Indian Consulate in New York strongly condemns vandalisation of Gandhi statue outside Hindu temple
New York, Aug 19: The Consulate General of India in New York on Friday strongly condemned the vandalisation of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside a Hindu temple here and has taken up the matter with US authorities to ensure those responsible for the despicable action are held accountable.
In a possible hate crime, unidentified persons destroyed a handcrafted statue of Mahatma Gandhi with a sledgehammer at the Hindu temple in Queens after vandalising it earlier this month.
The Consulate said in a statement that it strongly condemns the vandalisation of the Mahatma Gandhi statue outside a temple in Queens, New York. We have taken up the matter with US authorities seeking thorough investigation so that those responsible for such despicable action are held accountable.
Surveillance video showed a person thrashing a statue of Gandhi with a sledgehammer on Tuesday, before smashing the head off and toppling it over, according to cbsnews.com.
Minutes later, a group of six stomp on it and take turns hammering the statue before taking off.
The New York Police Department is investigating both incidents as possible hate crimes, media reports said.
The Gandhi statue at Tulsi Mandir was vandalized a second time, this time completely destroyed.
— Jenifer Rajkumar (@JeniferRajkumar) August 18, 2022
With the outpouring of support I’ve received from ppl all around Queens, the country & world, I’m more optimistic than ever that we will succeed in defeating these forces of hate.👇 pic.twitter.com/TolUqi0wCR
NYC Gandhi statue obliterated by vandals, second attack in two weeks https://t.co/9dzaYFW9hx pic.twitter.com/E4U00sxfxR
— New York Post (@nypost) August 19, 2022
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CM Siddaramaiah meets PM Modi, seeks urgent clearances for two irrigation projects
New Delhi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting rectification in short term farm loan limit, Rs 10,000 cr in financial support and urgent clearances for the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Kalasa Bandhuri projects.
In the meeting in Parliament complex, Siddarmaiah pressed for several key interventions focusing on critical areas, including agriculture, water resources and urban infrastructure.
Deputy Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister D K Shivakumar, Energy Minister K J George and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh accompanied the CM for the meeting.
The chief minister highlighted that NABARD has drastically cut the Short Term Agricultural Credit Limit for Karnataka from Rs 5,600 crore in 2023-24 to just Rs 2,340 crore in 2024-25, a 58 per cent reduction that could severely impact farmers' access to soft loans.
"I request you to look into this and direct the Finance Ministry to rectify this situation so that farmers in Karnataka continue to receive soft agricultural loans," Siddarmaiah said in a representation made to the PM.
He requested Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra Project, which promises to irrigate central Karnataka's drought-prone farmlands. The project has been pending since the 2023-24 Union Budget.
He also pushed for clearances of two critical water projects - the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir on the Kaveri river and the Kalasa Bandhuri project on the Mahadayi river -- both awaiting approvals from the Jal Shakti and Environment Ministries.
Highlighting Bengaluru's status as a tech hub and top GDP contributor, the state requested special assistance for urban and public transportation.
Additionally, Karnataka sought Rs 10,000 cr to develop infrastructure in 13 emerging city corporations.
On fiscal allocation, the CM complained of receiving an unfavourable deal from the 15th Finance Commission, which reduced its tax share by 1 per cent.
Siddaramaiah urged the government to provide compensation grants and ensure future finance commissions do not penalise states with significant tax contributions.
The Karnataka chief minister also met Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and congratulated her on being elected as an MP from Wayanad.
