Congress came to power in Karnataka with SDPI's support, alleges Amit Shah
Hukkeri (Karnataka) (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that Congress came to power in Karnataka with the support of Social Democratic Party of India, the political arm of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), and alleged that "anti-national elements" of SDPI were involved in the bomb blast in Bengaluru.
Targeting the Siddaramaiah-led government, he urged it to hand over the probe in the Hubballi student Neha Hiremath murder case to the CBI if the state was unable to investigate properly.
The top BJP leader addressed a public meeting here in Belagavi district for party candidate from Chikkodi Lok Sabha segment Annasaheb Jolle.
"Modi ji ended terorism from the country. Modi ji banned PFI. This Congress government in Karnataka has come to power with the support of SDPI. Look at the consequence, after they came to power, there was a bomb blast in Bengaluru," Shah said, referring to the Rameshwaram cafe blast on March 1.
He said: "They (Congress govt) first said it was a cylinder blast, it was not a cylinder blast, it was a bomb blast by the anti national elements of SDPI. When the probe was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), it was known about the involvement of such elements."
"Don't worry, let Congress government do anything...Narendra Modi government will keep Karnataka secure," he added.
Chikkodi along with 13 other Lok Sabha segments in the state will go to polls on May 7.
Referring to the murder of Neha Hiremath at her college campus last month, Shah said some in the government said that the killing was due to personal issues.
"What a personal issue? A girl, who did not want to undergo religious conversion was murdered. I met her mother day-before-yesterday in Hubballi. She told me that her daughter was under pressure to undergo religious conversion. I want to warn the Congress party, if you are unable to investigate the case properly, give it to the CBI. BJP will ensure that those who did injustice to Neha Hiremath are punished," he added.
Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of the her college. The accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently.
Neha was a first year Master of Computer Application (MCA) student and Fayaz was earlier her classmate.
Congress cannot keep the country united and secure, Shah said, and listed out the achievements of Modi rule in the last ten years.
"Rahul Baba (Congress leader Rahul Gandhi) used to say don't take Corona vaccine, it is Modi vaccine, it is good that people don't listen to him and every one took (the jab). At night in the dark, Rahul Baba along with his sister took vaccination. Rahul Baba you should be ashamed that even during a pandemic like Corona, you did politics," he said.
Shah said, in this election, on one side there is Congress which "did Rs 12 lakh crore worth of scam and corruption", and on the other side there is BJP led by Narendra Modi, who despite being Chief Minister and Prime Minister for 23 years, does not have even a single allegation of corruption against him.
"On one side there is Rahul Baba who goes on foreign vacations once in three months, while on the other side there is Modi, who for 23 years did not take leave even on Deepawali and ate sweets with soldiers of the country (on the festival)," he said, as he asked the people to choose between the two.
"Whom do you want, 'Pariwarwaadi" (dynast) Congress or BJP that follows 'Parampara' (traditions)," he asked.
Shah also gave Modi the credit for resolving Ram Mandir issue and consecration of Ram Lalla idol at the temple in Ayodhya and also praised him for the development of Kashi Vishwanath corridor and Kedar and Badri dham, among other religious places of worship.
He also hit out at AICC President Mallikarjkun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for not attending the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya despite being invited, and alleged that they skipped the event "fearing their vote bank".
"Does Kashmir belong to us or not," Shah asked the gathering and accused Kharge of asking what people of Karnataka and Rajasthan have to do with Kashmir. "Kharge saab, you have crossed 80-years, but you have not understood the people of Chikkodi, every child here is ready to sacrifice their lives for Kashmir."
Alleging that in 10 months after coming to power, the Congress has destroyed Karnataka, Shah said: "Trust Modi once again, and he will take Karnataka forward"
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
