BJP mulling options as Akbar returns tomorrow
New Delhi, Oct 13: Amid an increasing clamour for Union minister M J Akbar's resignation, the BJP is likely to take a clear stand on the allegations of sexual harassment against him once he explains his position upon his scheduled return to India on Sunday.
The junior foreign minister, who has been on an official trip abroad, has so far not responded to the charges.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party has maintained a studied silence on the matter so far, party sources have said the charges against him are serious, and his continuance as a minister is no longer guaranteed. A final call will be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they said.
There is also a view within the party that there is no legal case against him, and allegations pertain to a time long before he became a minister.
Multiple women in the last few days have offered their accounts of alleged sexual harassment by Akbar as the #MeToo movement swept social media, bringing to fore sordid tales of sexual harassment by influential men in different walks of lives.
While the BJP has kept mum, some woman ministers have lent their support to the #MeToo movement without taking a stand on the charges against Akbar.
Party leaders have said it is for Akbar to respond to the charges first.
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Efforts on to identify, rehabilitate Kogilu dwellers under housing scheme: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday said a detailed exercise is underway to identify and rehabilitate eligible beneficiaries under the 'One Lakh Multi-storey Bengaluru Housing Scheme', even as scrutiny of applications from 'Kogilu Bande' has revealed large-scale ineligibility due to non-compliance of guidelines.
The authorities evicted the dwellers in Kogilu Cross living in slums during winter, saying that they occupied the government land, meant for Bengaluru's solid waste management, illegally.
The action drew flak, especially from the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prompting the Karnataka government to announce alternative arrangements.
On Wednesday, the minister said the initiative is part of efforts to provide housing to the urban poor through a structured and transparent process overseen by the City Shelter Committee.
"A total of 1,187 one-bedroom flats are being constructed, 594 flats under the public quota and 593 flats under the local quota," he said, outlining the scale of the housing project coming up at Byappanahalli village in Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency, which the revenue minister represents in the Assembly.
A total of 189 beneficiaries have already been selected in a City Shelter Committee meeting, he said, indicating that allotment is being carried out in phases based on eligibility criteria.
Substantiating the scale of the exercise, the minister said, "Following the clearance of unauthorised houses in Kogilu Bande, a survey was conducted, and a list of 165 homeless individuals has been submitted."
He said the survey, carried out jointly by the Revenue Department and the Greater Bengaluru Authority, was aimed at ensuring that displaced and genuinely homeless families are considered for rehabilitation under the housing scheme.
Of the 165 identified individuals, only 61 families were found eligible as per the scheme guidelines.
The minister noted that a significant number of applications were rejected or kept pending due to various reasons.
He further pointed out discrepancies such as duplicate applications, ownership of houses within the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area, and incomplete documentation.
In several cases, applicants were found to be outside the jurisdiction or lacked valid address proof.
The minister said some applicants were also from outside the state, making them ineligible under the scheme norms.
He assured that pending cases would be reviewed once applicants submit the required documents.
"The pending cases will be reviewed in the next Ashraya Committee meeting upon resubmission of the required documents," he said.
Emphasising the need for strict adherence to guidelines, Gowda said the government is committed to ensuring that only genuine beneficiaries receive housing under the scheme, while preventing misuse of public resources.
