'PM assured Centre will consider demand for more funds for development’: CM BS Yediyurappa
Bengaluru, Jan 3: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him the Centre would consider the state's demands for more funds for development and called him a “great visionary”.
He said the Prime Minister spoke to him personally assuring him of all help and suggested that he come to New Delhi and meet the Union Ministers concerned on the matter.
The clarification came a day after Yediyurappa sought the Centres help while addressing the 'Krishi Karman' awards event in Tumkur, which Modi attended.
In a statement the Chief Minister said a section of the media had attached a motive to his speech, "which was plain and honest in its content."
Being in a federal set up, there was nothing wrong in placing the facts before the Prime Minister and making submissions, he said.
He said that as Chief Minister, he placed the state's problems and need of more funds for development before Modi.
Yediyurappa said he had urged the Prime Minister to grant more funds for relief work, scientific and remunerative price for farm produce, and special fund of Rs 50,000 crore for speeding up of on-going irrigation works.
As it was a farmers meet, I felt it worthy and timely to plead with the Prime Minister for more funds for all the developmental activities in the state," he added.
Modi not responding to request during his two day visit to the state had drawn flak from sections of the media, social media users and also the opposition parties.
Noting that undoubtedly the Prime Minister was a great visionary and his concern for the poor and farmers was unquestionable, Yediyurappa said when the world is appreciating his statesmanship and visionary zeal, it is in very bad taste for the media to attribute motives to my speech and relate it to the prime minister.
In fact, the Prime Minister spoke to me personally and assured me of all help and suggested I come to New Delhi and meet the concerned Ministers and apprise them about the states problems and pending projects.
He also directed me to prepare a detailed report on this matter, the Chief Minster said.
Yediyurappa requested the electronic and print media not to misinterpret, but support the government in the interest of development of the state and interest of the people and hoped they would respond to it.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too had alleged that Modi's act of ignoring Yediyurappa was equivalent to insulting Kannadigas.
"Irrespective of the party from which @BSYBJP is elected, he is our @CMofKarnataka & our representative.
The act of @narendramodi to ignore Yediyurappa & humiliate him on the stage is equivalent to insulting Kannadigas. I condemn this," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
Some twitter users who trended "#GobackModi" on Thursday had used a clipping of Yediyurappa's speech about not getting additional flood relief from the Centre despite repeated requests, at a programme attended by the Prime Minister, to attack him.
Yediyurappa, while referring to the flood damage had said on Thursday he had brought to Modi's notice that the loss was over Rs 30,000 crore and that additional funds had not been released despite his repeated requests to the Centre.
Irrespective of the party from which @BSYBJP is elected, he is our @CMofKarnataka & our representative.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 3, 2020
The act of @narendramodi to ignore Yediyurappa & humiliate him on the stage is equivalent to insulting Kannadigas. I condemn this.#PressMeet pic.twitter.com/37JzJOzpvr
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
