Karnataka Congress Ban on VHP/Bajrang dal to facilitate massive conversions
hitaya
Hindus in Karnataka will be voting for self destruction if they are voting for Congress. Worse, VHP, Bajrang Dal is categorized as terrorist front PFI which committed many murders. Imagine the mindset of Congress that openly said minorities have first right to resources and was about to pass a community violence bill that would instantly make Hindus into second class citizens.
Congress Releases Manifesto For Karnataka: Promises Ban On Bajrang Dal, VHP, PFI; One Third Of Police Posts For Women; Zero-Interest Farm Loans
Karnataka CongressSnapshot
All the updates from the Karnataka campaign in one place.
May 02:
The Congress today released its manifesto for the Karnataka elections. Among the items in the manifesto, the prominent are:
filling up all vacant, sanctioned government posts within one year
ban on Bajrang Dal, VHP, and PFI
Natural Disaster Fund with an initial corpus of Rs 5,000 crores
high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots in every gram panchayat
Increasing milk production to 1.5 lakh litres
Reserve one-third of police appointments for women
minimum of one per cent of posts to be reserved for third gender
farm loans of upto Rs 10 lakh at zero interest
Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday (1 May) had hinted at a Rajasthan-style rollback of the recently adopted labour reforms by the CM B S Bommai led BJP government in Karnataka.
Speaking to the reporters, Kharge accused both the BJP governments at the Centre and Karnataka of following "anti-labour" law by passing the legislation amending the Factories Act, 1948.
The amendment allows for extending the working day for up to 12 hours a day.
In the name of ease of doing business, the Karnataka government has conceded the demands of multi-national companies by extending work hours, Kharge said.
This “is like setting the clock back”, Kharge was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
He also slammed the move allowing night shifts for women workers in factories.
In late March, the Congress unveiled four freebies (called 'guarantees').
Under 'Graha Lakshmi guarantee, the party has promised every woman head of the family will get a monthly cash dole of Rs 2,000.
Under the 'Yuva Nidhi' scheme, the party has promised that if voted to power in the state, it will provide an allowance of Rs 1,500 per month to every diploma holder for two years.
Graduates will receive Rs 3,000 per month.
Under the 'Graha Jyoti' promise, Congress has promised that every family in the state will be provided 200 units of power for free.
A cursory glance at these 'guarantees' and one can conclude that they will cause economic ruin for the state. Even a rough estimate of the cost of delivering promises could be upwards of Rs 1 lakh crores every year.
On the BJP front, in an interview to Dainik Jagran, Home Minister Amit Shah stated that a large number of 'labhartis' (beneficiaries) have benefited from the BJP schemes. He stated that the party will comfortably form the government this time.
Karnataka goes to polls on the tenth of May. The results will be announced on May 13.
In other news, BJP MP Pratap Simha apologised to the vendor whose water bottles and soft-drinks were stolen by a mob. This occurred during a rally in Gadag where Union Home Minister Amit Shah was attending. The Mysuru-Kodagu MP, taking to Twitter, issued an apology to Sameer Hasan and processed a reimbursement of Rs 35,000 using UPI.
May 01:
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) national president JP Nadda released the party's manifesto earlier this morning. Titled 'Praja Dhwani', the manifesto will serve as a vision document for the ruling party.
Karnataka will go to polls on the tenth of May, and the results will be announced three days after polling.
The party has also promised the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), should it be voted to power. This will be based on the recommendations of a high-level committee which will be appointed specifically for the purpose. The party has also made a promise to introduce the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.
Other poll promises include free cooking gas cylinders, half a litre of milk everyday and five kilograms of rice for BPL card-holders.
Highlights from the manifesto:
- Uniform Civil Code implementation
- Rs 1500 crore for Kalyana Karnataka's tourism spots' development
- Eradication of manual scavenging
- BPL card holders to receive half a litre of milk everyday
- All BPL card holders to receive three free cooking gas cylinders in the month of Ugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Deepavali
- Affordable food for the poor through Atal Aahaara Kendras in every ward
- Ten lakh housing sites for the homeless
- Rs 30,000 fund to establish micro-storage facilities
- Government schools to undergo a holistic upgrade through the Vishveshvariah Vidya Scheme
- Free health check-up for senior citizens annually
The complete manifesto can be read here.
Additionally, the BJP manifesto also focuses on preservation of culture.
This includes promises such as:
- Allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for preserving temples
- Rs 25,000 to poor families to visit centres like Kashi, Kedarnath, Tirupati, etc
- Rs 1,500 crore for Kalyana, Banavasi, Parashurama, Kaveri & Gangapura Circuits
In other news, Convergent Institute has released the predicted numbers ahead of the election in Karnataka. According to the pre-poll survey, the BJP will emerge as the single largest party with 105 seats. The INC trails behind with 87 seats and the JDS is predicted to win in 32 constituencies.
