I have contributed to construction of Ram Temple, will visit someday: K'taka Cong Minister Hebbalkar
Udupi: Karnataka Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar emphasized that the upcoming consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 is not associated with any political party but belongs to the entire population of India, totaling 140 crore people.
During her visit to Udupi town for the Paryaya celebrations at the Shri Krishna Mutt, Hebbalkar, who is also the Udupi District In-charge Minister, spoke to reporters on Wednesday. She stated, "I personally have a deep devotion to God and adhere to the principles of my religion. I have contributed to the construction of the temple in Ayodhya and plan to visit the new Ram Temple someday. The temple is the heritage of Indian citizens and does not belong to any single party or organization."
However, Hebbalkar declined to comment on the decision of Congress leaders to skip the consecration ceremony. When asked about BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde's recent derogatory remarks about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Hebbalkar condemned the use of such language for political gain, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
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Regarding Congress member Yathindra Siddaramaiah's statement about Siddaramaiah retaining the CM post for five years if the party secures a higher number of seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Hebbalkar expressed ignorance about Yathindra's intentions and deferred to the Party High Command for further clarification.
Responding to a reporter's question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's road shows for election campaigns, Hebbalkar mentioned that road shows are a regular and normal feature in politics, and the Congress also conducts such events. She criticized Karnataka's Parliamentarians for not addressing the state's issues of floods, drought, and GST-related problems.
Hebbalkar noted the absence of a tableau from Karnataka in the Republic Day celebrations and suggested that the people of the state have already determined how to respond to this perceived neglect.
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ED raids in case against former Punjab Police DIG Bhullar, linked entities
Chandigarh (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches at multiple locations in Punjab as part of a money laundering probe against former state police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar and entities linked to him, officials said.
They said about 11 premises in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Patiala, Nabha and Jalandhar linked to the accused, his associates and suspected benamidars (the owner in whose name a benami property is held) are being covered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case registered against Bhullar on allegations that he sought illegal gratification through a middleman for settlement of a criminal case, along with detection of assets disproportionate to known sources of income.
The searches aim to trace further proceeds of the alleged crime, identify benami assets and gather evidence related to money laundering, ED officials said.
Bhullar, who was serving as the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police (Ropar Range), was arrested by the CBI in October 2025 after a scrap dealer alleged that bribe was demanded from him through an intermediary to settle a case.
