Flood relief: Former CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of running 'fake news factory'
Bengaluru, Jan 8: Accusing the BJP of running a "fake news factory" at full potential, former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said according to reports only Rs 669 crore of additional flood relief funds is being released by the Centre for the state as opposed to the ruling party's claim of Rs 1,869.85 crore.
Reacting to his attack, the State BJP unit, without clarifying on the actuals of the amount being released, said it believed in speaking the truth and not spreading lies.
Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, tweeted: "Reports from State govt officials tells that only Rs 669 crore of addl funds (sic) are released in 2nd instalment as opposed to the claim of Rs 1870 Cr by @BJP4Karnataka leaders.
At a time when manufacturing industries are closing, BJP's fake news factory is running at full potential!!
Calling BJP leaders "devotees of the God of lies," he said in another tweet that Prime Minister Narendra Modi released an additional Rs 669.85 crore moved by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappas plea, taking the total amount to Rs 1,869.85 crore.
He said it was funny that they were attempting to depict the total relief amount as 1200+1869.85 equalling to Rs 3,069.85 crore.
Siddaramaiah's tweet was in response to Karnataka BJPs tweet last night claiming that the High Level Committee (HLC) Chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the release of Rs 1869.85 crore as central assistance to the state towards flood relief.
This was in addition to Rs 1200 crore already released by the Centre in October 2019, the BJP unit had said.
On Monday, the HLC had approved additional central assistance to seven states affected by floods last year, from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), including Karnataka.
While a PIB release states that Rs 1869.85 crore was approved for Karnataka, according to sources in the state government the figure was inclusive of Rs 1,200 crore released in October.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa while expressing confidence that more funds will be released in later stages, maintained that Rs 1869 crore has been released in addition to Rs 1,200 crore earlier, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"...funds will never be enough, they (central government) will release in stages, they have released such big amount- earlier Rs 1200 crore, now again Rs 1869 crore- I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it," he told reporters here.
Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the state government will press for more funds in the days to come, and the state government will fulfil promises made to those hit by floods.
Karnataka faced two spells of unprecedented rains and floods last year, resulting in widespread damage to life and property, following which the state government had submitted a report to the centre claiming loss was to the tune of about Rs 38,000 crore.
Reacting to Siddaramaiah's attack of "fake news factory" against it, the state BJP tweeted "Ayyo @siddaramaiah Avare, We surrender to You as we are incapable of running Fake News Factory like You or @INCIndia.
We believe in speaking the Truth like Gandhiji, not spreading lies like Goebbels. Kannadigas still remember the "Lies Bhagya (a scheme)" you gave them as CM from 2013-18."
Reports from State govt officials tells that only ₹669 Cr of addl funds are released in 2nd installment as opposed to the claim of ₹ 1870 Cr by @BJP4Karnataka leaders.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 7, 2020
At a time when manufacturing industries are closing, BJP's fake news factory is running at full potential!! https://t.co/AG7Ly7aayM
ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @BSYBJP ಗೋಗರೆತಕ್ಕೆ ಕರಗಿದ @narendramodi
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 7, 2020
ರೂ.669.85 ಕೋಟಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚುವರಿ ನೆರೆಪರಿಹಾರ ದಯಪಾಲಿಸಿದ್ದು,
ಒಟ್ಟು ಪರಿಹಾರ
ರೂ.1869.85 ಆಗುತ್ತೆ.
ಸುಳ್ಳು ದೇವರ ಭಕ್ತರಾದ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ನಾಯಕರು ಪರಿಹಾರದ ಮೊತ್ತ 1200+1869.85=ರೂ.3069 ಕೋಟಿ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿ ಸಂಭ್ರಮಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ತಮಾಷೆಯಾಗಿದೆ.
1/3
ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ನೀಡಿರುವ ರೂ.669.85 ಕೋಟಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚುವರಿ ನೆರೆ ಪರಿಹಾರ ರಾವಣನ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆಗೆ ಅರೆಕಾಸಿನ ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ.@BSYBJP ಅವರೇ, ನೆನಪಿರಲಿ ನೀವೇ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆ ಅಂದಾಜು ನಷ್ಟ ರೂ. 50 ಸಾವಿರ ಕೋಟಿ, ನೀವು ಕೇಳಿದ್ದು ರೂ.38 ಸಾವಿರ ಕೋಟಿ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 7, 2020
ನಿಮ್ಮ ಗೋಗರೆತಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ದು ಕೇವಲ ರೂ.1869 ಕೋಟಿ.
ಇಷ್ಟು ಸಾಕಾ?
2/3
ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @BSYBJP ಅವರೇ,
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 7, 2020
ನೀವು ರೂ.38 ಸಾವಿರ ಕೋಟಿ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕೇಳಿದ್ದು ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ ತಿಂಗಳ ನೆರೆ ಹಾವಳಿಗೆ.
ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್ ತಿಂಗಳ ಅತಿವೃಷ್ಟಿಯ ನಷ್ಟದ ಸಮೀಕ್ಷೆಯೇ ಪೂರ್ಣಗೊಂಡಿಲ್ಲ.
ತಕ್ಷಣ ಅದನ್ನು ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚುವರಿ ಪರಿಹಾರದ ಬೇಡಿಕೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿ.
3/3
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