The survey result was shared by CNN News18 Kannada on their Twitter handle.
April 30:
Addressing a gathering in Karnataka’s Kolar district, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took potshots at the Opposition parties in the state, ahead of the Assembly elections. He said, “Today’s rally will make Congress and JDS lose sleep. Both the parties are a big hindrance to the process of development. The public has clean-bowled them”.
He suggested that the ‘double-engine’
government of the BJP has focused on development. From cold storages to
textile parks, the BJP government in the state has implemented schemes to boost farmers’ income.
He added that the Congress has an ‘85 per cent commission’ reputation and it is the BJP that deposited Rs 2.5 lakh crore to the farmers’ accounts.
BJP Karnataka is relying on the Prime Minister to carry out multiple rallies in the state ahead of the elections. PM Modi is scheduled to address around 19 rallies in the state.
April 29
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day tour of Karnataka to canvass votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
One of the first events on his list was a public meeting in Humnabad in Bidar District.
Here, while addressing the crowd, the Prime Minister is reported to have said: "Congress has started abusing me again. Every time Congress abuse me, it gets demolished. Congress has abused me 91 times…Let Congress abuse me, I will keep on working for the people of Karnataka.
On 27 April, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, while addressing a rally in his home district of Kalaburagi in Karnataka, had called Prime Minister Modi ‘a poisonous snake’.
April 28
The Indian National Congress (INC) has sought a ban on Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from campaigning in Karnataka ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. Alleging that the two have made statements against minorities, senior Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and others met with the Chief Election Commissioner to request the same.
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised free travel for women in public transport buses across Karnataka from the first day of his government, as the fifth poll promise of the party.
Gandhi also alleged that the BJP government in Karnataka was riddled with corruption and scams. He also said that the Congress would eliminate 40% corruption to provide funds for the party's poll promises.
Gandhi made these remarks during a public meeting in Mangaluru.
Gandhi earlier asserted that the reservation cap of 50 per cent needs to go. Replying to a question from a fisher-woman in Udupi, Gandhi stated that the “cap of 50 per cent reservation was not fixed on scientific studies and must be removed”.
April 27: All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing a rally in his home district of Kalaburagi in Karnataka, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘a poisonous snake’.
Speaking to a gallery of Congress supporters, he remarked that PM Modi is like a ‘poisonous snake’ and whether one thinks it’s poison or not, they will die, should they lick it. This comment drew sharp criticism from several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Issuing a clarification, Kharge was reported saying, “It wasn't meant for PM Modi, what I meant was BJP's ideology is 'like a snake'. I never said this personally for PM Modi, what I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain.”
Bengaluru South’s Member of Parliament, Tejasvi Surya, tweeted
saying, “This will be a turning point in Karnataka elections. People
here do not accept crass personal comments against anyone, let alone our
most loved PM. Just wait and watch how the last nail on the Congress
coffin will be hammered on May 10th.”
April 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed 50 lakh karyakartas of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday. He assured the BJP workers that the party will return to power and “will register a record majority”. BJP’s top brass has been deployed to campaign heavily in what is being called as a crucial election for the party.
A day ago, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took part in a roadshow and addressed a public rally in Mandya - Karnataka’s Vokkaliga heartland. Addressing the booth-level workers, PM Modi said, “Victory on a booth ensures victory in the elections. Your spirit of winning the booth is what wins the election for the party”.
Furthermore, he took a dig at the Congress party and added that the Congress represents corruption. He said, “Congress means false guarantee, Congress means guarantee of corruption. Congress is in that state where they cannot give any guarantee. And their warranty has also expired”.
Ahead of the election in Karnataka, the BJP has deployed its top brass which includes ministers, actors and other star campaigners to rally for support from the voters of the state. PM Modi is scheduled to spend almost seven to eight days in the state beginning from April 28 to May 07. He will be holding around 15 public meetings and will take part in many roadshows across the state.
April 26: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, made his maiden appearance in Karnataka ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. He is addressing a public rally and took part in a roadshow, welcomed with cheers by BJP supporters. Mandya’s Member of Parliament Sumalatha Ambareesh was seen sharing the stage during the roadshow.
Twitter users were quick to point out the historical connection between Mandya and Gorakhpur. It is said that Nath Sampradhay has a close relationship with Karnataka's Adichunchanagiri Math, which is revered by lakhs of Vokkaligas. The Mandya-Mysuru-Chamarajanagara belt has been particularly tough for the BJP in the past. This move is seen as an attempt to further the efforts to woo Vokkaliga voters in the region.
