FIR lodged against JD(S) Rajya Sabha candidate for 'threatening' Congress MLAs during poll
Bengaluru, Feb 27: An FIR has been registered against the JD(S) leader contesting the Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka, D Kupendra Reddy, and his aides at the Vidhana Soudha police station in Bengaluru, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Tuesday.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too confirmed that an FIR has been registered for "threatening" the Congress MLAs in connection with the Rajya Sabha elections.
"The Congress leaders not only spoke about allurement and threat to their MLAs time and again but also registered an FIR against Kupendra Reddy and his aides," the JD(S) second-in-command told reporters here.
Kumaraswamy said the complainant MLA did not say that he was lured, but that some other MLAs were "approached".
"Melukote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah of Karnataka Sarvodaya Paksha too had said that it's true that his vote was sought but no one had lured him," the JD(S) state chief claimed.
ALSO READ: Voting underway for four RS seats in Karnataka as Congress eyes rival camp support
Kumaraswamy also said the BJP and JD(S) had decided that the votes of its 19 JD(S) MLAs and the additional BJP votes after its first preferential votes would go to Kupendra Reddy.
Siddaramaiah slammed the Janata Dal (Secular) for allegedly trying to lure Congress legislators to get its candidate Kupendra Reddy elected.
"JDS needs 45 votes (for their candidate) to win. Do they have that many votes? Even though they don't have enough votes, they still fielded the candidate and are luring our MLAs. Do they have a conscience?" the chief minister asked rhetorically, posting on social media platform X.
"An FIR has been lodged regarding the threat to us. Our three candidates will win. There is no doubt about this," Siddaramaiah insisted, without elaborating who, the FIR is against and where it has been registered.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha here, Siddaramaiah slammed the minor partner in the opposition alliance, saying, "When JD(S) does not have atma' (soul), how can it have atma sakshi' (conscience)? They call themselves Janata Dal (Secular) but whom did they join with?"
He was referring to the JD(S) forming an alliance with the BJP.
The chief minister did not rule out the possibility of gaining votes from the rival camp saying the good works of his government may draw votes from the other side.
On the JD(S) allegations that the Congress had approached its party MLAs, Siddaramaiah said when the Congress has sufficient number of MLAs, there is no need to lure legislators from the opposition.
Voting is underway for four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka. The ruling Congress has fielded former union minister and Congress treasurer Ajay Maken and sitting Rajya Sabha members G C Chandrashekhar and Syed Naseer Hussain.
The BJP has fielded Narayansa Bhandage and also JD(S) leader Kupendra Reddy as the NDA candidate.
The Congress has 133 MLAs, excluding the Speaker, while the BJP and JD(S) have 66 and 19 legislators respectively, in the 223-member House. Others account for four. However, one Congress MLA died on Sunday.
ಜೆಡಿಎಸ್ ಗೆ ಗೆಲ್ಲಲು 45 ಮತಗಳ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿದೆ. ಅಷ್ಟು ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯ ಮತಗಳು ಅವರ ಬಳಿ ಇದೆಯೇ? ಮತವಿಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಯನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಶಾಸಕರಿಗೆ ಆಮಿಷಗಳನ್ನು ಒಡ್ಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಆತ್ಮಸಾಕ್ಷಿ ಇದೆಯೇ?
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 27, 2024
ನಮ್ಮವರಿಗೆ ಬೆದರಿಕೆ ಹಾಕಿರುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ ಎಫ್.ಐ.ಆರ್ ಹಾಕಲಾಗಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಮೂವರು ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳು…
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Child rape-murder: Hundreds protest on Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Pune; traffic hit
Pune (PTI): Hundreds of people blocked the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Pune to protest the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl, leading to traffic disruption on the busy route for about four hours.
The girl's family members and other demonstrators placed the body on the road in the Navale Bridge area on Saturday evening and demanded stringent punishment for the 65-year-old man arrested in the case.
Several videos surfaced showing a huge traffic jam on the highway.
Later, the victim's last rites were performed at the Vaikunt crematorium here shortly after midnight amid tight police security.
The accused man, who works as a labourer and has a criminal record, allegedly lured the girl with the promise of food on Friday in the Bhor tehsil of Pune district. He then took her to a cattle enclosure where he allegedly sexually assaulted her and later killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to the police.
He was arrested based on CCTV footage from a private residence, which captured him with the child.
A case was registered against him under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and he has been remanded in police custody till May 7.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday met the family of the victim, assuring them of strict action against the accused and a fast-track trial.
Describing the incident as "shocking" and a "blot on humanity", Pawar said the government stands firmly with the victim's family and will ensure justice.
She also spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought a fast-track court trial so that the accused receives the harshest punishment.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde directed Pune rural police to gather concrete evidence to build a watertight case and conduct the trial in a fast-track court.
Efforts should be made to ensure the accused gets the death penalty, a statement quoted Shinde as saying.
