Nawaz in jail: Congress, BJP trade tweet taunts
New Delhi, July 14 : The Congress on Saturday threw a taunting tweet at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his comments on the arrest of "dear friend" former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter on corruption charges. The BJP responded with a jibe that all Congress leaders out on bail will be in jail soon.
"Nawaz Sharif has been arrested on corruption charges. We'd like to know what his dear friend, PM Modi has to say about this," the Congress said in a tweet.
The BJP returned the taunt in an apparent reference to many of its leaders out on bail, including MP Shashi Tharoor who was recently given an anticipatory bail in the Sunanda Pushkar suicide case.
"The people of this country are saying this to our Prime Minister: All the politicians who are roaming around India on bail will one day have to go to jail," the BJP tweeted.
Modi at a recently rally had compared the Congress with a "bail gaadi", or bullock cart in Hindi. "Some people are calling Congress ‘bail gaadi,' not bullock cart, because some of its top leaders and former ministers are out on bail," Modi said at an election rally in Rajasthan.
The Congress has repeatedly targeted Modi over his unscheduled visit to Pakistan to wish Sharif personally and attend the marriage ceremony of his grand-daughter on December 25, 2015.
However, it was followed by the terror attack on the airbase in Pathankot on January 1, 2016.
Sharif, 68, was arrested late on Friday after he was sentenced in absentia last week to 10 years in prison by an anti-corruption court over the purchase of high-end properties in London, dealing a serious blow to his party's bid days ahead of the July 25 polls.
His daughter Maryam, 44, was also convicted by the accountability court in what has come to be known as the Avenfield Apartments case and sentenced to jail term of seven years.
While Sharif was found guilty of owning assets beyond his known sources of income, Maryam was convicted of aiding and abetting her father in covering up a "conspiracy".
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Human-wildlife conflict: Karnataka minister calls for sterilisation of select species
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre on Wednesday said that rising human-wildlife conflict has created a need to consider sterilising specific species, and that the issue should be publicly debated.
He clarified that no decision has been made so far and that discussions will be held with officials and stakeholders.
"There is an increase in the number of select wildlife. In my opinion, putting some curbs on their numbers is necessary due to increased conflicts, loss of lives, and urbanisation. So there is a proposal to conduct sterilisation surgery or vaccination on select wildlife," Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment said.
Speaking to reporters, he added that no list has been prepared yet and that he plans to hold discussions on the matter with senior officials.
Noting that a related issue is pending before the Supreme Court, the minister said there are plans to submit a proposal after due deliberation.
"We intend to protect wildlife while ensuring that human lives are not lost. No decision has been made yet; it is still under consideration. In areas with a high number of wildlife, we are thinking about controlling it for a year or two. Other states are considering similar measures. There is a need for public debate on this," he added.
Khandre also said the government is seriously considering the voluntary relocation of forest dwellers who wish to move out of the forest. He has asked officials to prepare a list of those willing to relocate.
"Once the list is ready, I will discuss the required funding with the chief minister (Siddaramaiah), who also serves as Finance Minister, and the government will make a decision. Relocating forest dwellers will expand wildlife habitats and integrate those living without basic facilities into mainstream society," he said.
Expressing grief over the death of a coffee grower in Kodagu district due to a wild elephant attack on Wednesday, the minister said the government and the department are making every effort to prevent human-elephant conflict and assured that the government stands with the bereaved family in this difficult time.
"The government had planned to build a sanctuary to address the problem of elephants. There are some difficulties in obtaining permission from the central government. Once this is resolved, action will be taken to establish the sanctuary," he added.