He announced that Karnataka has been allotted land in Ayodhya, in order to build the guest house. This is in relation to the Ram Mandir being built in the state. He added that Lord Ram’s closest companion, Hanuman, was born in Karnataka.
26 April: An upset DK Shivakumar, current president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), was reported as saying, “Everything cannot be on time if you all have a watch. I know when to call a press conference and when to call an emergency one and when you will come. Don't try to blackmail me.”
According to a report published by India Today, Shivakumar was an hour late to the press conference organised at KPCC where reporters from the regional media had gathered for over an hour. The reason for his delayed arrival was blamed on a ‘technical glitch’ with his helicopter.
Soon after the incident, the senior Congress leader was reportedly asking his media coordinator to share the names of the reporters so he can speak to their management.
25 April:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (25 April) directed that the Karnataka
government's decision to scrap the 4 per cent Muslim quota will not be
implemented till 9 May.
The apex court bench of Justices K M
Joseph and B V Nagarathna said that the earlier regime of 4 per cent
quota for Muslims will remain effective till 9 May, when the next
hearing is scheduled.
In another development, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is canvassing votes for the BJP in Karnataka, said that former Karnataka chief minister Jagdish Shettar, who recently defected from BJP to Congress, will lose the election in the upcoming state Assembly polls.
"There'll be no loss, Jagdish Shettar will himself lose election, Hubballi has always voted for BJP and all workers of BJP are united", said Shah.
At his end, Shettar came out in defence of former CM Siddaramaiah for the latter's 'corrupt Lingayat chief minister' comment.
"His comment was only on the present CM Bommai and not all Lingayat CMs. He did not comment on other Lingayat CMs", said Shettar.
24 April: A video of former CM Siddaramaiah has been going viral on social media in which, when asked about the BJP's stance that a Lingayat should be the next chief minister, the Congress veteran said, "There's already a Lingayat chief minister (Basavaraj Bommai). He's the root of all the corruption in the state."
The BJP argues that Siddaramaiah's statement has demonised the entire Lingayat community, who are the most decisive electoral constituency in the state.
21 April: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K S Eshwarapppa said that not just Lingayats but everyone who is with Hindutva, whether they are Lingayat, Kuruba, or Brahmin, should vote for the BJP.
On being asked about speculations that the Lingayat community is upset with the party, Eshwarappa said, “We have fielded many Lingayat candidates and they support us. But we don’t ask that only Lingayats should vote for us. Those who are Hindutvavadis, should all vote for BJP. Whether they are Lingayat, Kuruba, or Brahmin.”
Eshwarappa announced his retirement from electoral politics before the BJP's list of candidates was announced but continues to campaign for the party.
He received a phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21 April, the video of which he shared on social media. In the video, Eshwarappa was seen assuring the Prime Minister that the party would win the upcoming elections.
20 April: The Congress released its list of star campaigners for Karnataka on 19 April. In a list of 40, the 37th name is of Imran Pratapgarhi.
Since the list was made public, social media has been flooded with videos of Pratapgarhi showering superlative praise on mafia-turned-politician, the late Atiq Ahmed.
A well-known poet and graduate of Allahabad University, Pratapgarhi has been seen sharing the dais many a time with Atiq Ahmed and his aides.
In other Congress-related news, former CM Siddaramaiah rehashed a claim he made in the run-up to the 2018 assembly polls, that he was contesting the last election of his political career.
Addressing a large gathering near Nanjangud before proceeding to file his nomination papers for the Varuna Assembly segment, Siddaramaiah said the upcoming state elections would be the last time he will be directly entering the electoral fray and anointed his son Yathindra and grandson Dhawan Rakesh as his successors in electoral politics.
19 April: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka issued a statement asking the media to clarify that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu state president K Annamalai did not bring cash to the state via helicopter.
The statement added that there was no violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The allegations against Annamalai were first made by Vinaykumar Sorake, who is a Congress candidate from the Kaup constituency.
In other news, Income Tax officials conducted a raid at the Bengaluru residence of suspended Congress leader Yousuf Shariff, aka KGF Babu, as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected tax evasion, multiple Kannada TV channels reported.
18 April: Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, whose home was burnt by Muslim mobs during deadly Bengaluru riots in mid-2020, quit the assembly after being denied a ticket. Srinivas Murthy represented the Pulakeshi Nagar Assembly constituency of Bengaluru.
17 April: Jagadish Shettar, who the BJP did not pick to contest in the upcoming election, joined the Congress today.
Shettar, who has won six elections in the past, was reportedly advised by the BJP to sit out the 10 May Karnataka election and not contest from his Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency.
Even Home Minister Amit Shah is said to have spoken to Shettar personally on 15 April and tried to convince him.
"No one spoke to me nor tried to convince me," Shettar however said after joining the Congress party.
