Bangalore: Congress govt dividing school children on caste, communal lines: BJP
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Nov 14: Opposition BJP has accused the ruling Congress government of dividing school-children on caste and communal lines by selectively organizing study tours for high school students belonging to backward classes and minority communities studying in Government high schools.
The State Government’s latest order issued on November 6 directing district authorities to organise the study tour under the programme, 'Karnataka Darshan.’ for students belonging to OBCs and minority communities was nothing but an attempt to win over the parents of the students ahead of the coming lok sabha polls.
About 9,000 students, 300 from each district, are proposed to be selected for the study tour, which would cost Rs 3.15 crore to the State exchequer.
Former Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister and BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar alleged that the Siddaramaiah government sowing seeds of caste and communalism among schoolchildren by identifying children on the basis of caste and community for study tours.
Addressing a news conference, the former minister wondered on what grounds the students from other castes and communities have been left out.
The BJP leader demanded immediate withdrawal of the order, which he termed “anti-social and highly objectionable.”
The order issued by the Tourism Department headed by Minister for Tourism R V Deshpande was against the spirit of equality and principles of the Constitution.
The ruling Congress party, which preaches secularism, should select students from all communities and castes for the tour if it really wanted to encourage students to go on study tours.
Money Raised From Modi Rally for Sardar Statue
Meanwhile, State BJP General Secretary and party spokesperson C T Ravi, said the money collected from the coming Sunday’s mammoth rally to be addressed by the party’s prime minister candidate Narendra Modi at Rs 10 per head would be donated for the construction of the ''statue of unity” to honour the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbai Patel in Gujarat.
Ravi, who was also a former minister, said the party has decided to donate the collected amount for the construction of the Sardar Vallabhbai Patel statue in Gujarat, estimated to cost more than Rs 2500 crore.
He said lakhs of people were expected to attend the rally on Sunday at the Palace Grounds in the City.
Ravi asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop Minister of State for Information and Infrastructure Santosh Lad from the Council of Ministers to ensure smooth functioning of the Legislative Assembly proceedings in the Belgaum Session to be commenced from November 25.
He said the BJP wants the Belgaum session to discuss issues pertaining to north-Karnataka and it was dependent on the Chief Minister whether the proceedings to be a smooth affair or stormy.
The Chief Minister should drop Lad failing which the BJP would raise the issue in the Belgaum session, he said.
He alleged that development has come to a standstill in the State and no minister was coming to the Vidhana Soudha. Besides collapse of the law and order, the crime rate has increased in the state, he said.