No Hindu or Muslim is allowed to take the law into their hands, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told News18 during an exclusive interview when asked about the three recent cases of moral policing and mob violence reported in the southern state. Siddaramaiah appeared for the interview along with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
“No Hindu or Muslim should take the law into their hands. We are very strict when it comes to moral policing; we will not allow such things,” the CM said, vowing zero tolerance on such incidents.
On January 6, a mob of 17 people assaulted two cousins belonging to different faiths in Belagavi. On January 8, a group of men attacked an interfaith couple after barging into a lodge they were staying at in Haver district. On January 10, a group of men attacked boys from another community for allegedly giving chocolates to college students at a bus stand in Mudigere town.
Hitting back at the BJP’s campaign that portrays him as sleeping on the job, Siddaramaiah counted the schemes implemented by his government and asked: “How can a sleeping government implement these schemes.”
Deputy CM Shivakumar, too, hit back at the BJP campaign, saying: “We will complete five years. We don’t encourage any moral policing. We are committed to the law and order of the state.”
Talking about the Congress’s fifth poll promise Yuva Nidhi, which has received more than 70,000 applicants and was launched with much fanfare in Shivamogga by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, the CM reiterated the party’s commitment to socio-economic welfare of the people of Karnataka.
Asked to what extent these guarantees and promises are expected to held the grand old party in Lok Sabha elections, Siddaramaiah said the Congress is not launching schemes for votes or to “appease” people.
“We are not depending on guarantees for the Lok Sabha polls. These guarantees are for the people of the state. We are committed to the socio-economic empowerment of the people. That is what the guarantees are for,” he said.
The CM also appealed to the unemployed people who will be beneficiaries of the Yuva Nidhi scheme to not misuse it.
DK Shivakumar, meanwhile, compared the five guarantees of the Congress to the five fingers of the hand. “These five guarantees make a fist, and that makes us strong. Today, as the party president, I can say we have delivered every promise that we made. I also advise the youth not to be employees; they should strive to become employers in the future,” he told News18.
Shivakuamar, too, said the Congress does not plan to indulge in vote bank politics and is not targeting voters via its schemes. “These schemes are for a stronger, brighter, and successful Karnataka; not vote bank politics.”
The Freedom Park in Shivamogga saw over 1 lakh young men and women attending the official launch of the Yuva Nidhi programme. Dancing to popular Kannada songs at the event, some of the attendees said they hoped to benefit from the monetary support extended by the government.
“We are thrilled. We hope that the money allocation comes to us soon. We will be able to support our families as well,” said Shekhar who graduated this year and is looking for a job in the engineering sector.
The scheme provides financial assistance to unemployed graduates and diploma-holders for a period of two years. Applicants can apply for the scheme through the state’s government’s Skill Connect portal based on their eligibility.
“We also hope to get employment, and if this comes, we’ll certainly feel empowered and happy that the government is concerned about us,” said Ashwini P who is among the 70,000 applicants of the scheme.
With an allocation of Rs 250 crore for the remaining term, Siddaramaiah has also estimated the cost from the next fiscal year to stand at Rs 1,200 crore.
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