Panel found lapses, corruption in Covid-19 management in Karnataka: Minister Kharge
Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister of Information Technology Priyank Kharge said on Monday that, in an informal meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, Justice John Michael Cunha Commission chief told the CM that the procedural lapses, dereliction by officials and corruption in Covid-19 management when the BJP was in power were found.
Kharge said that the Commission head handed the CM a 1,722-page report on the procurement of Covid-19 supplies worth Rs. 7,223 crore, reports Deccan Herald. Stating that he was present during the meeting on Saturday, the minister added that he was unaware of the details given in the report and would get more information only when the CM presented the report before the Cabinet.
He said that the CM had presented a trailer in the Assembly, with a list of 21 scams during the tenure of the previous BJP government, and added that the current Congress government in Karnataka would end all these scams. The minister also said that the state government was yet to raise the issue of the scam at the Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Ltd.
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Kharge expressed ire that, in some cases, central agencies were meddling with the government efforts to end scams in Karnataka, accusing the BJP of misusing the CBI, IT, ED and Raj Bhavan, although the state government was not at fault. He also alleged that the BJP was involved in corruption.
Referring to BJP member and former Health Minister of Karnataka Dr. K Sudhakar’s announcement of a legal battle against the Congress, Kharge asked what the BJP’s source of information was, as the members of the Congress were yet to learn about the contents of the report submitted by Justice John Michael Cunha Commission. He also asked why Sudhakar was speaking about a legal fight against the government when it had not named anyone. The minister, however, stressed that the state government had considered an investigation into the irregularities during the pandemic necessary.
Large and Medium Industries MB Patil alleged that the BJP government had indulged in mega loot during the Covid-19 outbreak, instead of showing its humanitarian concerns. Dr. Sudhakar was involved in hoarding huge amounts of money even as the people suffered, Patil opined.
In Tumakuru, Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara told reporters that the term of the Commission probing the irregularities during the pandemic had been extended by eight months.
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Justin Trudeau faces backlash for dancing at Taylor Swift concert amid Montreal protests
Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under criticism after a video of him dancing at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto went viral, coinciding with violent protests in Montreal.
The footage, shared widely on social media, shows Trudeau enjoying the performance at the Rogers Centre on November 23. While the concert featured hits like "You Don’t Own Me," Montreal witnessed unrest as anti-NATO demonstrators clashed with police, set vehicles on fire, and burned an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Social media users criticised Trudeau’s presence at the concert during the crisis, with some comparing his actions to Nero’s alleged indifference during Rome's burning.
The Montreal protests occurred during the ongoing NATO summit in the city, which focused on issues such as Ukraine and climate change. Demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and set off smoke bombs, with at least four arrests reported.
As violent protests broke out in #Montreal, #Canadian Prime Minister #JustinTrudeau was filmed dancing at a #TaylorSwift concert in #Toronto
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) November 24, 2024
More details here: https://t.co/jYr9ukK0DO pic.twitter.com/h3yEk6uabS
