Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may campaign in Karnataka too for LS polls: Minister H K Patil
Bengaluru, Feb 2: Newly appointed Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been given the charge of the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh, may campaign in Karnataka too during the Lok Sabha polls, its state campaign committee chairman H K Patil said on Saturday.
The campaign for the general elections will kick-start early and the dates will be announced soon, he said.
"Our party chief Rahul Gandhi will campaign. We will also invite Priyanka Gandhi Vadra," Patil told reporters here.
The party's manifesto exercise is going on and all committees relevant to electioneering are already in place, he said.
The Gandhi family has strong links with Karnataka as it is one state which has stood by the party in times of its political adversities.
In 1999, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had first campaigned in Karnataka's mining belt, Bellary, where her mother Sonia Gandhi was contesting her first Lok Sabha election against BJP's Sushma Swaraj.
About the Congress' campaign strategy, Patil said the focus will on educating the public about the "failures" of the BJP-led government at the Centre in fulfilling the promises made by the party during the 2014 general elections.
Criticising the interim Budget of the Modi government, the Congress leader said the direct income support of Rs 6,000 per year to 12 crore small and marginal farmers is too less and will not help address their problems.
The Government on Friday announced Rs 6,000 per year cash support to small and marginal farmers that will cost the exchequer Rs 75,000 crore annually, in a bid to provide relief to distressed farm sector.
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Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
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According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
