Kharge accuses PM Modi of terrorising political parties, people by misusing govt machinery
Chennai (PTI): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of "terrorising" political parties and people by misusing government machinery and central agencies to stifle the opposition.
Addressing a press conference in Chennai alongside AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, Kharge initially referred to the Prime Minister as a "terrorist" while criticising the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP.
However, when pressed by reporters to clarify the context of the remark, the Congress chief stated he meant the Prime Minister was "terrorising" the democratic fabric of the country.
"He is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist (in the literal sense). Terrorising this... he is misusing his power and government machinery and abusing, malingering opposition parties," Kharge said.
The Congress chief alleged that the Election Commission has become an "extension of the BJP office" and accused the Prime Minister of violating the Model Code of Conduct in the final stages of the election campaign. He further claimed that central agencies like the CBI, ED, and Income Tax department were being deployed as tools of intimidation against political workers.
Kharge also hit out at the Centre over the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought to facilitate women's reservation by expanding the Lok Sabha and linking delimitation with it. He accused the Prime Minister of misleading the public by claiming the opposition defeated the Women's Reservation Bill, noting that it was passed in 2023 with unanimous support.
"If he truly intends to implement it, he can provide 33 per cent reservation to women within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats. Why is he not giving it?" Kharge argued.
He warned that the government’s plan for delimitation would "punish" progressive states, particularly in South India, for their success in population control. "They intended to deny the democratic rights of South Indian states, North Eastern states, and progressive states. Modi and Shah want to punish these states for their progress," he said.
Reaffirming the strength of the DMK-Congress alliance, both Kharge and Venugopal dismissed reports of a rift between Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, describing them as "like brothers."
Kharge reiterated the alliance's "key commitments" for the state, including Rs 2,000 monthly assistance for women and senior citizens, Rs 2,500 monthly for families for food security, and a promise to fill all government vacancies within 300 days.
He also criticised the Election Commission, alleging it was acting "like an extension of the BJP office" by failing to take note of what he termed the Prime Minister’s "violation of the model code of conduct”.
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Karnataka tanks hold strong water storage: Minister Boseraju
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister N S Boseraju on Tuesday said that minor irrigation tanks across the state are holding good water storage levels, with the 3,788 tanks under the department’s jurisdiction providing life-sustaining water to a large agricultural command area of approximately 4,45,009 hectares.
In a statement, the Minister for Minor Irrigation, Boseraju, said that according to the latest data released by the department, a vast majority of the 3,788 minor irrigation tanks in the state have maintained good water levels.
Detailing the storage status, the report said that even in peak summer, 165 tanks are full.
Additionally, 1,355 tanks have retained more than 51 per cent capacity, 1,143 tanks have water levels up to 50 per cent, and 959 tanks are at roughly 30 per cent storage capacity.
District-wise, Davanagere leads the state in water storage, with 27 tanks remaining full even during summer. Chikkamagaluru follows closely with 46 full tanks, indicating strong water retention.
Other top-performing districts include Hassan, Tumakuru, and Kolar.
Boseraju, who also holds the portfolio of Science and Technology, said 1,184 tanks are being actively filled through 145 tank-filling lift irrigation projects under the Minor Irrigation Department.
He attributed the strong water retention to good monsoon rainfall and effective water management strategies of the government.
“It is encouraging to see such a substantial volume of water stored across our minor irrigation tanks by the end of March, remaining largely intact even as summer progresses. The fact that 1,355 tanks are nearly full and 165 tanks are brimming is a testament to the success of our tank-filling programmes and rejuvenation initiatives,” he said.
“By ensuring a continuous flow of water to these tanks through lift irrigation projects across departments, as well as supplying treated and surface water to the Bayaluseeme districts, we have taken proactive measures to prevent them from drying out during the summer,” the minister said.
According to him, these data points confirm that efforts to build a water-secure Karnataka are yielding strong results at the grassroots level.
“This water wealth preserved in our tanks will bring direct benefits to lakhs of farmers across the 4,45,009-hectare command area,” he added.
