‘Peak of dictatorship’: 36 cases, 6 arrests over 'Modi-Hatao, Desh Bachao' posters in Delhi

Bengaluru, May 25: Senior Congress leader and minister G Parameshwara, who is awaiting portfolio allocation, today said that the party is currently focusing on forming a full-fledged government and not on banning organisations such as the RSS or Bajrang Dal. 

The statement of Parameshwara, who was once home minister of Karnataka, came a day after his Cabinet colleague Priyank Kharge said the Congress government would act against peace-disrupting communal and political outfits including the RSS. 

Kharge also said laws passed under the previous BJP regime prohibiting cow slaughter and regulating religious conversions would be “re-examined” and “withdrawn”. Even changes made to school textbooks would be undone, he had said. 

But, Parameshwara pointed out that the Congress government is yet to take full shape. 

“The government should become complete first and portfolios must be allocated. The government should reach a stage where absolute decisions can be taken. Let a full-fledged government come first. Ministers concerned will study the issues and then the Cabinet will decide,” Parameshwara said. 

Parameshwara also said statements by Kharge were his “personal opinions” and that policy decisions require discussions. “No decision can happen on the basis of statements issued by individuals,” Parameshwara said. 

On Kharge’s specific statement on acting against the RSS, Parameshwara said nothing had been discussed. “In our manifesto, we said organisations like Bajrang Dal and PFI will face action, including a ban if needed, in case they disrupt peace. Except that, nothing has been discussed,” he said. 

Parameshwara said any “anti-social and anti-people” law or rule that “disrupts peace” will be re-examined. “We’ve said that we’ll give a pro-people administration. Whatever is required for that will be done, including withdrawing some laws,” he said. 

With pressure mounting on the new Congress government to implement its five ‘guarantees’, Parameshwara asserted that they will be fulfilled. “Orders have been issued after a decision was taken in the first Cabinet meeting itself. Now, departments will work out procedures such as channelising funds. We’ve asked officials to bring details to the next Cabinet meeting,” he said. 
Slamming the BJP and JD(S) for criticising the Congress government, Parameshwara said the two parties are “jealous” after being defeated in the election. “There's no going back on the guarantees. We will implement them,” he said. 

Mangaluru, May 16: Disheartened over his two consecutive defeats from Bantwal constituency in Karnataka Assembly polls, Congress leader and former minister B Ramanath Rai has announced his retirement from electoral politics.

Speaking to media persons in the city today, Mr Rai, however, clarified that he would continue to remain active in party activities.

“I am a 71-year-old and there was some disagreement in the party over my candidature. The party has given me all the opportunities all these years,” he said. “However, I will abide by the decision of the high command,” he added.

“I was confident of winning the election as the situation was favourable for the Congress. There was a setback somewhere and I will introspect on the reason for the defeat. Compared to the previous election, the victory margin of the BJP has come down to 8,282 votes from 15,971 votes, he said. 

To a query on whether he would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Rai said “As I have decided, I will not contest the elections. The party is supreme for me and I will do whatever the high command wants me to do,” he added.

Lauding the party’s performance in the state, Rai said “BJP did not win a majority in the state all these years. They formed a coalition government with the JD(S) and later with the independent candidates and through ‘Operation Lotus’. The voters did not support the BJP. The BJP will never come to power again. The Congress will win even in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said and urged the party workers to get ready for the zilla panchayat, taluk panchayat and Lok Sabha elections. 

“We accept the defeat in the district but will work hard to gain back the seats as our party is in power in the state,” he said. “The Congress ‘Guarantees’ will be implemented soon after the oath-taking ceremony,” he said.

New Delhi: The government is planning to bring a bill in Parliament to link data related to birth and death with electoral rolls and the overall development process, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday.

Inaugurating the 'Janganana Bhawan', the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mr Shah said the census is a process that may form the basis of the development agenda.

Digital, complete and accurate census figures will have multi-dimensional benefits, he said, adding planning based on the census data ensures development reaches the poorest of the poor.

Mr Shah also said if the birth and death certificate data are preserved in a special way, development works can be planned properly.

"A bill to link death and birth register with electoral rolls will be introduced in parliament. Under this process, when a person turns 18, his or her name will be automatically included in the electoral rolls. Similarly, when a person dies, that information automatically will go to the Election Commission, which will start the process of deleting the name from the voters' list," he said.

Officials said the bill to amend the Registration of Birth and Death Act (RBD), 1969, will also facilitate matters related to the issuance of driving licences and passports and giving benefits of the government welfare schemes to people besides others.

"If the data of birth and death certificate is preserved in a special way, then by estimating the time between the census, planning of development works can be done properly," he said.

Earlier the development process happened in fragments because adequate data for development was not available, he said.

After 70 years of independence planning was adopted to electrify every village, to give a home to everyone, to give tap drinking water to everyone, to give healthcare to everyone, to give toilets to every home, Mr Shah said.

"It took so long because no one had the idea as to how much money will be required to fulfil these basic necessities because the utility of the census was not conceived, the data related to the census were not accurate, the available data was not accessible online and coordination with census and planning authorities were absent," he said.

"I have been involved in the development process for the last 28 years and have seen that the development in our country has been demand-based. Public representatives who had sway could extract more benefits of development for his or her constituency. This is one of the reasons why our development has been fragmented and more expensive due to duplicacy," he said.

Along with the new Janganana Bhawan, the minister also inaugurated a web portal for registrations of birth and death.

A collection of census reports, an online sale portal of census reports, and an upgraded version of the SRS mobile app equipped with a geofencing facility were also unveiled.

Mr Shah said the mobile app equipped with geo-fencing will ensure that the authorities know that the enumerators record data by going to the blocks assigned to him or her and no one can make fake entries without visiting the blocks.

This will ensure that the data recorded are accurate, he said.

"Census is a process that outlines a nation's development process. So it is very much necessary to make it fool proof and flawless by using technologies like upgraded version of the SRS mobile app equipped with a geo-fencing facility," he said.

He said enumeration in the next census will be carried out in an electronic format where self-enumeration will also be allowed.