From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Mysuru, Jan 27: Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah on Friday demanded that the Basavaraj Bommai’s BJP government must immediately stop the atrocities against students, Dalits, nomadic tribes and women.
Siddaramaiah said newspaper reports from different parts of the State bring out the details of different kinds of atrocities against women, Dalits and nomadic tribes such as Hakkipikkis, Handijogis, Sudugadu Siddas, Channdadasas, Budvajangamas, Dombas, Killekyataru, Koracha and Koramas.
The Bommai government has withdrawn the allocation of Rs 550 crore for construction of houses during the last two years by citing flimsy excuses of lack of documents. It is the government’s responsibility to provide shelter to the houseless people, especially the helpless nomadic tribes, and instead to doing its job, the government is withdrawing the budgeted funds. This clearly indicates that the Bommai government is busy in corruption but is least bothered about helping the poor, the Congress leader said.
He said thousands of anganawadi women workers are sleeping on the roads in Bengaluru as part of their protest demanding better facilities. But the government has been treating to the anganawadi women workers inhumanly and subjecting them to atrocities and violence by even removing their clothes, thalis and bangles. This is an insult, he said.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah participated in the Kannada Janapada Parishat and honoured the achievers in the folklore in Mysuru. He also unveiled the statue of Krantiveer Sangolli Rayanna at Hinkal in Mysuru.
The former Congress chief minister said the inhuman eviction of all students, who protested against poor food arrangements in front of the deputy commissioner’s residence in Ballari in the night, from their hostel overnight.
“If the Ballari deputy commissioner at least had some humanity, he should have responded to the problems of the students immediately and instead, has ordered their eviction from the hostel overnight. This is totally inhuman,” he said and asked whether the deputy commissioner considers himself as a monarch of some kingdom.
Siddaramaiah said the Ballari district in-charge minister B Sriramulu should have taken immediate action and placed the deputy commissioner under suspension for treating the students inhumanly. “Instead, the minister abused the students when they went to narrate their plight and lodge a complaint. “The minister has the audacity to tell the students to go and apologise before the IAS officer for their protest near his residence in the night.”
"If Sriramulu cannot ensure proper and quality food to the hostel students, how can he be expected to protect the interests of the poor and downtrodden and students," he asked.
Siddaramaiah also said the scholarships of the SC, ST, Backward Class and Minority students and other allowances have not been paid properly in Ballari and Vijayanagara districts and this matter has been brought to the notice of the lower rank officials to the attention of government. Students of Hampi University are also protesting. The Bommai government has totally failed in discharging its duties and protecting the interests and welfare of the poorer sections of society, he said.
The Congress leader demanded that the minister concerned must be sacked for withdrawing the grants for construction of houses to the poor and also solve the problems of the anganawadi workers sympathetically. The Ballari deputy commissioner and the officers of the social welfare department responsible for the maintenance of the hostel must be suspended, he said.
Siddaramaiah urged the government to take immediate steps to set right the supply of food to the students in the hostels in Ballari and ensure that the students are taken back in the hostel.