Cauvery Aarati at KRS added Dasara draw; plans to seat 10k
The government wants to create infrastructure that can accommodate 10,000 people to view the Ganga-like Cauvery Aarati, a plan Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar hopes to swing in time for this year's Dasara.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Fresh caste census aimed at diverting attention from stadium stampede deaths: BJP
Bengaluru: BJP, the principal opposition party, has criticised the Congress high command's directive to chief minister Siddaramaiah to commission a re-enumeration of the socio-economic and education survey (or the caste census), calling it "a desperate bid to divert public attention from the stampede during Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL victory celebrations which claimed the lives of 11 people. The diktat comes two days ahead of Thursday's special cabinet meeting which Siddaramaiah had called for "final deliberations" on the contentious report. Interestingly, the decision was taken at a meeting in New Delhi where the CM and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, explained the cause of the stampede and action taken by the govt in the aftermath. Tuesday's diktat has obviously triggered a fresh slugfest, with the opposition seeing the move as a lame excuse to escape political accountability for the stampede. But governing Congress has countered BJP by accusing it of being "anti-social justice". BY Vijayendra, BJP state president, ridiculed the directive. "BJP has all along said the caste census was unscientific and we demanded a fresh survey, but the govt paid no heed to our demand," he said. "Now, Congress has suddenly decided on a fresh survey. Make no mistake, it is a cheap tactic to divert public attention from the stampede and save the govt from political accountability." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pinga-Pinga e HBP? Tome isso 1x ao dia se tem mais de 40 anos Portal Saúde do Homem Clique aqui Undo He said Siddaramaiah, during his previous stint as CM, had commissioned the survey and the govt spent Rs 160 crore on it. Now, much of taxpayers' money "has gone down the drain with the governing party itself realising flaws". But Congress functionaries rubbished BJP's accusations, insisting that the govt will explore the possibility of using data from the existing report and updating it with the latest figures. "It is our leader Rahul Gandhi's vision to ensure social justice by conducting a caste census," said Eshwar Khandre, minister for forest, ecology, and environment. "There were some concerns from some communities about the projected population figures with the data being 10 years old. It is an opportunity for us to update it. The modalities will be discussed at a cabinet meeting, and the CM will decide on scheduling the survey. " A fresh survey, though, will throw up new challenges since more communities, including Brahmins, Kodavas, and several OBC castes, have joined the chorus of dissent. The report is said to have even recommended a higher quantum of reservation for Muslims — from 4% to 8%. "The decision to conduct the survey afresh was taken with the interests of underprivileged classes in mind, and not to divert attention from the stampede," said higher education minister MC Sudhakar, who is also the govt's spokesperson. "BJP is making false allegations." Siddaramaiah had previously made several attempts to get his cabinet to discuss the report. He had asked his ministers to give their opinion at a special cabinet meeting on April 17. But that meeting was inconclusive with ministers seeking more time. Authorities say almost all ministers have now sent their inputs and that there is no dissent over conducting a new survey.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Congress top brass raps state unit for Bengaluru stampede
DCM Shivakumar and CM Siddaramaiah NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: The much-anticipated meeting on Tuesday between the Congress high command, CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar to discuss alleged lapses that led to the stampede outside cricket stadium resulted in putting up a united front with the party leadership backing its govt. However, the main takeaway from the meeting was that a fresh caste enumeration would be taken up in the state. The meeting, attended by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and KC Venugopal, saw the high command accepting the action taken by the govt in the aftermath of the tragedy. "The CM and PCC chief briefed the leadership about the incident and the action taken post incident. Certainly, we are concerned about every human life. Anyway, the govt has constituted a judicial inquiry to look into the entire incident. During the inquiry, the party did not want to involve itself in the nitty-gritty of the issue," said Venugopal after the meeting. It is said the govt may use the opportunity to push for a cabinet reshuffle and a possible expansion. Portfolio reshuffle may happen before Aashada Venugopal, however, added that the party has asked the govt to be more people-friendly in this regard. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo "But generally, the party clearly viewed that there needs to be a pro-people attitude on this issue (from the govt)," said the AICC general secretary. "If things go as planned, the CM may consider a cabinet expansion with the inclusion of one or two ministers and reshuffle the portfolios to suggest political accountability," said one govt officer, hinting it may happen before the onset of inauspicious month of Aashada in mid-June. However, DK Shivakumar dismissed any discussions on a possible cabinet reshuffle. According to Congress insiders, the situation is too volatile for an inclusion process, with at least 8 to 10 serious aspirants waiting for their turn, and any decision to add only 1 or 2 persons would create unrest. "We do believe there may be a portfolio reshuffle with controversy-ridden ministers being asked to change their departments," said a legislator. The top among the portfolios that are likely to see a change, if any, would be the home department and excise department, both of whose ministers have been in the news for the wrong reasons.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Amid din over Bengaluru stampede, Congress orders new Karnataka caste survey
NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Congress decided Tuesday to undertake a fresh caste survey in Karnataka, citing rumblings within the state's dominant communities about the reliability of the 2015 enumeration data, and asking CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar to target a 60- to 80-day timeframe for the exercise. Sources said the immediate incentive for the Congress brass to push the exercise was to deliver something that would potentially take the heat off the Siddaramaiah govt amid an accountability crisis in the aftermath of the June 4 Bengaluru stampede in which 11 cricket fans died. Also read: Congress top brass raps state unit for Bengaluru stampede "The party agrees in principle with the state govt on addressing the concerns of some communities that have reservations about caste data, which is a decade old and outdated. Hence, the party suggested re-enumeration within a stipulated time," AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said. The decision effectively means that the Kantharaj Commission's 2015 report goes into deep freeze, although Venugopal said it would be "discussed" at a cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday. Siddaramaiah said the proposed re-enumeration would mimic the ongoing survey of Scheduled Castes in the state and would likely be completed within three months. Leaked data from the Kantharaj Commission's report suggest Siddaramaiah's core vote bank of Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) has grown exponentially, compared to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. Congress insiders suggested that CM's reluctance, if any, to accept the decision to conduct a fresh caste survey would be balanced by the prospect of the stampede backlash getting "lost in the new noise". Deputy CM Shivakumar said the decision was meant to enable everyone to resubmit information during house-to-house surveys and through online submissions. "Since this process would be an extensive one, we will decide the strategy at the next cabinet meeting. CM will then announce the timeline."
