Bengaluru, July 31 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that the people of the state must question the “anti-Dalit” Union government for not using the Budget funds meant for the development of the community.

“What moral authority does the Union government have to question our (Congress) government when it unjustly uses the budget funds meant for the rightful development of Dalits by not implementing the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan (SCSP/TSP) schemes at the national level?” Siddaramaiah asked.

“Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is shedding crocodile tears for Dalits, has called for questioning the Karnataka government regarding the welfare of the SC/STs. Nirmala Sitharaman, if you care so much about Dalits, implement the SCSP/TSP scheme and allocate 25 per cent of the Union Budget in proportion to the Dalit population, then question us. Until then, it would be wise for you to remain silent,” the Chief Minister said.

The Karnataka government’s budget for the current year is Rs 3,71,383 crore, of which Rs 39,121 crore has been allocated for SCSP/TSP schemes. However, the Union government’s Budget for the current year is Rs 48.21 lakh crore, of which only Rs 2,90,401 crore has been allocated for the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Siddaramaiah added.

“Nirmala Sitharaman, your budget clearly shows whom you are favouring. This is exactly what our leader Rahul Gandhi pointed out in the Lok Sabha. You are depriving 75 per cent of the population and feeding ‘halwa’ to 25 per cent. It is the fear of your “anti-Dalit” policies being exposed that makes you oppose the Caste census,” he said.

There were no widespread protests in Karnataka to implement the SCSP/TSP Act. However, the Congress government in the state included it in the 2013 poll manifesto out of genuine concern for the Dalit community, he added.

After coming to power, the Congress-led Karnataka government implemented the SCSP/TSP Act in 2014-15 fulfilling its poll promise, Siddaramaiah said.

“For the past 10 years, I have been urging the Union government to implement the SCSP/TSP Act at the national level, just as it is in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently rejected this demand. It is laughable that those who have ignored this demand for so long are now shedding crocodile tears, claiming the Congress government in Karnataka is being unjust to Dalits,” he slammed the Union government.

Before the implementation of the SCSP/TSP Act, the special component plan for the welfare of the Dalit community in the state allocated Rs 8,616 crore in the year 2013-14. In the year 2014-15, when the SCSP/TSP Act was implemented, the allocation was Rs 15,894 crore. This amount has now reached nearly Rs 40,000 crore which shows that the Congress government’s concern for the Dalits in the state, Siddaramaiah said.

“Not only this, but our (Congress) government has also increased the reservation for Scheduled Castes from 15 to 17 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes from 3 to 7 per cent as per the recommendations of Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das Committee.”

“We have reserved 24.1 per cent of government contracts up to Rs 1 crore for SC and ST contractors, decided to apply reservation to contract-based appointments, amended the PTCL Act to prevent unauthorised transfer of land granted to SC/ST families, and provided a 75 per cent subsidy for industrial plots allocated to SC/ST entrepreneurs. All these measures have been implemented only in Karnataka,” Siddaramaiah added.

“Now, tell me, Nirmala Sitharaman, who should the Dalits question first? The state government, which has implemented a series of schemes for the welfare of Dalits, including the SCSP/TSP Act, or the Union government, which has committed injustice by not giving even the rightful share to Dalits in the Budget?” the Chief Minister asked.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 31 (IANS) BJP legislators staged a walkout from the West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday as soon as Minister for Municipal Affairs & Urban Development, Firhad Hakim, rose to speak on the eighth day of the Monsoon Session.

The Chief Whip of BJP’s legislative party, Shankar Ghosh, said a decision was taken earlier that the party MLAs will boycott any speech by Hakim as a mark of protest against the latter’s comment at a recent event that there is a “need to spread Islam among non-Muslims”.

On July 26, the BJP legislators staged a similar walkout after Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay rejected an adjournment motion moved by the leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, demanding the termination of Hakim as an MLA for his remark.

“Boycotting his speech on the floor of the House is the decision of our party. We will reconsider our decision only after he (Hakim) withdraws his remark made at a public gathering,” said Ghosh.

The BJP legislators returned to the House only after Hakim, who’s also the Kolkata Mayor, completed his speech.

The Speaker, meanwhile, said that such developments are not suitable for the sanctity of the Assembly as he made a plea to the BJP’s legislative team to reconsider its decision.

Hakim later told mediapersons, “I have always been a secular person, and continue to be so. What I said at a religious gathering cannot be the subject of discussion in the Assembly. The BJP always tries such divisive tactics.”

