BJP making fresh bid to topple coalition govt, alleges Dy CM Parameshwar
Bengaluru, Jan 1: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Tuesday accused the BJP of making a fresh bid to topple the JDS-Congress coalition government in the state, asserting that it would not succeed.
As the war of words between the BJP and Congress over the alleged toppling game intensified, Parameshwara claimed that efforts were underway to arrange a meeting of his party's disgruntled MLAs with BJP president Amit Shah.
"BJP is an expert in horse trading. They have already proved it last time. This time also they tried (to unsettle the government) but they failed in their attempt. Again, they are making a fresh bid," the deputy chief minister alleged.
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara charged that there were efforts to woo 'some MLAs' from his party, Congress, but he refused to divulge their names.
"Some MLAs are there and attempts are being made to arrange their meetings with the BJP national president.
"We have information that they are making attempts (to topple the government) but they will not succeed," he said.
"Government is safe and there is no need to panic," he asserted.
Parameshwara's charge comes amid reports that disgruntled Congress MLA, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped from the ministry in the recent reshuffle, has been camping in Delhi.
He has remained incommunicado since he was removed from the ministry.
His brother Satish Jarkiholi, a minister in Kumaraswamy government, Tuesday said he too came to know that Ramesh was in Delhi.
He did not rule out the possibility of some other miffed MLAs being with him.
The BJP on Monday had maintained that it was not trying to dislodge the coalition government in Karnataka while the Congress had claimed it has evidence of 'horse trading' of its MLAs, alleging that they were each 'offered' Rs 25 crore to 30 crore.
State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa had demanded that Congress produce proof to substantiate its claim.
Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah had responded, saying he would produce evidence at the "appropriate time."
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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.
