Not in violation of any rules: Karnataka govt says on EC letter on ads in Telangana newspapers
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the state government's advertisements about its work in newspapers in poll-bound Telangana do not violate any rules, as they did not ask for votes.
He said the government would respond to the Election Commission's letter on this.
The BJP on Monday had lodged a complaint with the EC in the matter, alleging that the Congress violated the Representation of the People Act and the Model Code of Conduct with its government in Karnataka publishing advertisements in Telangana media with an eye on the November 30 assembly polls there.
The Election Commission on the same day asked the Congress government in Karnataka to stop publishing advertisements about its work in newspapers Telangana, and sought an explanation from it for not seeking prior approval as mandated under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said that the advertisements were only aimed at projecting the work done by the Karnataka government amid claims by opposition parties that it did not implement any of its 'guarantee schemes'.
"We have not committed any violation; the Karnataka government has not asked anyone for votes... What violation have we committed?," he asked in response to a question about the EC's directions.
"Whatever work we have done, we have just presented them to various states -- to newspaper readers whether in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, or Telangana... There is no problem," he insisted.
The ads were a counter to the opposition's claims about the Karnataka government, and did not canvass for votes, he reiterated. "They (opposition parties) were trying to propagate that we have not implemented (guarantee schemes) -- we have just said it (about implementation of guarantees in the ads), we have not asked for any votes.
"If we have asked any votes, then (it is) okay (to question), but we have not asked for votes from anyone; we have not said vote for Congress or X or Y."
He sought to compare the ads with those given by other governments in newspapers. "There will be so many magazines or publications covering lots of issues. They (other governments) also will give a lot of other advertisements. We are projecting ourselves (Karnataka govt), we are not projecting the Congress party -- we will definitely reply (to EC)," he said.
Telangana's ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) too had approached the poll panel on the issue.
In a letter to the Karnataka Chief Secretary, the panel said the state government did not obtain prior approval from it for publishing the advertisements, and that its action was violative of the poll code instructions issued to the central and state governments years ago.
It also instructed the Government of Karnataka to stop publishing any such advertisements in Telangana, with immediate effect, until it obtains the necessary approvals.
The EC has sought an explanation by 5 pm on Tuesday on the circumstances that led to the violation of the MCC.
In its letter, the commission also asked why disciplinary action should not be taken against the secretary-in-charge of the Department of Information and Public Relations for violations of procedure, as mentioned under MCC instructions.
In the past, the panel had observed that certain advertisements highlighting welfare schemes and achievements of the central and state governments were being published by some non-poll going states in newspapers in poll-bound states. It had considered this to be a violation of the spirit of the Model Code of Conduct.
In 2013, it had directed that, in future, all such advertisements issued by non-poll going states during the period in which the MCC is in force would be forwarded to the panel for clearance before they are sent for publication in newspapers having editions or circulation in poll-bound states.
The Telangana assembly polls will be held on November 30. Votes will be counted and results declared on December 3.
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“Bleeding on the road, I begged for help but no one came”: Bengaluru woman recounts husband’s death
Bengaluru: A woman in Bengaluru has shared a painful account of how her husband died after they were repeatedly denied medical help and ignored by passersby during a medical emergency, NDTV reported.
The victim, 34-year-old Venkataramanan, a garage mechanic from Balaji Nagar, developed severe chest pain around 3.30 am. His wife immediately took him on a motorcycle in search of medical help.
"He complained about chest pain, and we went to the first hospital. However, the doctor was not on duty. At the second hospital, we were told he had a stroke and to go to another hospital. When we called for ambulance services, they did not respond properly. Humanity failed, but we did our bit by donating his eye." NDTV quoted his wife as saying.
According to the report, after being turned away twice, the couple met with an accident on the road. CCTV footage later showed the woman, covered in blood, pleading with folded hands as vehicles passed by, but no one stopped to help.
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The wait ended after several minutes when a cab driver stopped and rushed Venkataramanan to a nearby hospital. Doctors there declared him dead on arrival.
As per the report, the family decided to donate Venkataramanan’s eyes, giving sight to others even in death.
Venkataraman's mother, who had lost her last surviving child, had no words to express herself: "I have no words. I do not know what to say. My son is gone."
"The government should understand a health emergency. My daughter is left with two children. Who will look after them?" asked his mother-in-law. His wife, mother, and two children, a five-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter now survive Venkataramanan.
The incident has once again raised serious questions about emergency healthcare access, ambulance response, and public apathy in the city.
