Kolkata Police arrests 3 'BJP supporters' for 'goli maro...' slogan
Kolkata: Kolkata Police on Monday claimed to have arrested three BJP supporters for allegedly raising the incendiary "desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maro ... " (shoot the traitors) slogan while they were on their way to attend Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in the city.
"This illegal act of passing provocative slogans was done by BJP supporters. It is a cognisable offence," a senior official of the Kolkata Police said.
Based on the complaint lodged by a person at the New Market Police Station on Sunday, police arrested the trio.
The three, identified as Dhruva Basu, Pankaj Prasad, and Surendra Kumar Tewary, were arrested on Sunday night, the official said.
"They have been booked under four sections including two non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code. They will be produced at a city court today," the IPS officer said.
The West Bengal BJP unit on Sunday came under fire after a group of people holding the party flag allegedly raised the incendiary "desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maro..." (shoot the traitors) slogan on their way to a rally of Shah.
The men shouted the slogan while they were passing the Maidan Market in Esplanade en route to the rally venue Shahid Minar ground.
The state BJP leadership, however, denied the involvement of any party worker in the incident and termed it as the "handiwork of the TMC (Trinamool Congress)".
The home minister was on a day-long visit to Kolkata on Sunday.
There has been a controversy over raising of such slogans during BJP rallies during Delhi assembly polls and protests in favour of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) due to allegations that they provoke violence.
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Karnataka tanks hold strong water storage: Minister Boseraju
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister N S Boseraju on Tuesday said that minor irrigation tanks across the state are holding good water storage levels, with the 3,788 tanks under the department’s jurisdiction providing life-sustaining water to a large agricultural command area of approximately 4,45,009 hectares.
In a statement, the Minister for Minor Irrigation, Boseraju, said that according to the latest data released by the department, a vast majority of the 3,788 minor irrigation tanks in the state have maintained good water levels.
Detailing the storage status, the report said that even in peak summer, 165 tanks are full.
Additionally, 1,355 tanks have retained more than 51 per cent capacity, 1,143 tanks have water levels up to 50 per cent, and 959 tanks are at roughly 30 per cent storage capacity.
District-wise, Davanagere leads the state in water storage, with 27 tanks remaining full even during summer. Chikkamagaluru follows closely with 46 full tanks, indicating strong water retention.
Other top-performing districts include Hassan, Tumakuru, and Kolar.
Boseraju, who also holds the portfolio of Science and Technology, said 1,184 tanks are being actively filled through 145 tank-filling lift irrigation projects under the Minor Irrigation Department.
He attributed the strong water retention to good monsoon rainfall and effective water management strategies of the government.
“It is encouraging to see such a substantial volume of water stored across our minor irrigation tanks by the end of March, remaining largely intact even as summer progresses. The fact that 1,355 tanks are nearly full and 165 tanks are brimming is a testament to the success of our tank-filling programmes and rejuvenation initiatives,” he said.
“By ensuring a continuous flow of water to these tanks through lift irrigation projects across departments, as well as supplying treated and surface water to the Bayaluseeme districts, we have taken proactive measures to prevent them from drying out during the summer,” the minister said.
According to him, these data points confirm that efforts to build a water-secure Karnataka are yielding strong results at the grassroots level.
“This water wealth preserved in our tanks will bring direct benefits to lakhs of farmers across the 4,45,009-hectare command area,” he added.
