Need new blood in Karnataka Cabinet, old guard can't stay forever: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday strongly backed the induction of "new blood" into the cabinet, asserting that the old guard cannot continue indefinitely and that fresh thinking is essential for the party’s future.
Speaking to reporters here, he backed the first-time MLAs' demand to give them space in the cabinet.
"The party needs new blood and new thinking. I support fresh blood," the deputy CM said, underlining the need for generational change.
"The old guard can't stay forever," Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, maintained.
He was reacting to a query on first-time MLAs writing to senior party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, seeking representation in the state cabinet during the proposed reshuffle.
In a joint representation addressed to the Congress high command and the state leadership, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the legislators urged that at least five first-time MLAs be inducted as ministers.
"As you are aware, the people of Karnataka have elected 38 members to the legislative assembly from the Indian National Congress for the first time and thereby sent out a clear message that they want to see new young faces in the Legislature," the MLAs said in their letter.
Shivakumar also reacted to remarks by his cabinet colleague H C Mahadevappa on the Dalit chief minister issue, even as he maintained that he had no information about any leadership change in the state.
"I saw Mahadevappa's statement. He is our high command, and he may have some information. I don't have any information on this," the deputy CM said.
Asked whether the party high command had summoned him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Delhi, he clarified, "I haven’t got any calls. I have to visit Delhi for some work related to my department."
Referring to central funds for urban development, he said the Centre was releasing Rs 1 lakh crore but had indicated it was not meant for bigger cities.
"I will discuss it with the urban development minister and ask them to prepare a proposal for tier two and three cities in the state," he added.
On criticism that, as Congress state president, he had remained silent over statements by ministers, Shivakumar said, "It is the CM who has to regulate the ministers and MLAs. I am doing the job of communicating it to the party."
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Fake call centre duping foreigners busted in Thane; five detained
Thane (PTI): The Thane police have unearthed a bogus call centre that allegedly cheated foreign nationals, particularly US citizens, under the pretext of selling software, an official said on Wednesday.
Five persons, including the call centre owner, were detained after a raid at the premises in the Ambernath area of Maharashtra's Thane district late Tuesday night, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ambernath division) Shailesh Kale told PTI.
The bogus facility was operating from a business centre and functioned under the garb of providing software services, the official said.
"The call centre staff targeted foreign nationals, especially Americans. They contacted them on the phone, lured them with offers of software services and extracted money from them in different forms," Kale said.
The police received a tip-off about the illegal operations and raided the premises. The search operation continued till Wednesday morning, he said.
The employees used to make hundreds of calls to foreign nationals daily and would eventually succeed in duping a few of them, Senior Police Inspector Shabbir Sayyed said.
"They collected advance payments from the victims and blocked them after receiving the money," he said, explaining the modus operandi.
The employees were provided with a specific script for conversations to gain the victims' confidence and persuade them to transfer funds, he added.
The police have seized electronic gadgets and other accessories used in the alleged racket from the premises.
A case has been registered against five persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Act and the Indian Telegraph Act, Kale said.
The police were verifying the victims' credentials and nationality.
