Rahul Gandhi's presser tutored: BJP
Bengaluru, May 10: "Tutored and failed" is how the BJP on Thursday described the press conference addressed here by Congress President Rahul Gandhi and accused him of not answering the issues concerning the state's people.
"A desperate last-minute press conference that gave us nothing new about how and what they (Congress) will do for the people of Karnataka. A failed press conference that did not give us any clue or any answer to the number of questions raised by the state's people on the Siddaramaiah government's utterly dismal performance," Union Minister Piyush Goyal told a press conference here.
"It almost looks like a tutored press conference because many media persons were not even allowed to ask questions. Whenever a question was put... an effort was made to paraphrase it. This was a press conference more focussed on China and Pakistan, without responding to the local issues about which the corrupt Siddaramaiah government has no answer to offer," the Minister added.
"The Congress, its President, and the failed and corrupt Siddaramaiah government has no answer other than deflecting questions," he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party attack came soon after Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference here on the last day of campaigning for the May 12 Assembly polls.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP had restricted itself to mounting "personal attacks" on him and his party's leaders during campaigning and lacked seriousness about what they wished to do for public welfare if they returned to power in the state.
Goyal accused the Congress chief of not giving specific responses to issues that affect the people of Karnataka.
"He did not speak about corruption of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government and his Ministers. He was not able to tell who is responsible for the highest numbers of farmer suicides in Karnataka. When he is talking of 'inamdar', he did not respond to where the Hublot watch came from and why it was given to the Chief Minister," he said.
The Minister, a BJP leader, said that Rahul Gandhi also did not talk of the communal divide the Congress is trying to create by seeking votes in the name of religion.
The Minister said that the Congress leader's response to a query reminded him of his other "epic interactions" that ranged from connecting MRIs across the country to solve health sector problems and even his remarks that the Dalits "need the escape velocity of Jupiter" to achieve success.
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Fresh snowfall in higher reaches of Kashmir
Srinagar (PTI): Few areas in the higher reaches of Kashmir, including the Gulmarg tourist resort, received fresh snowfall, while the plains were lashed by rains on Sunday, officials said.
The upper reaches of Gulmarg, including Apharwat and Kongdoori bowls, received snowfall, which continued till last reports came in.Pir Ki Gali, along the Mughal Road in Shopian district of south Kashmir, and Sonamarg Zojilla axis also received fresh snowfall.
The snowfall on the Zojilla Pass forced the closure of the Srinagar-Leh national highway, the officials added.
The plains of the valley, including Srinagar, were lashed by rains which were going on till last reports, the officials said.
The wet weather has brought down the day temperature across the valley.
The Meteorological Department has forecast erratic weather till March 20.
It said intermittent light to moderate rain, or snow in the higher reaches was likely till Monday morning.
There is a possibility of a brief spell of light rain or snow, in the higher reaches, at isolated places on Tuesday.
From March 18-20, the weather will remain generally cloudy with a possibility of intermittent light to moderate rain or snow at many places.
The MeT Office said another wet spells is likely on March 24-25, with light rain, or snow in the higher reaches, at scattered places.
It said there is a possibility of thunder or gusty winds, about 40-50 kmph, at a few places on Sunday and Monday.
