Eviction row: Is Cong leader Venugopal 'super CM' of K'taka, asks state BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Accusing Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal of intervening in Karnataka's administration in light of an eviction row here, opposition BJP on Sunday asked whether he is "super CM" of the state.
Karnataka deserves respect, autonomy, and honest governance, and not high-command "theatrics", Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Assembly R Ashoka said.
"Karnataka is not a colony of Rahul Gandhi and his coterie."
He was responding to Venugopal's post on 'X' regarding the demolition of unauthorised constructions in Kogilu village.
Stating that he has spoken to CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, Venugopal in the social media post on Saturday had said, he had conveyed "the AICC's serious concern that such actions should have been undertaken with far greater caution, sensitivity, and compassion, keeping the human impact at the centre."
"They have assured that they will personally engage with the affected families, put in place an appropriate mechanism for addressing grievances, and ensure rehabilitation and relief for those impacted," Venugopal added.
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Venugopal's statement came in the wake of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan criticising the demolition drive as the "brutal normalisation of the bulldozer raj".
LoP Ashoka asked, "Who is K C Venugopal to intervene in the administration of Karnataka. Is he a Super CM, or does the Congress high command believe elected state governments function on Delhi diktats."
Karnataka is governed by a constitutionally elected chief minister and Cabinet, not by an AICC General Secretary, he said. Expressing a party opinion is one thing, but issuing moral sermons and pressure tactics on a state government is "blatant overreach" and an insult to federalism, the BJP leader added.
"What's more troubling is the rank hypocrisy. Has K C Venugopal ever shown the same urgency when medical and other waste from Kerala have been illegally dumped along Karnataka's borders, threatening Bandipur, forest regions, public health, and wildlife? Has he spoken up for Karnataka's environment, farmers, or border districts with the same concern and compassion," he asked.
"Silence there. Sermons here."
Stating that this selective outrage exposes the truth, Ashoka said this is not about humanity or sensitivity, it's about Congress high command politics, Kerala appeasement, and election optics, especially when top party leader Priyanka Gandhi represents that state in the Lok Sabha.
"Karnataka's dignity, self-respect, and administrative authority cannot be compromised to please party managers sitting in Delhi. The people of this state did not vote for a remote control government," he said.
Humanitarian concerns must be addressed through law, due process, rehabilitation, and accountable state mechanisms and not through telephonic or social media instructions from party officials with no constitutional role, he added.
Following Vijayan's criticism, Shivakumar had shot back at the Communist veteran, asking him to take care of Kerala's affairs while Bengaluru will be managed by the incumbent government.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
