BENGALURU: Former MP VS Ugrappa of the Congress on Monday criticised his own party’s government over the alleged diversion of funds meant for the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and warned of an agitation if the money was misused.
Speaking at the Valmiki Jayanti celebration and award presentation ceremony at the Vidhana Soudha Banquet Hall, Ugrappa said funds meant for the community had been diverted to other states and called for accountability. “If the funds are misused, we must launch a struggle. We will fight against the government if money meant for the community is diverted,” he warned.
He questioned the progress made in distributing land to members of the Valmiki community over the past three years and urged the government to name the Bidar-Bengaluru National Highway after Maharshi Valmiki. He also called for the Valmiki awards to be conferred on deserving individuals who had made significant contributions to society.
On reservation, Ugrappa urged the State Government to lead an all-party delegation comprising MPs, MLAs and MLCs from SC, ST and other backward communities to meet PM Narendra Modi. He also called for an urgent appeal before the Supreme Court against the legal setback to Karnataka’s enhanced reservation and sought the inclusion of reservation laws in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to protect them from legal challenges.
Ugrappa said, “Reservation is not alms. It is a measure of social justice. The government must immediately lead an all-party delegation to the Centre and exert pressure on the PM.”
GOWDA, MLC PAY TRIBUTES TO VALMIKI
Former prime minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda and MLC T A Sharavana offered floral tributes to Maharshi Valmiki on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanthi at JP Bhavan on Monday. “The great epic Ramayana composed by Maharshi Valmiki is a symbol of Indian culture, tradition and life values.
The thoughts of Maharshi Valmiki, who propagated noble values such as truth, dharma, justice, sacrifice, dutifulness and humanity to the world, are still relevant today,” Sharavana said. He said the life and ideals of Valmiki inspire equality, co-existence and harmony in society and that everyone should join hands to build a better society by imbibing his messages. Former Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker J K Krishna Reddy, former MLA Venkata Rao Nadagouda and Bengaluru City Central Division President R Prakash and others took part.
KARNATAKA TO MOVE SC AGAINST HC RULING: DCM
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Monday said that the State Government would file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court of Karnataka judgment striking down the enhanced reservation for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes. Speaking at the Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti and Valmiki Award ceremony at Vidhana Soudha, he said the Cabinet had decided to challenge the verdict.
The government would also consult legal experts on including the enhanced reservation in the Constitution’s Ninth Schedule to provide long-term protection, he said. Expressing surprise over the reduction of total reservation from 56% to 50%, Dr Parameshwara said the enhancement was made in proportion to the SC/ST population in Karnataka. “We will not allow the reservation granted by Babasaheb Ambedkar through the Constitution to be taken away. There will be no compromise on protecting the constitutional rights of SCs and STs,” he said.