–IANS

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Sangrur (Punjab), July 31 (IANS) Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Wednesday that the Punjab government is following in the footsteps of martyrs like Udham Singh to restore the pristine glory of the state by making the youth active partners in the socio-economic progress of the country.

Addressing the gathering at a state-level function to mark the 85th martyrdom day of Udham Singh at Sunam in Sangrur district, the Chief Minister recalled how he used to accompany his father as a child to attend an annual event here to pay tributes to Udham Singh.

He said the countrymen are enjoying the fruits of freedom today due to the enormous sacrifices made by legendary heroes like Udham Singh.

Calling him a true son of the soil who exhibited exemplary courage to kill Michael O’Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab and the prime perpetrator of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Chief Minister said he regularly paid visits to the Caxton Hall in London where Udham Singh took revenge on behalf of millions of Indians.

“The unprecedented sacrifice made by this iconic martyr at the altar of national freedom struggle helped the country overthrow British imperialism,” he said, adding that Udham Singh waited for 21 years to avenge the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and thus laid the foundation for freedom of the nation.

The Chief Minister also asserted that Punjabis hold a prominent place in the national freedom struggle and “we are proud of their brave and unique contributions”.

The rich legacy of the unprecedented sacrifices made by the martyrs will act as a lighthouse to guide the destiny of future generations, he added.

–IANS

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Agartala, July 31 (IANS) Tripura Police arrested six Bangladeshi women along with two children from Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala for entering India without valid passports, police said on Wednesday.

An officer of the Airport Police Station said that on being informed about their suspicious movement at MBB Airport, police asked them for valid documents.

As they failed to show any valid papers they were arrested on Tuesday night.

The Bangladeshi women, aged between 30 to 38 years, during preliminary interrogation said that they illegally entered Tripura through the clandestine route and were planning to go to other states in the country by flight in search of jobs.

Three days ago, 28 Bangladeshi nationals, including a tout, and two Rohingyas were arrested from two different places in Tripura by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel before boarding trains.

Over the last two-and-a-half months, more than 155 Bangladeshi nationals and 32 Rohingyas were arrested by the GRP, BSF, and Tripura Police from the Agartala railway station and various other places in Tripura after they illegally entered India.

In the last few weeks, Bangladesh has witnessed waves of deadly violence and clashes during the quota reform protests claiming the lives of over 170 people and injuring over a thousand.

–IANS

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Imphal, July 31 (IANS) The 13-day-long Manipur Assembly session began on Wednesday while ten tribal MLAs, who have been demanding a separate administration or a Union Territory for the tribals in the state, once again skipping the proceedings.

The current session, which would continue till August 12, is the third session of the Assembly since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3 last year.

On the earlier two occasions too, the 10 tribal MLAs belonging to the Kuki-Zo community boycotted the Assembly sessions, alleging insecurity in Imphal and demanding a separate administration or a Union Territory for tribals in Manipur.

Chief Minister, N Biren Singh last week said that he would request the 10 MLAs to attend the Assembly session.

Of the 10 tribal MLAs, seven are from the ruling BJP, two belong to the Kuki People’s Alliance and one is an Independent. One of the 10, the BJP’s Paolienlal Haokip, who was elected from Saikot Assembly constituency in tribal-dominated Churachandpur district, said that they would not attend the session this time too.

“When my people can’t set foot in Imphal, how can I attend an Assembly held in the state capital,” he said.

Since May 3 last year, Manipur has been hit by unprecedented ethnic violence between the Chin-Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis that has claimed the lives of at least 220 people, while over 1,000 were injured and 60,000 people of both communities displaced.

The Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, on the first day of the session, presented a Rs 34,899 crore budget for the 2024-25 fiscal, with a deficit of Rs 1,526 crore.

Tabling the budget, he highlighted the economic challenges faced by the state, primarily due to the ongoing ethnic unrest. He told the house that the ethnic crisis significantly impacted on the state’s economy, leading to a drop in revenue collections and increased spending on security and relief operations.

“Reduced own revenue collections, increased expenditure on security and relief operations, inflation, difficulties in movement of goods and services, problems in implementation of projects and schemes were a few of the challenges that we faced. With normalcy returning to the state, our tax collection is showing a positive trend. I am confident that this improvement would continue during the current year,” the Chief Minister told the house.

Biren Singh said that the state government would continue to work on the economic recovery of the state.

“Bringing and ensuring a peaceful and secure environment, rehabilitation and support to those who are displaced, providing livelihood to those without one, providing opportunities for skilling, and investing in quality infrastructure are some of the steps that we are taking,” he added.

–IANS

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