Udupi: Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi has insisted that the Kumbh Mela was a matter of one’s personal devotion, and belief and not related to one single party.
The minister, who was asked by reporters here on Monday about Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's participation in the religious event, clarified that participation was a personal choice and many Congressmen had travelled to Varanasi in a train from Mangaluru to attend the Kumbh Mela. He added that he too would visit after the rush of devotees subsides as he felt that the place was extremely crowded at present.
Jarkiholi, however, refused to comment on the appeal made by Shivakumar, who is also the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to leaders of the party to not misuse Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's name. He said that the matter would be taken up with members of the Congress as it was an internal issue of the party, adding that, if any concerns arise, they would be resolved within the party itself.
Further, he refused to comment on Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna hitting out at Shivakumar, asking him not to "misuse" the name of the AICC. Jarkiholi added that it was an issue between Shivakumar and Rajanna and he did not wish to intervene between the two senior Congressmen.
Speaking on Siddaramaiah completing his term as CM, the minister told the reporters that the party High Command would take a decision on the matter.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Two people were killed, and another was severely injured after a goods vehicle transporting poultry birds allegedly rammed into a stationary truck on a national highway in Belagavi in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Wasim (28) and Mubarak (22), both natives of Shivamogga district, they said.
The driver of the vehicle, Basavaraj Eerappa Hanchinamani (37), suffered critical injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.
According to police, the accident occurred when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, allegedly due to drowsiness, and crashed into a truck parked along the highway.
The goods vehicle was en route from Kolhapur to Sorab in Shivamogga district, carrying poultry. Several chickens were also killed in the impact, a senior police officer said.
Police personnel from the Hirebagewadi Police Station visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Injured people and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital, police added.
