Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says the first Cabinet meeting issued orders for the implementation of five guarantees which were promised by the party before the elections
Our Bureau
Bengaluru/New Delhi
In a veiled attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the newly elected Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the senior police officials have been instructed to ensure no ‘saffronisation’ and ‘moral policing’ in the state. “That is what we have instructed all the senior Police officials – no saffronisation, no moral policing…” Siddaramaiah told media persons after attending a Congress legislature party meeting at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. He also said that action will be taken against such people who are making false news.
“Those who are making false news, an action will be taken against such people,” he said.
Congress in its manifesto for the Karnataka election said that the party is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organizations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion.
“We believe that law and Constitution are sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organizations like Bajrang Dal, Popular Front of India (PFI) or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organizations,” the manifesto said.
Soon after being sworn in as the chief minister, Siddaramaiah said that the first Cabinet meeting has issued orders for the implementation of five guarantees which were promised by the party before the elections.
Addressing a press briefing after the first Cabinet meeting in Vidhan Soudha, here, Siddaramaiah had said, “Five guarantees in the manifesto were promised and the order for the implementation of those five guarantees was given after the first cabinet meeting. All will be in force after the next cabinet meeting which will be called within a week.
“The five ‘main’ guarantees are 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti); Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi); 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya); Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (Yuva Nidhi) and free travel for women in public transport buses (Uchita Prayana).
Also, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said that police officers wearing political outfit’s dresses and posing for photos is “unconstitutional” and no one will be allowed to take laws into their hands. “…We won’t allow anyone to take the law into their hands…There were 3-4 places where Police officers put their agenda. They removed their uniform and wore their political outfit’s dresses and posed for photos. This is unconstitutional…,” said DK Shivakumar. When asked about the state cabinet expansion, he said that it will be carried out by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“Cabinet expansion will be carried out by my Chief Minister. He has the authority; Congress party has given him authority. He is the right man to answer, please meet him,” said Shivakumar.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah regarding his ‘no saffronisation in the state’ instruction and called it ‘polarization politics.’
Regarding CM Siddaramaiah’s instruction to state police to ensure ‘no saffronisation’ and ‘no moral policing,’ former CM Bommai said, “They have spoken about a few things. They said carbonization will not be allowed. They should have spoken about SDPI and PFI. They should have asked to take action against these outfits as well then the public would have appreciated it. This is polarization politics.” He further said that the Rule of Law should prevail and the government must work against anti-social forces.
“Must protect the good citizens. Your work should be unbiased. Must not fall for political pressure. We have never protected those who are done wrong during our regime”, Bommai said.
Bommai said that the CM spoke in a way that casts doubt on the police department being unbiased and added that it was not right.
“Police departments have been unbiased. He has spoken in a way that casts doubts on them. Governments will come and go. They have to fill the police department with strength. They have unnecessarily spoken in a way that casts doubts on the department. Not right”, he said.
