No direction from Cong high command on leadership change, says Yathindra Siddaramaiah
Mandya (PTI): Congress MLC and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Friday said the Congress high command has not given any direction on the leadership change, and the confusion is a media creation.
He also said no one knows whether any promise was made in 2023 about leadership change after two and a half years, and hence it was not good to speculate about it.
"There is no battle or skirmish (in ruling Congress). Since there is no confusion amongst us, I feel the media is into perception creation. The Congress high command has not given any direction for leadership change. If there is anything like that, then they will call and discuss it, Yathindra told reporters here.
He added that some people are saying that the deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar should be elevated, but he has said that he will listen to the party high command.
The party high command has said that it will invite both and discuss the issue. Till then no confusion should prevail, he noted.
Regarding confusion in the party over the leadership issue, Yathindra said there can be aspirants in every party, and some might have demanded the post of Chief Minister.
According to him, people aspiring to become Chief Minister is not a big issue, as it happened in all the political parties in power, including the BJP when it was ruling Karnataka.
Both the CM and DCM have said that they will stick to what the party high command says. Hence, all the confusion will be resolved.
To a question on the promise to Shivakumar to make him the next Chief Minister, Yathindra said, "No one knows whether any promise was made about leadership change after two and a half years. High command may or may not know about it. So, it is not proper to speculate about it."
On the question of MLAs being divided on the issue, he said, "Which MLA is in whose favor should not be discussed before the media. It is the internal matter of the party, which should be left to us."
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RSS man's defamation case against Rahul: Key witness unavailable, hearing adjourned to Dec 20
Thane (PTI): A court in Bhiwandi in Thane district on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to December 20 due to non-availability of a crucial prosecution witness.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, counsel for Rahul Gandhi, confirmed the adjournment, stating that the witness, Ashok Saykar, currently Deputy Superintendent of Police in Barshi in Solapur, could not remain present due to personal reasons.
Saykar's evidence is now likely to be recorded on December 29.
His testimony is considered key because he, as police sub inspector in 2014, conducted the preliminary inquiry into the private defamation matter under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on the basis of Saykar's submitted report that the court subsequently issued process (summons) against Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The criminal defamation case was filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte following a speech given by Rahul Gandhi at an election rally near Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014.
The case stems from the Congress leader's alleged statement that "the RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi."
The matter is being heard by Bhiwandi Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, P M Kolse.
The hearing had previously been adjourned on November 15 after the complainant's counsel, Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, moved an application seeking permission to examine Saykar, who had submitted the probe report to the court.
The matter was originally scheduled for November 29 but was deferred to December 6 after Rahul Gandhi's legal team sought an adjournment citing their non-availability. The proceedings will now resume on December 20.
