Police stations, govt offices in Karnataka functioning like ruling BJP's offices: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: The Congress in Karnataka on Friday alleged that police stations and government offices at several places in the state were functioning like ruling BJP's offices and party workers were being intimidated and threatened to stage protests.
The party's state president D K Shivakumar, while leveling this charge, said efforts were on to strengthen the Congress and the party's aim was not only to outperform BJP in the coming taluk and Zilla panchayat polls but remove it from power.
"Various police stations and government offices have been converted into BJP offices.
Police officers like circle or Sub-Inspectors are threatening our workers with cases if they don't go to BJP," he told reporters at a state Congress "Sankalpa' convention here.
Shivakumar claimed that many block presidents had informed the party of this and it had been taken note of.
"We have made a list of it. We are thinking about organizing protests at those police stations or in those constituencies.
We will plan and do it. We will not sit in rooms..we will go on the streets and agitate. It will be to give strength to our workers and send a message to authorities," he added.
The division level Sankalpa conventions are aimed at strengthening the Congress at the grassroots level and chalk out political strategies, including creating awareness on the 'failures' of BJP-led state and central governments.
"There are taluk and Zilla panchayat polls also in certain municipalities ...not just winning these polls, our challenge, our vow, and resolve are to remove the BJP government from the state and the country."
Noting that his aim was to convert Congress, which is a mass-based party, to a cadre-based party, the KPCC chief said the process was on to appoint and train booth level agents.
"We have also asked the local leadership for new panchayat and ward level committees to be formed and inform the party about it.
We will have a "digital youth" (to manage social media, databases) in every booth, involve women and youth in a big way at the grassroots level of the party organization," he added.
Shivakumar said the Congress would come out with a list of "anti-people" moves and "corruption", among other things, against the BJP government.
To a question about the Karnataka High Court dismissing the Chief Minister petition, seeking quashing of the FIR in connection with an illegal denotification case, he said "...Yediyurappa should take moral responsibility, Delhi leadership of that party seems to be encouraging..."
The court had on January 6 dismissed Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's petition and directed the Lok Ayukta to continue the probe in the matter.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
