We can douse the fire which 'Amit Shah may ignite': Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken a jibe at BJP National President Amit Shah by stating that "We have the capability to douse the fire which Shah may ignite by vesting the state any number of times."
Speaking to reporters after receiving the Man of the Year Award conferred by the Press Club here on December 31, Sunday, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka is a land of harmony where the BJP leaders are trying to sow the seeds of hatred through communalism. But people of the state will not give scope for this, he added.
The State government is striving to build a land of equality as per the aspirations of the great Sufi saints and Sharanas who lived in this land in the past. There is no room for communal or caste hated here, he declared.
Politics needs good people : "Good people, whoever they may be, can enter politics, there is nothing wrong in it." The Chief Minister said while reacting to actor Rajanikanth's decision to enter politics. He also greeted people of the state on the occasion of New Year.
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RSS man's defamation case against Rahul: Key witness unavailable, hearing adjourned to Dec 20
Thane (PTI): A court in Bhiwandi in Thane district on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to December 20 due to non-availability of a crucial prosecution witness.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, counsel for Rahul Gandhi, confirmed the adjournment, stating that the witness, Ashok Saykar, currently Deputy Superintendent of Police in Barshi in Solapur, could not remain present due to personal reasons.
Saykar's evidence is now likely to be recorded on December 29.
His testimony is considered key because he, as police sub inspector in 2014, conducted the preliminary inquiry into the private defamation matter under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on the basis of Saykar's submitted report that the court subsequently issued process (summons) against Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The criminal defamation case was filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte following a speech given by Rahul Gandhi at an election rally near Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014.
The case stems from the Congress leader's alleged statement that "the RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi."
The matter is being heard by Bhiwandi Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, P M Kolse.
The hearing had previously been adjourned on November 15 after the complainant's counsel, Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, moved an application seeking permission to examine Saykar, who had submitted the probe report to the court.
The matter was originally scheduled for November 29 but was deferred to December 6 after Rahul Gandhi's legal team sought an adjournment citing their non-availability. The proceedings will now resume on December 20.
