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BELAGAVI: After keeping quiet over the last few days on the assault by a group of Marathi-speaking people on a NWKRTC bus conductor for not speaking in Marathi, Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on Monday condemned the attack. Incidentally, the assault took place at Balekundri which falls in Hebbalkar’s Belagavi Rural Assembly constituency.
“The assault on a North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) conductor in Belagavi is highly condemnable. Those responsible for attacking a government employee must be punished,’’ she said.
The minister, who is resting at her residence after she met with an accident last month, said on Monday that immediately after the incident, she contacted police officials and instructed them to arrest the accused. She stressed that linguistic harmony is growing in Belagavi, fostering love for the state. But it is deplorable that certain anti-social elements are using language as a pretext for hooliganism, she added.
“We all speak about Independence. First and foremost, we are Indians, and then Kannadigas. We celebrated Karnataka’s golden jubilee with grandeur. Some miscreants are trying to exploit the situation for political gain, which I condemn,” she said.
She said the incident occurred in her constituency, where linguistic disputes have been eradicated. “During festivals, while we have holidays, transport, health, and police department employees work. Attacking such individuals is unacceptable. Strict action will be taken against the culprits,” she asserted.
On the POCSO case filed against the conductor, she said the truth will emerge after the investigation. “Some mistakes have been made by lower-level officials. I have already spoken to the home minister and DIG, urging them to conduct a proper inquiry and take action against those responsible,” she said.
The opposition is spreading false news about guarantee schemes. Within the next eight days, funds will be credited into the accounts of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries, she clarified.
‘Travel only if docs permit’
“I will undergo another CT scan tomorrow. If doctors permit, I will travel to Bengaluru. I will participate in the budget session starting March 3,” said Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy visited her at her residence in Kuvempunagar to inquire about her health. “I could not come to Belagavi earlier, so I visited to check on her health. She still needs rest,” he said.