Does Rahul stand with accused number one Siddaramaiah, asks BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday asserted that the registration of a case on several criminal charges, including corruption, against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has exposed the Congress, as it noted that the FIR was lodged following a court order and central agencies had no role in it.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told reporters that it is a rare case of a sitting chief minister being made an accused in a corruption case and has unmasked the "corrupt face" of the Congress.
Siddaramaiah is the accused number one in the case, he said and took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking if he stood with the chief minister accused of corrupt practices.
The Karnataka Lokayukta police on Friday registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah and others in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, following the court order.
A special court in Bengaluru on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the case, setting the stage for filing an FIR against him.
With the Congress leadership accusing the BJP of targeting the chief minister for political reasons, Trivedi noted that central probe agencies had no role in this FIR.
He claimed that the case is an outcome of Siddaramaiah's own misdeeds, as he and his family abused government powers to acquire assets illegally.
He said a Congress candidate in the Haryana assembly polls had recently said that his party leaders will use power to enrich themselves and their relatives, and alleged that the Karnataka chief minister had already been doing it.
While Congress leaders pocket thousands of crores of rupees, they give "lollypop" of a few thousands to people, he said.
At the press conference, the BJP spokesperson also slammed the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal for its "nexus" with criminals over the case of rape of an IAS officer's wife.
He made a mention of the Calcutta High Court's critical observation of the police investigation in the case to hit out at the regional party.
It shows how dangerous the state has become for women, and a heinous nexus is visible between government officials and criminals, he alleged.
Replying to a question about Gandhi's allegation that the poor had no place in the Ram temple inauguration ceremony, Trivedi accused the Congress of repeatedly disrespecting the temple and noted that workers involved in its construction were felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and showered with flower petals.
He objected to the use of phrase like "naach gana" (song and dance) by Gandhi in the context of the temple's inauguration ceremony.
He said three generations of Gandhi family had gone to Mughal king Babar's grave in Afghanistan to pay their respects, and claimed that their stand on the temple shows their real nature and contempt for Hinduism.
Referring to Pakistani prime minister's comments in the UN targeting India over developments in Kashmir, Trivedi said the Congress-National Conference has also been speaking the same language.
Noting that the anniversary of the surgical strikes targeting terrorists in Pakistan in 2016 fell on Saturday, he said the Congress and Pakistan have been echoing each other's views since then.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
ALSO READ: Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
