Yediyurappa pursuing vindictive politics, alleges D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 30: Senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar against whom the Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons in a money laundering case, on Friday accused Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa of sowing the seed of "vindictive politics" in the state.
Alleging that various projects announced during the coalition government's tenure were being stalled, the former minister threatened Yediyurappa that he would stage a dharna, "if such orders are not withdrawn and projects not restored."
"I want to congratulate Mr Yediyurappa, a great friend of mine, who is now the Chief Minister of the state.
On the floor of the assembly he had said he will not get into vindictive politics...I'm happy, I would like to congratulate him as he has sown the seed of vindictiveness," Shivakumar said.
The congress leader claimed from the day Yediyurappa came to power, vindictive action has been going on against the Congress and JD(S) legislators.
Projects, which had been sanctioned by the coalition government, were being cancelled, he alleged.
"Directions have been given to all officials to put projects on hold and various BJP ministers, legislators and workers have been forcing the officers to stop them as all of them will be cancelled," he told reporters here ahead of his visit to Delhi to appear before the ED.
Shivakumar has termed the ED action a 'conspiracy' to defame him and his party.
Claiming that projects had been stalled in the Bangalore rural Lok Sabha constituency represented by his brother D K Suresh, the lone Congress MP from Karnataka, Shivakumar said it was his desire to have a medical college in Kanakapura, which the previous Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had granted.
"It was sanctioned, tender was called and plan was being finalized, cabinet too had cleared it. We were suppose to do a bhoomi pooja (land breaking ceremony), but it did not happen due to political unrest in the state.
After Yediyurappa came to power his single member cabinet has cancelled the medical college and shifted it to Chikkaballapura," he claimed.
"It is unfortunate. I never expected Yediyurappa to indulge in vindictive politics," the congress leader said as he appealed to the Chief Minister to withdraw the order immediately.
"Otherwise, I will have to fight it politically .
...I will have to sit on dharna in front of Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha (the state secretariat) till that medical college starts functioning.
Till my last breath, I will fight for people of my constituency. I will also protest against vindictive politics towards our Congress-JD(S) MLAs," he added.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
