Irani targets Rahul for remarks on hospital for Odisha
Bhubaneswar, June 26: Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday targeted Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on the issue of setting up a multi-specialty hospital in Odisha.
"Congress party's claim that they are for development is ironical. The Congress President even failed to ensure health services for the voters and citizens of Amethi (the constituency of Gandhi)," Irani told reporters here.
Gandhi had attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he had failed to keep his promise of establishing a multi-specialty hospital in Rourkela.
He said Muktikant Biswal, a resident of Muktikanta, walked 1,350 km to Delhi to remind the Prime Minister of his poll promise.
Underlining that the Central government had announced the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the last budget, she hoped that the Odisha government would respond to the health needs of the people of the state and diligently ensure that the health scheme was implemented at the grassroots.
The Union Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would achieve its mission of securing more than 120 seats in the Odisha Assembly elections.
She said the overwhelming support of the people of the state would help the party achieve its goal.
"There are indicators of failure in health, education and law and order in Odisha. On the other hand, there is good governance by the BJP in other states. The BJP will achieve its goal due to these indications of failure," she added.
National BJP President Amit Shah has set a target to secure 120+ seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly in the 2019 elections.
Irani also criticised the Congress party for imposing Emergency, which she termed a "Black Day" in the history of Indian democracy.
She also remembered the contributions of intellectuals, freedom fighters and leaders from Odisha in safeguarding democracy during the 1975 Emergency.
"After 43 years of Emergency, people should remember it and it should be a day of pledge so that history is not repeated," said Irani.
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Karnataka govt forms SIT to probe cases against BJP MLA Munirathna
Bengaluru, Sep 21: The Karnataka government on Saturday constituted a Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Director General of Police (CID) B K Singh to probe three criminal cases registered against BJP MLA Munirathna, including a casteist slur and a rape case.
The announcement came after a court remanded Munirathna to 14 days’ judicial custody in an alleged rape case earlier in the day.
The investigation team also comprises three IPS officers, Labhu Ram, Soumyalatha S K and C A Simon.
The team has been asked to probe not only the three cases against him but also all the cases registered against the MLA and his aides in various police stations across the state.
Munirathna was arrested a week ago in connection with two FIRs being lodged against him for alleged harassment, threats and casteist abuse.
Soon after he was released on bail, he was arrested in a rape case and was remanded to judicial custody on Saturday.
The cases against the Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA were filed at Vyalikaval police station on September 13.
In the first FIR filed by the police based on a complaint by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor Cheluvaraju, the MLA is accused of demanding Rs 30 lakh as a bribe and threatening to terminate his contract if he did not pay the money.
The contractor alleged that Munirathna had initially demanded Rs 20 lakh in 2021 for a solid waste disposal contract. However, despite making that payment for getting 10 auto trippers for a waste management contract, he was not sanctioned those vehicles by the civic body.
According to the FIR, Cheluvaraju was being repeatedly harassed by the MLA, who allegedly verbally abused him and also physically assaulted him.
In the complaint, the contractor further alleged that the MLA did not allow him to execute his work and had even slapped him in September 2023.
Three others, including government officials, were also named in the FIR for allegedly threatening, abusing and harassing the contractor.
Cheluvaraju also claimed in the complaint that he contemplated ending his life because of the repeated harassment.
The contractor has also released a purported audio recording of a phone conversation between him and Munirathna.
According to the police, the second FIR against the accused MLA was filed on the complaint of a BBMP corporator who alleged that Munirathna had hurled casteist abuse, and insulted his caste and family.
The third case was registered on September 19 against Munirathna and six others following the complaint by a 40- year-old woman who alleged that the rape took place at a private resort within the Kaggalipura police station’s jurisdiction.
While Munirathna said the allegations against him were "far from truth", the BJP called it the politics of vendetta.
"For the last 15 years, there have been no allegations by a contractor or from the public that Munirathna has used derogatory language. After the Lok Sabha polls and results, conspiracies have been planned against me," the MLA said.
