Former Dy CM R Ashok demands resignation of CM, Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, May 25: Senior BJP leader R Ashok Saturday demanded resignation of Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah from their posts in view of the ruling coalition's rout in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Referring to his party's win in 25 of the 28 seats in the state, Ashok, a former deputy chief minister, said it meant people voted for it in more than 177 assembly segments.
People have given us massive support. They have voted for BJP in more than 177 assembly segments out of 224... it means Kumaraswamy and CLP leader Siddaramaiah must immediately step down from their positions, he told reporters here.
His demand came a day after the Karnataka cabinet Friday reposed its "faith and confidence" in the leadership of Kumaraswamy, asserting that the coalition would continue.
The JDS and Congress won only one seat each.
Mocking at Siddaramaiah, Ashok, an MLA, said the former chief minister was the chairman of the ruling coalition's coordination committee but the panel lacked coordination.
"People saw how Siddaramaiah coordinated in Tumkur and Mandya to ensure the defeat of JD(S) candidates (H D Deve Gowda and his grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy), said Ashoka.
In a shocking outcome, Gowda lost to independent and multilingual actress Sumalatha, wife of late Congress MP and actor Ambareesh.
Ashok also claimed people rejected the JDS-Congress government within a year for its poor performance.
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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.
