KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao meets Mandya party leaders over their dinner with rival candidate
Bengaluru, May 3: Karnataka Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao Friday summoned party leaders fromMandya, who recently held a meeting with independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, amid speculation that they worked against the coalition candidate in the Lok Sabha polls.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil from JD(S) was the ruling coalition's joint candidate from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.
According to party sources, former Ministers N Cheluvarayaswamy and P M Narendraswamy said during the meeting that as per the directions of the Congress, they had nowhere openly expressed support for Sumalatha or campaigned for her.
Alleging they were being targeted, as JD(S)' plan was to weaken the Congress in Mandya, they also reportedly complained of Kumaraswamy's possible involvement in CCTV footage release about the dinner meeting to the media, by influencing police.
There are also reports about the Chief Minister complaining to AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal about the conduct of local Congress leaders.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rao downplayed the incident, saying the party could take it seriously if it was a political event, a programme with political intent or any talk of political support.
"They told me they were invited for dinner by someone, so they had gone there.
Just because of having food with someone, we cannot call it an anti-party activity.
If it was a political event or a programme with political intent or any talk of political support, we can take it seriously," he said.
A video of some Congress leaders, including former Ministers N Cheluvarayaswamy and P M Narendraswamy, former legislator H C Balakrishna, Ravi Ganiga and Malavalli Shivanna at a dinner reportedly hosted by Sumalatha at a private hotel on Tuesday, had surfaced on Wednesday.
The video gave rise to speculation that these leaders had worked in favour of Sumalatha during the Lok Sabha polls.
Cheluvarayaswamy said the dinner video that appeared in the media was discussed at the meeting with Rao and clarified they had attended the dinner as it was hosted by a friend, who was also known to Sumalatha and that's why she had come there.
"This meeting or dinner party has taken place after the election, so it has no importance. I don't know whether you (media) gave importance to it or someone insisted on giving importance to it."
Expressing doubts about the video of a private dinner party getting released to the media, Cheluvarayaswamy suspected that police might have been influenced to get the video from the hotel where the party took place.
Congress leaders from Mandya had stayed away from campaigning for Nikhil, citing Kumaraswamy himself not seeking their support as one of the reasons.
Many of them had even extended support to Sumalatha, widow of actor-turned politician M H Ambareesh, through their supporters, who actively participated in her campaigning with Congress flags.
Meanwhile, Cheluvarayaswamy's close friend andCongress Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who was earlier with JD(S), defended the dinner meeting and said there was nothing wrong in it.
He pointed out that the dinner meeting did not take place during the elections and added that Cheluvarayaswamy and others were nowhere seen with Sumalatha during campaigning.
Khan also noted that Kumaraswamy should have spoken to local Congress leaders and taken them into confidence, ahead of election.
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Sound effect: Farmers play music on solar-powered speakers to keep tigers at bay in Pilibhit
Pilibhit (UP) (PTI): Farmers living in villages adjoining the Mala range of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve have devised an unusual method to keep tigers away from their fields during sugarcane harvesting – playing loud music on solar-powered sound systems.
According to the farmers, the continuous noise helps deter wild animals from entering their fields.
As sugarcane fields are dense and the visibility is low, the risk of sudden encounters with tigers remains high during the harvesting season.
Forest officials described the initiative as a “desi jugaad” that not only enhances safety but also adds an element of entertainment, with loud music echoing across the fields during work hours.
The method has emerged as a unique way to check human-animal conflict.
Ramnagaria, Ajitpur, Jamunia, Mahua, Mala Ghera, Richhola and Basantapur are among the villages located close to the Mala range that frequently witness tiger movement, keeping the residents on edge. Recently, fresh tiger pugmarks were found in a field in Mahua.
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According to forest officials, Krishna Kumar and his associates in Jamunia village pioneered the “musical” method to deal with the threat.
“Working in the dense sugarcane fields is risky business. We believe wild animals move away due to noise, so playing songs loudly helps keep them at a distance,” Kumar said.
The method is proving effective, enabling farmers to carry out agricultural activities in groups without fear, the villagers said.
Several farmers, including Gaurishankar, Tinku, Ram Bahadur, Rakesh Kumar, Prabhu Dayal and Lalaram, have joined Kumar in implementing this innovative approach.
Deputy Ranger Sher Singh said the forest department is also making continuous efforts to spread awareness among the villagers.
“The department is organising meetings to educate farmers about safe and scientific methods to protect themselves from wildlife,” he told reporters.
