Members of JD(U) on Monday protested in Bangalore, against the atrocities on Dalits on different parts of the country.

The party demanded strict action against Hindutva forces, for using violence against the community.

Dr. Nadgowda, President JD(U), Syed Mahboob, Minority President, RA Janab, Bangalore city President, Ashwath Narayan, Sundarappa, and more than 200 people participated in the protest.

New Delhi: Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) held a massive protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar here terming the incident of thrashing of Dalits by the cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow in Una of Gujarat. The aftermath of this inhumanly act wherein the Dalits were stripped, flogged, bound and paraded on accusations that they had killed a cow for skinning has triggered protests all over India.

While addressing the gathering in the dharna held in the national capital, party General Secretary Elyas Muhammad Thumbe said, it is the Modi-led forces of aggressive Brahminism who should introspect with regards to the ongoing violent agitations by Dalits in Gujarat and other parts of India as it is not the question where it went wrong, but where did it go right. The discriminatory ideological oppression over Dalits which is being witnessed on Indian soil for ages must end so as to guarantee peace in the nation.

Elyas said it is time to draw the line and stand up against this divisive government at the Centre and States. The truth cannot be forgotten that Dalit, tribal and Muslim communities are exposed to grave security risk always and everywhere. Government, instead of appealing for peace to the victims of attack should chain and punish the cow vigilantes for the barbarism they commit. Cow protection cannot be a cover for the pursuit of the kind of aggressive vigilantism that is seen in different parts of the country.

In his address SDPI Delhi Pradesh President Adv. Aslam said it is now becoming RSS & BJP vs. Dalit, SC/ST, Patidars, Backward Classes, Minorities and Moderates. Gujarat is a failure in the sense that it has failed in its duty to take care of the minorities, Dalits, Adivasis and the people below the poverty line.

The dharna was participated by rights activists representing several socio-political organizations including Reetha Abraham of CRI, Manoj Kumar of INSAF, Dr. Rahul of BAMCEF, SDPI National Secretary M Rafiq Jabbar Mulla, Delhi VP Irfan Ahmed, I.A Khan, Naved Azim, Dr Nawab, Vakeel Johree, Muslehuddin, Raees Ahmed, Ghulam Ali, Mohammed Aamir, Mohammed Uzair, Danish apart from hundreds of Party cadres and members belonging to different communities.

Bengaluru: Normal life was affected today across Karnataka, including the IT capital here, with over one lakh employees of four state road transport corporations commencing an indefinite strike, seeking wage hike.

As the employees struck work since last midnight, office- goers waiting at bus stops was a common sight across the city, while thousands who had come down to Bengaluru from different parts of the state were seen stranded at Kempegowda bus stand, the city’s main bus terminal.

Commuters had started facing trouble since yesterday evening with drivers and conductors not turning up for work.

Similar reports have emerged from different parts of the state. Authorities in several districts have declared a holiday in schools and colleges.

More than one lakh employees of state transport corporations have gone on strike with about 41 demands, including a 35 per cent wage hike, while state government has offered 10 per cent increase.

Several rounds of reconciliatory meetings held between the management of state transport corporations and the unions, even at the level of Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, had failed with both sides sticking to their stand.

“We are still open for discussion with the unions. They have to come for discussion with an open mind. They will also have to understand the financial situation and reconsider their demand of 35 per cent wage hike. We are ready for discussion at the chief ministerial level,” Reddy had said.|

KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation General Secretary and All India Trade Union Congress leader H V Anantha Subbarao said, “The unions are ready for a meeting with Chief Minister. Let him call a meeting. We feel sorry that public are suffering, but our concerns should also be addressed.”

Meanwhile, stone pelting on buses was reported from different parts of the state like Hassan, Bengaluru, Ramanagara, Belagavi, Shivamogga, Koppal and Chikkamagaluru.

Transport officials said alternative arrangements are being made by giving temporary contract carriage to private operators during the strike.

In the wake of the strike, public were depending on private and own vehicles for commuting even as several commuters complained that private transporters were overcharging.

Transport officials said they have begun crackdown of private transporters who are overcharging.

(PTI)

Hassan: A Karnataka Administrative Service officer in Hassan today allegedly tried to commit suicide even as the controversy over alleged suicide of two DySPs that put the Siddaramaiah government in a spot is yet to die down.

Assistant Commissioner E Vijaya allegedly attempted suicide by hanging at her residence here, officials said. They said Vijaya had reportedly sent a message to an Additional SP, who is her neighbour, about committing suicide, and she soon rushed to her house and rescued the officer.

Vijaya is now undergoing treatment at a Hospital. Her mother Sumitramma alleged that pressure from higher officials and protest by few groups had led her to attempt suicide.

Vijaya was recently transferred as Administrative Officer of Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, against which she had moved the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal which stayed the order.

Several organisations had protested against her alleging that she was “corrupt” and had also demanded reinstatement of Nagaraj whom she had replaced.

Hassan MLA H S Prakash, who visited the hospital, told a local news channel that “she is still under observation, but doctors have said that she is out of danger.”

Earlier this week, sub-inspector with Vijayanagar police station in Bengaluru Roopa Tambad had allegedly attempted suicide by taking an overdose of over-the-counter pills, after being pulled up by a senior officer in connection with a case she was handling. She is now undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Mangaluru DySP M K Ganapathy was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, triggering a huge political storm as he had named a Minister and two IPS officials in his pre-death declaration.

In another case on July 5, the body of Chikkamagaluru sub-division DySP Kallappa Handibag (35), accused of kidnapping a person for ransom, was found hanging in his father-in-law’s home at Murgod in Belagavi district. His family had alleged harassment and conspiracy by senior officials.

(Agencies)