KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao lashes out at PM over Horse trading in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Feb 10: Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches BJP's campaign in Karnataka for the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress Sunday questioned the saffron party over its alleged bid to topple the coalition government is the state.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to address a rally at Hubballi in northern part of the state later this evening.
Speaking to reporters here, Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao posed a few questions to Modi and demanded answers from him.
"Your (PM's) popular slogan has been, 'Na khaunga, na khane dunga' (I will neither indulge in corruption, nor let others indulge in it). Then how did you let horse-trading and bribing of MLAs by your party leaders take place in Karnataka? Are you willing to take any unethical action in order to attain power?" he questioned.
"How do you justify statements of your party leader (B S) Yeddyurappa in an audio clip that surfaced, where Yeddyurappa offered money to MLAs to switch sides and spoke about your illegitimate control over the judicial system," he asked.
"Please make it a point to answer these very legitimate questions during your visit to Hubballi. These questions aren't political in nature. These are quintessential questions of public importance, especially to the people of Karnataka," he said.
Amid the turmoil in the ruling coalition that has cast a shadow over the stability of his government, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had Friday released the audio clip in which Yeddyurappa was purportedly trying to lure JD(S) MLA Naganagouda through his son.
The state BJP strongman had, however, said the audio clip was 'fake' and a "concocted story".
The KPCC chief also alleged discrimination by the Centre against the state, saying Karnataka was reeling under drought and had requested Rs 2,400 crore to deal with it, but the Centre has released only Rs 900 crore.
On the other hand the central government's assistance to NDA-ruled Maharashtra stood at Rs 4,714.28 crore, he claimed.
He said mandatory payments of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore is still pending, and hit out at the Modi government for claiming credit for establishing an IIT in Dharwad, without acknowledging the state government's contribution for allotting a 500-acre prime land.
Ahead of the BJP rally, the PM is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Dharwad) on Sunday.
Alleging that the Karnataka Chief Minister was not officially invited to the event, Rao termed it an 'insult' to the state.
He also targeted the PM on Rafale deal and alleged "sidelining" of Bengaluru-headquartered HAL.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Annpurna Devi expresses anguish over girl's rape in TN, urges NCW to act
New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Tuesday expressed her anguish over the alleged gang rape of a girl in Tamil Nadu and urged the National Commission for Women to take immediate cognisance of the matter.
In a post on X, Devi said, "Deeply anguished by this horrific incident. I urge the NCW to take immediate cognisance and act swiftly in coordination with the concerned authorities to ensure the strictest action against all culprits."
Devi said, "Justice must be swift and unsparing — the accused must be brought to book without delay," adding, "the safety, dignity, and justice of every daughter of India remain our highest priority."
"We stand firmly with the survivor and her family in this difficult hour," she said.
Reacting to a post by former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, who flagged concerns over the law and order situation in the state, Devi said such incidents "expose grave concerns" under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government.
Annamalai, in his post, alleged that a 15-year-old girl from Kanchipuram, who had come to participate in a temple festival near Seyyaru in Tiruvannamalai district, was gangraped.
He said the incident was "deeply shocking and enraging" to him and alleged that such crimes point to a "complete failure" of law and order in Tamil Nadu.
Annamalai demanded immediate arrest of all those involved and the "harshest punishments" for the accused.
He also called for full protection and mental health counselling for the survivor and her family.
