22-year-old IT employee hangs herself in Udupi

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday flayed the NDA government over its plan to amend the law governing Waqf boards, saying the move shows that it's against minorities.

The Bill has proposed far-reaching changes in the present Act, including ensuring the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill also seeks to rename the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.

"The NDA government is totally against the minorities in this country, they are not for secularism, they are not for social justice. We have been telling the people of the country that they are communal parties, they are casteists, that's why they are doing like that," Siddaramaiah told reporters here in response to a question.

The Bill was circulated among Lok Sabha members on Tuesday night ahead of its introduction.

According to its statement of objects and reasons, the Bill seeks to omit Section 40 of the current law relating to the powers of the Board to decide if a property is waqf property.

It provides for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards and ensures the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies. The Bill also proposes the establishment of a separate board of Auqaf for the Bohras and Aghakhanis.

The draft law provides for the representation of Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, Agakhanis and other backward classes among Muslim communities.

Mysuru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said Saturday that probe into some of the alleged scams are underway and he will speak on them once the investigation report comes to him.

The Congress veteran said he was overwhelmed at the success of the Janandolana held in Mysuru on Friday.

The Janandolan in the chief minister's home district was in support of him and to counter the opposition’s allegations and their foot march. Asked about opposition leaders' claim that they will continue their fight until the CM resigns, Siddaramaiah said, "Will I fear such things, will I bow down to such things? If they indulge in false propaganda. People will suppress their agitations that are with false allegations, on getting to know the truth."

The CM also visited Sri Chamundeshwari Devi temple atop the Chamundi Hills after a long time to mark Shravana Shanivara. Last year he has visited the temple in August to make the goddess the first beneficiary of Gruhalakshmi scheme, one of the five guarantees of the Congress government.

Attacking the BJP in the state, Siddaramaiah said he knows what the saffron party state president B Y Vijayendra, his father and former CM B S Yediyurappa, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Opposition Leader R Ashoka have done. “There are some more scams to be unearthed,” he added.

The BJP-JD(S) are scheduled to conclude their protest march on Saturday in Mysuru city. The final day of the 'Mysuru Chalo' protest march began at Ramaswamy circle here today and will culminate at Maharaja’s College Grounds, where a valedictory rally is organised.

To a question on the opposition’s allegations against him, Siddaramaiah said, he will tackle them politically and legally. Describing the allegation against him as ‘false’, he said, "I have spoken on a few issues in the Janandolan and will present some more issues before the people shortly."

Speaking on the Janandolana, the CM said, "It was held to counter the opposition’s padayatra, to counter their false allegations. It was held, to tell the truth to the people. The BJP-JD(S) alliance is trying to project me in bad light. They are trying to weaken the democratically-elected government in Karnataka. They think that they will be politically benefited, if they defame me. They are involved in various scams. I will expose them all, and initiate action against them."

Mangaluru: Union minister of state for home affairs Nityananda Rai has informed Lok Sabha that the govt is conscious of the sentiments and requirements for the inclusion of other languages, including Tulu, into the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta, in a question submitted to Parliament, had enquired about the status of the demand for the inclusion of Tulu language into the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

He sought to know if govt was aware that the people of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Kasaragod have demanded that Tulu be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Additionally, a response was sought regarding the procedure for the inclusion of any language under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, as well as the efforts that are being taken for the consideration of the requests for more linguistic inclusion under the Eighth Schedule, keeping in mind the sentiments and other relevant considerations since the Pahwa (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra (2003) Committee efforts.

On Tuesday, MoS for home affairs Nityananda Rai submitted a written reply saying there have been demands from time to time for the inclusion of several languages in the Eighth Schedule, including Tulu. 

“However, there are no fixed criteria for the consideration of any language for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. As the evolution of dialects and languages is a dynamic process, influenced by socio-cultural, economic, and political developments, it is difficult to fix any criterion for languages for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The earlier attempts, through the Pahwa (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra (2003) Committees, to evolve such fixed criteria have been inconclusive. The govt is conscious of the sentiments and requirements for the inclusion of other languages in the Eighth Schedule. Such requests have to be considered keeping in mind these sentiments and other relevant considerations,” the minister said.