Hubballi: Leader of the opposition in the legislative council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, on Saturday criticised chief minister Siddaramaiah‘s proposal to bring a new law to curb honour killings, stating that existing laws are sufficient to deal with such crimes.Addressing a press conference here, Narayanaswamy said several legal provisions already exist to punish those involved in honour killings and similar acts. “There is no need for a new law. Strict punishment can be ensured under the present legal framework. The chief minister is trying to escape responsibility by talking about new legislation,” he alleged, adding that the govt must ensure such incidents are not repeated.He further accused the state govt, which has been in power for two-and-a-half years, of failing to protect Dalits and women. Narayanaswamy alleged misuse of funds meant for Dalits and said the govt’s response to incidents of caste-based violence had been delayed.Referring to the Inamveerapur incident, he said the home minister and the social welfare minister visited Hubballi only after pressure was mounted in Bengaluru. “They should have come within 24 hours and taken action against those involved. We cannot tolerate such incidents,” he said.Stating that the caste system was believed to be fading, Narayanaswamy said the incident was a disgrace to humanity. He condemned the killing of Manya, calling it a “demonic act,” and questioned how a father could kill his own pregnant daughter.Condemning the incident, Chitradurga MP Govind Karjol said the affected family had been living in fear, but neither the state govt nor the district administration took precautionary measures to protect them. He termed the state govt as anti-Dalit and said the Vivekananda family continued to face threats. Karjol demanded that the family be shifted to Hubballi immediately and urged the govt to provide a job to the man.Narayanaswamy and Karjol visited the residence of Manya’s husband, Vivekananda Doddamani, to offer condolences. They interacted with the family and provided financial assistance of Rs 50,000. The leaders also visited Vivekananda’s mother, who is undergoing treatment at Vivekananda Hospital in Hubballi, and enquired about her health.
