Cong not putting pressure on Kumaraswamy: H.K Patil
Bengaluru, Jan 10: Downplaying reported comments of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy about working under pressure and alleged interference from coalition partner Congress, the party's state campaign committee chief H.K Patil Thursday said any issue could be discussed with the party leadership and solved.
Reiterating his party's stand that both alliance partners -- the Congress and the JD(S) would face Lok Sabha polls together, the senior Congress leader said they would even go in for joint campaigning wherever necessary.
"I have seen media reports about Kumaraswamy's comments, but want to say that elected members may be putting pressure on the chief minister about development and constituency-related works. He should not feel that we are putting pressure (on him)," Patil said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "If there are any such minor issues, he can discuss them with our leaders and solve them. Those issues can be solved, it is not a big issue."
When it was pointed out that Kumaraswamy had not given any indication about development or constituency-related work pressure from Congress MLAs, Patil said, "There can be no other pressure on the chief minister from our party other than on these matters."
He declined to elaborate further, saying that media reports are not direct statements from the chief minister.
According to reports, Kumaraswamy told party legislators at a recent meeting that he was working under pressure.
He had reportedly told them that he was functioning like a clerk and accused the Congress of interference.
Responding to reports that the coalition would face trouble after Makar Sankranti and questions were being raised about its longevity, Patil said, "Since the last seven months you in the media are speculating about differences in the coalition and its longevity. There may be celestial changes,but our MLAs won't change."
Stating that the performance of the coalition government would benefit the party in the Lok Sabha polls, he said both parties will contest together.
"The campaign during the Lok Sabha polls will include the work and achievements of the Congress party and also the coalition government. Wherever necessary, we will campaign jointly...we have already done this during the bypolls for three Lok Sabha and two assembly seats," he said.
Ruling out any difference between the coalition partners on the seat-sharing issue, Patil said that JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda has shown flexibility in his party's demand for 12 out of 28 seats for parliamentary polls.
"On seat-sharing we will discuss and take a decision that will be just and satisfactory for both parties," he said.
Patil, a ministerial aspirant till recently, was compensated with the campaign committee chief's post by the Congress during the cabinet rejig on December 22.
Ruling out any dissatisfaction about not being given the minister post, Patil said, "There are 34 ministerial posts, but there is only one campaign committee chief post. I feel it is more important as one can serve the party. I opted for it.
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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.
