BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is going from strength to strength, and seems to be cementing his position to continue as CM for the full five years of the Congress government’s term.
In a reflection of his rising stature, on Saturday, he shared the dais with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at the AICC Legal Department’s ‘Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways’ conclave held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. In his speech, he called himself a leader of both Dalits and backward classes, claiming to have protected their interests by ensuring social justice.
He said the Scheduled Caste survey his government conducted by appointing the Justice HN Nagamohan Das commission is to provide internal reservation. He also claimed to have implemented 32% reservation to backward classes, going beyond the Mandal commission report.
“My government has ordered a survey to identify communities that are still socially and educationally backward and provide them with reservation to achieve real equality. We have also commenced a survey of various Scheduled Castes to provide internal reservation proportional to their population. Through these affirmative actions as envisaged in our Constitution, I am sure we are on the right path to achieving social justice, real equality and fraternity,” he said.
“Karnataka is the pioneer in apportioning funds exclusively to the SC/STs, proportionate to their population through the SCP/TSP Act,” he stressed.
On the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar’s Constitution, he said, “Finest prime minister of this nation Jawaharlal Nehru put India on the path of social justice.
Leaders like Indira Gandhi used affirmative action to uplift the backward classes and marginalised sections through reforms, such as the 20-point programme and nationalisation, while Rajiv Gandhi ensured reservation for backward classes at the panchayat level through the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments,” he recalled.
“To those who believe in our Constitution, its objective will be achieved when we have real equality and fraternity as a matter of course, which is nothing but social justice. Equality requires proactive intervention by the state and not just passive nondiscrimination. The guarantee of social justice is a positive duty on all of us to ensure real equality. The commitment of my government and my party is to fulfil the objective of the Constitution and ensure social justice and we remain on that path,” he elaborated.
With Rahul backing Siddaramaiah, the other leaders were found readily greeting him and they included AICC legal department head Abhishek Manu Singhvi, AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rajya Sabha member P Chidambaram among others.