RSS publicity material removed in Kalaburagi, BJP sees red
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Kalaburagi (PTI): The state BJP on Saturday lashed out at Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge over the removal of RSS' publicity material in Chittapur taluk in this district ahead of a major event but the Congress leader alleged the saffron organisation had not taken permission for the programme.
The RSS had scheduled its 'Patha Sanchalana,' a route march seen as its show of strength and came at a time when the Congress government has decided to implement rules on holding of events in public places and government spaces. The move is seen as one aimed apparently at checking the RSS, with Kharge himself flagging the need for such restrictions with the Chief Minister a few days ago.
On Saturday, RSS flags, flex, banners and posters in Chittapur Taluk were removed. Kharge, the IT/BT minister, represents the Chittapur Assembly constituency.
The Minister had recently written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asking him to ban RSS activities in government institutions and public premises and prohibit the government officers and employees from taking part in its activities.
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to prohibit private organisations from holding any event in government schools and colleges and public places without prior permission of the authorities.
Flaying Kharge, BJP leader R Ashoka posted on 'X', "Is Chittapur in India or is it the Republic of the Kharge family."
Responding, Kharge asked," Have (RSS) they taken permission for it."
He said he was also fined for putting up posters and banners without permission from the authorities.
"The information I have is that they (RSS) have just given intimation about their event but they have not taken permission. Is the RSS flag the national flag of India. They are putting a flag illegally and are blaming us for it," he added.
He claimed that a BJP functionary threatened him saying that Rashtria Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers are 'fanatics' who will enter his house and beat him up.
"I am going to lodge a complaint with the Director General of Police," Kharge said.
As tension mounted in Kalaburagi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he has no information about the matter and would get details soon.
He clarified that one has to take permission for holding events.
According to him, the rule of seeking permission for organising events at public places was brought in by the then BJP CM Jagadish Shettar (in 2013), while the Congress government has repeated it.
Siddaramaiah wondered why there was no protest when Jagadish Shettar brought the rule.
"Our target is not at all RSS. It's about any organisation," the Chief Minister clarified.
When asked if the BJP was doing politics, Siddaramaiah said, "BJP always does politics. What else they can do apart from it. They never work for poor people. They just do politics."
He rule out any disturbance to law and order saying there are police to look into it.
Ashoka, the state Leader of Opposition said permission letter was obtained from the municipality for the RSS 'Patha Sanchalana' and Advertisement tax was paid to the municipality for putting up banners and flags, and a receipt has been obtained.
"Despite all this, you have removed the saffron banners and flags in the dead of night, Minister @PriyankKharge sir. Do you think you are the Nizam of Chittapur or a Razakar," he said, attacking the Congress leader.
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Sunetra Pawar elected as NCP's legislature party leader
Mumbai (PTI): Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected as the leader of the NCP legislature party in Maharashtra on Saturday, three days after the death of her husband and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
She is set to take oath as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state later in the day.
Sunetra Pawar's name as the NCP's legislature party leader was proposed by senior leader Dilip Walse Patil and seconded by Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
She was elected during a meeting of the party's legislature wing, held at the office of late Ajit Pawar on the ground floor of the Vidhan Bhavan complex in south Mumbai.
Ajit Pawar, who was deputy chief minister and finance minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government, was killed in a plane crash in Baramati along with four others on January 28.
Sunetra Pawar paid floral tributes to a portrait of her late husband in the meeting hall. Their younger son Jay was also present.
Many ministers and legislators were teary-eyed when they entered the Vidhan Bhavan complex.
The Lok Bhavan has confirmed that the swearing-in ceremony of Sunetra Pawar as the state deputy CM will be held at 5 pm in Mumbai.
Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar had kept a low profile. In the Lok Sabha elections that year, she contested from Baramati as the candidate of her husband's party, but was defeated by her sister-in-law and incumbent NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule in the prestige battle.
Sunetra Pawar was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.
