Roshan Baig will not join BJP as it had tried to end his political career: Minister UT Khader
Bengaluru, May 24: Senior Congress leader Roshan Baig, who criticised the party and urged Muslims to join hands with the BJP if there arises a need, will not join the saffron party because it had once conspired to end his political career, Karnataka minister U T Khader asserted Friday.
After exit polls had predicted a rout of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the state, Baig dropped hints he could join the BJP and slammed the grand old party for its "flop poll campaigning".
He was then served a show-cause notice by his party for his outburst.
"Roshan Baig is our senior leader. He will not leave the Congress and join BJP. At one point of time, the BJP tried to foist false cases against him and put him in jail. They tried to finish off his political career," Kader, a state minister, told PTI here.
He appeared to be referring to the 2004 multi-crore fake stamp paper scam. Baig faced allegations of his involvement in the scam, which forced him to resign from the S M Krishna government.
The BJP had sought his arrest and filing of criminal cases against him after prime accused in the scam, Abdul Karim Telgi, revealed his political links in Karnataka before the investigation team.
"It was the Congress who saved him from BJP's conspiracy. The Congress brought him back and made him a leader," Khader added.
Earlier this week, Baig said he was not surprised at the exit poll numbers because of the Congress party's "flop poll campaigning."
He blamed Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah's "arrogance" and KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao's "immaturity" for the "flop show".
He called AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Venugopal a "buffoon."
On Friday, when Kader was asked about the Congress JD(S) blaming each other for the poor show in the general election in Karnataka, Kader said the results would not have any bearing on the stability of the coalition government in the state as the mandate in Lok Sabha election was for formation of a government at the Centre.
He said the coalition partners were united and dismissed any possibility of the state government falling.
BJP's attempts to destabilise the government would not succeed, Khader asserted.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
