Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao 'advises' Revanna not to discuss matters openly
Bengaluru, Jan 4: Admitting there are differences of opinion between the coalition partners, Congress Karnataka chief Dinesh Gundu Rao Friday "advised" JDS leader and state minister H D Revanna not to discuss certain matters openly.
Rao Thursday accused some JD(S) leaders of making statements without understanding the situation on the ground.
At the same time, he had expressed confidence that the Congress-JDS coalition would survive its full five year term.
"It is not good. He (Revanna) should avoid talking like that. It is a decision taken by two parties. It has been decided which department should go to which political party.
I am humbly urging him not to give such statements so openly," Rao said Friday at a press meet, replying to a question on Revanna's stand on alleged interference in his department.
Recently, Revanna, who is public works minister and elder brother of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, had allegedly said he will not allow the Congress party to interfere in his department as he never interferes in others' departments.
Revanna had also hit out at the Congress six days ago for taking away the home department from deputy chief minister G Parameshwara.
About JD(S) retaining the ports and inland water transport though it should have been with Congress as per the agreement, Rao said it was not good on his part to discuss these matters in public and emphasised that the two parties would resolve it amicably through discussions.
"Challenges will come but we do have the strength to resolve it amicably by discussion. I won't say there aren't problems.There are problems but we will resolve it," Rao said.
He also admitted that there were some issues pertaining to finalising the appointment of chairpersons to boards and corporations, though Congress brought out the list long ago.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently criticising the state government's farm loan waiver scheme, Rao said the government waived Rs 8,200 crore loans of 25 lakh farmers when Siddaramaiah was the chief minister.
The coalition government has now come out with a crop loan waiver of Rs 40,000 crore benefiting 40 lakh farmers, he said.
Hitting out at Modi, Rao alleged the prime minister could not fulfil any of his promises whether be it bringing back black money, job creation, inviting investments, economic revolution or relief to farmers.
"Today he is giving statement against Karnatakas initiatives. He is roaming around speaking blatant lies," Rao added.
Addressing a rally at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh in December, Modi had said the Congress promised loan waivers to lakhs of farmers, but the JD(S)-Congress coalition in Karnataka did not deliver.
"Lollipops were handed out. The loan waiver was given to only 800 farmers," he had claimed.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
