Green activist Claude Alvares arrested for symbolic protest, released
Panaji, July 2: Green activist Claude Alvares, whose petition in the Supreme Court led to the shutdown of the mining industry in Goa earlier this year, was on Monday arrested along with an associate, for symbolically locking the offices of the state Mines and Geology Department here.
Alvares and his associate Rahul Basu, both of green NGO Goa Foundation, were technically arrested and released on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each by officials of the Panaji police station.
"We symbolically locked the office of Mines and Geology Department and police symbolically arrested me," Alvares told reporters here after he was released.
Alvares also said that the "technical" arrest was in sync with the order of the Panaji District and Sessions Court, which had granted the duo anticipatory bail last week.
On May 12 this year, Alvares, who co-heads NGO Goa Foundation, had symbolically locked the office premise of the Goa Mines and Geology department in Panaji, accusing department officials of turning a blind eye to alleged theft of iron ore by mining companies, despite directions of the Supreme Court, which scrapped 88 mining leases in February this year.
The keys were later handed over to police officials at the Goa Police Headquarters, located nearby.
Following a petition by Alvares, ore extraction in all 88 operational mines in Goa was stopped by the apex court, bringing the multi-billion industry to a grinding halt from March this year.
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Siddaramaiah will resign as CM before Belagavi assembly session, claims K'taka BJP chief Vijayendra
Bengaluru, Nov 15: Karnataka state BJP president B Y Vijayendra has claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will "resign" before the Belagavi assembly session, which is likely in December.
He also alleged that horse-trading was taking place within the Congress.
“We have the information that some Congress top guns in the state are moving around with money bags purchasing the MLAs to unseat him. When we have the information then naturally the Chief Minister is also aware of it,” Vijayendra told reporters here.
"Since the CM and his family members are facing corruption cases, he is unable to level allegations against his own party leaders. Hence he has claimed that the BJP was trying to lure 50 Congress MLAs by offering Rs 50 crore each, to topple his government," the Shikaripura MLA claimed.
Vijayendra claimed that Siddaramaiah may resign soon after the Maharashtra election results.
Asked whether the state would have a new CM during the Belagavi assembly session, the BJP state chief said, “I don’t think we may not have to wait till that time. He will resign before that.”
“Now it is very clear that Siddaramaiah is about to resign his position. There is no doubt about it. Now the point is when he would resign and who would succeed him.”
Accusing the Congress leaders of indulging in "horse trading", Vijayendra said with 66 seats in the 224-member Karnataka assembly, the BJP is not in a position to do it.
“If there is anyone you should be afraid of is not the BJP, but those ministers around you.”
CM Siddaramaiah on Wednesday had claimed that the BJP offered Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs to topple his government but no one agreed for it.
