BENGALURU, 20 AUG

Paying tributes to former State chief minister D Devaraj Urs and former prime minister Raji Gandhi on their birth anniversaries, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the current Congress government’s internal reservation Bill was a tribute to Karnataka’s longest serving CM. 

Speaking at the KPCC office, he said, “It is 25 years since the Justice Sadashiv Commission was formed. Our government has given a shape to the internal reservation after detailed deliberations. The left and the right of the Scheduled castes have agreed to the arrangement. We have given justice to everyone.”

“Congress is a party which has been working towards social justice from the days of Devaraj Urs,” he said.

Shivakumar said Urs nurtured young leaders. 

“He gave tickets to TB Jayachandra and H Vishwanath and he made Mallikarjun Kharge a minister,” he recalled.

Shivakumar also praised the land reforms passed under Urs. 

“We still talk about (it) decades after it was done. It was the contribution of Indira Gandhi and Devaraj Urs. Lakhs of people got their livelihood due to this.” 

LEGAL BANKS IN EVERY CONSTITUENCY 

Shivakumar said that the State would set up legal banks in every constituency of the State in the next six months. 

“During a recent workshop on the Constitution in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi called for setting up legal banks in each constituency to protect voters’ rights. I have given instructions to the head of our legal cell regarding this,” he informed.