiate its claim that the Chief Minister was instrumental in inciting and organising violence in the northeastern State.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta orally informed the court that the Chief Minister was meeting all the Kuki-Zo MLAs and that peace in the State had come at a huge cost.

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News Network
November 15,2024

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Union minister Amit Shah on Friday, November 15, said PM Narendra Modi will amend the Waqf Act despite opposition from leaders like Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.

"Modi ji wants to change the Waqf Board law, but Uddhav ji, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule are opposing it," Shah said, addressing a rally at Umarkhed in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district.

"Uddhav ji, listen carefully, you all can protest as much as you want, but Modi ji will amend the Waqf Act," he said. Shah said there are two camps in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, one of 'Pandavas' represented by the BJP-led Mahayuti and the other of 'Kauravas' represented by Maha Vikas Aghadi.

"Uddhav Thackeray claims that his Shiv Sena is the real one. Can the real Shiv Sena go against renaming Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar? Can the real Shiv Sena go against renaming Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar? The real Shiv Sena stands with the BJP," Shah said.

"Rahul Baba used to say that his government would credit money in the accounts of the people instantly. You were unable to fulfil your promises in Himachal, Karnataka, and Telangana," he said.

Shah said the Mahayuti alliance has promised that women will get Rs 2,100 per month under the Ladki Bahin Yojana. "Kashmir is an integral part of India and no power in the world can snatch it away from us," Shah said.

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News Network
November 16,2024

Mangaluru: The Kavoor police in Mangaluru, Karnataka, have arrested three individuals from Kerala in connection with two separate cybercrime cases, including one involving extortion under the guise of a "digital arrest."

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal reported that one of the arrested individuals, Nisar, a resident of Ernakulam district, posed as a CBI officer. He allegedly threatened the complainant with arrest and extorted Rs 68 lakh. A case has been filed under sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act, and sections 308 (2) and 381 (4) of BNS.

In another case, the Kavoor police arrested two men, Sahil K P of Thiruvannur, Kozhikode, and Muhammad Nashath of Mappila Koyilandy, Kerala, in connection with a share trade fraud. The accused are alleged to have deceived the complainant by promising substantial profits from an investment in the stock market. Trusting the fraudsters, the complainant invested Rs 90 lakh, which was subsequently lost. A case has been registered under sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act, and sections 318 (4) and 3 (5) of BNS.

The accused were arrested in Koyilandi and presented before the court. The operation was carried out under the guidance of City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, led by Mangaluru North Sub-Division ACP Srikanth K, Kavoor Inspector Raghavendra Byndoor, Kavoor PSI Mallikarjuna Biradara, and staff members Ramanna Shetty, Bhuvaneshwari, Rajappa Kashibai, Praveen N, and Malatesh. 

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