Ahead of opposition meet, Kumaraswamy cancels Delhi visit
Bengaluru, May 21: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has cancelled his scheduled visit to Delhi Tuesday, where he was expected to take part in a meeting of opposition leaders over the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), official sources said.
"The proposed visit of the chief minister to New Delhi today stands cancelled," the CMO said, without specifying any reasons.
According to the schedule of the chief minister shared with the media earlier, Kumaraswamy was to leave for Delhi by a special flight at 11 am and take part in meetings there, before heading back to the city in the evening.
According to JD(S) sources, the chief minister was to take part in the meeting of opposition leaders over the EVM issue.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23, leaders of various opposition parties would meet the Election Commission (EC) and raise the issue of tallying paper trail of votes (VVPATs) with EVM figures.
Opposition parties are demanding tallying of VVPAT slips with EVM figures in an entire Assembly constituency in case a discrepancy is found in any polling booth.
The court has asked the EC to tally the VVPAT slips with EVM figures of five polling stations in each Assembly constituency across the country, which may delay the results.
Kumaraswamy had on Monday voiced concern over the vulnerability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Hitting out at exit polls, the chief minister in a series of tweets had alleged that this "artificially engineered" or "manufactured" Modi wave is being used by the BJP to lure regional parties well in advance to fill any shortfall after the results on May 23.
Most exit polls on Sunday had forecast another term for Modi, with some of them projecting that the BJP-led NDA would get more than 300 seats to comfortably cross the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha.
The BJP would win big in Karnataka, the pollsters have predicted with the saffron party increasing its tally compared last time.
Majority of the exit polls have predicted the BJP winning over 21 out of total 28 seats, compared to 17 last time.
Speculation is rife in political circles that any adverse results for Congress-JD(S) alliance in this polls, would have its implications on the longevity of the Kumaraswamy-led government in Karnataka.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