14 April: Denied a ticket by the BJP to contest from the Athani seat in the upcoming Karnataka election, former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi joined the opposition Congress party and resigned from his seat in the Karnataka Legislative Council on 14 April.
Also read: Karnataka: Former Deputy CM Laxman Savadi decides to quit BJP after he was denied a ticket
13 April: The opposition in Karnataka has created a controversy over the entry of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation's (GCMMF's) Amul brand in the Bengaluru market through quick commerce platforms.
The opposition has alleged that the entry of Amul into the Bengaluru market could adversely affect the Nandini brand owned by the Karnataka Milk Federation.
The other political overtone being given to the issue is that of PM Modi and Home Minister Shah favouring the Milk Cooperative of their state (Amul is from Gujarat) over the domestic milk cooperative of Karnataka.
12 April: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its first list of candidates for the Karnataka assembly election. It comprises 189 names, including Congress defectors.
R Ashok, a BJP MLA and Revenue Minister, will run for re-election in Padmanabhanagar, and also in Kanakapura, where he will compete against the state Congress chief, D K Shivakumar.
– V Somanna, an MLA and Housing Minister, will challenge Congress leader Siddaramaiah in Varuna. Additionally, he will be running in Chamarajnagar, a stronghold of the Congress.
– Bommai will contest in Shiggaon, his current seat.
– B Y Vijayendra, son of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura. Yediyurappa has won from here seven times since 1983.
– Yashpal Suvarna, known for his campaign against the hijab and his involvement in cow protection, is set to contest for the first time. He will run in place of MLA Raghupathi Bhat, in the key coastal town of Udupi.
– C T Ravi will contest from Chikkamagaluru.
– Anand Singh, who defected from Congress to join the BJP in 2019, will not contest from Hospete. Instead, his son Siddharth Singh will run for the seat.
On the Congress front, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar reiterated that if his party wins the upcoming assembly elections, it would restore the 4 per cent Muslim quota that had been scrapped the current government.
10 April: Amid stiff competition between him and Siddaramaiah for the CM's post if Congress secures a majority, KPCC president D K Shivakumar has attempted to bring AICC chief M Mallikarjun Kharge's name into the race.
Shivakumar's statement that he would "love" to work under Kharge if he becomes the Chief Minister and that there are voices within the party that "injustice" has happened to the veteran leader in the past, have got tongues wagging among many in the state unit of the party.
6 April: Padma Shri awardee Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri has thanked Prime Minister Modi after he received the award on 5 April.
While interacting with Prime Minister Modi, Quadri said, "I waited for five years during the UPA government, but it didn't happen. I did not expect the BJP government to give it to me. But you proved me wrong and I am really thankful for that".
4 April: Senior BJP Leader Haladi Srinivas Shetty, known as 'Vajpayee of Kundapura', has withdrawn from electoral politics.
29 March: The polling for Karnataka Assembly elections will be held on 10 May and the results will be declared on 13 May, the Election Commission announced.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the notification for the elections to the 224-member assembly will be issued on April 13 and the last date for filing nomination papers will be April 20.
The Karnataka Assembly has 224 seats with a simple majority at 113.
28 March: The BJP-led state government officially notified the rules for availing 10 per cent reservation in education and employment under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category. The EWS quota was introduced by PM Narendra Modi-led NDA government through a constitutional amendment in January 2019.
On the Congress front, a video of Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivkumar surfaced on Wednesday (March 29) where he is seen showering Rs 500 notes at a procession, a day before the Election Commission announced elections in the state.
The video was shot during the ‘Praja Dhwani Yatra’ organised by the Congress near Bevinahalli in Mandya district of South Karnataka.
27 March: In what is being increasingly viewed as a politically astute manoeuvring ahead of the upcoming Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government last week abolished religion-based reservations by scrapping 4 per cent reservation given to Muslims in Karnataka under 2B of Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
The state cabinet distributed the disbanded 4 per cent quota to two politically influential communities — Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas — at 2 per cent each in jobs and admissions in educational institutions.
The state cabinet also decided that the Muslim community in the state will avail of benefits under the 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
While the decision by the BJP government in Karnataka to abolish religion-based reservations predictably triggered a furore, another momentous move to introduce internal reservation within the overall 17 per cent quota for the Schedule Castes (SC) did not garner as much attention.
Also read:
Swarajya's series on the electoral history of Karnataka and predictions for 'Karnataka 2023'
-Karnataka: Understanding the great 2019 reset
-How can the BJP lose in Karnataka?
-In maps: An electoral history of Karnataka
-The JD(S) finally enters terminal decline
-Karnataka 2023 — a matter of margins
-Karnataka 2023 — the reality of triangularity
-Karnataka 2023 — vote share tranche analysis
-Karnataka 2023: Here's what this prominent opinion poll needs to explain