Govt hiding poor people and animals from G20 dignitaries: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Saturday accused the government of covering up or demolishing slums and rounding up stray animals in view of the G20 Summit, with its leader Rahul Gandhi saying "there is no need to hide India's reality from our guests."
The Congress shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing some slum areas being covered with green sheets ahead of the two-day summit, which began here on Saturday and was attended by leaders of the largest economies of the world.
"The Government of India is hiding our poor people and animals. There is no need to hide India's reality from our guests," Gandhi, who is currently abroad, said in a post on X.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also attacked the prime minister over the matter.
"G20 is intended to be a productive gathering of the major world economies, aimed at dealing with global problems in a cooperative manner. President Putin may have stayed away, but Prince Potemkin has been in full display with slums being either covered up or demolished, rendering thousands homeless. Stray animals have been cruelly rounded up and mistreated, only to burnish the PM's image," Ramesh said in a statement.
In addition to the video of slums being covered up, the opposition party shared videos of cruelty towards stray dogs and animals ahead of the G20 Summit.
"The government considers us insects. Are we not humans," said a slum resident, whose video the Congress shared.
"Before G20, Modi government has covered their houses with curtains to hide its failure. Because the king hates the poor," the opposition party said on its X handle.
"Watch this video to witness the shocking cruelty inflicted upon innocent street dogs by the Modi government in preparation for the G20 summit.
"Dogs are being dragged by their necks, beaten with sticks and thrown into cages. They are being denied food and water, and they are being subjected to extreme stress and fear," it said.
"It is imperative that we raise our voices against such appalling acts and demand justice for these voiceless victims," the opposition party said.
GOI is hiding our poor people and animals.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 9, 2023
There is no need to hide India’s reality from our guests.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
