New Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday accused Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of receiving salaries from private entities, specifically ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential, during her tenure.

At a press conference, Khera raised concerns over potential irregularities, claiming that Buch continued to draw income from these institutions while serving in her official capacity. He further alleged that several investigations involving ICICI Bank were resolved during this period, implying a conflict of interest.

Khera urged the SEBI Chairperson to clarify her position, accusing her of relaxing norms for ICICI Bank. He also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, highlighting their roles in the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, responsible for appointing SEBI's Chairperson. "Between 2017 and 2014, Madhabi Buch received regular income amounting to Rs 16 crore 80 lakhs from ICICI Bank while serving as a full-time SEBI member," Khera claimed, questioning the appropriateness of such payments.

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Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.

Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.

He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.

Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.

He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.

Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.

He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.