Low visibility prevents PM’s helicopter from landing in Taherpur, Modi returns to Kolkata airport
Kolkata (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter failed to land at the Taherpur helipad in West Bengal owing to low visibility on account of dense fog in the area on Saturday, an official said.
The PM’s chopper made a U-turn after hovering over the helipad ground for a while and returned to the Kolkata airport, he said.
Till reports last received, the Prime Minister was waiting at the airport for further updates on the weather situation.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Modi would reach the rally venue district by road or whether he would wait for the weather to clear up and make another attempt to reach Taherpur by the aerial route, the official said.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister reached Kolkata at around 10.40 am and took a chopper onward to Taherpur in Nadia district, where he is scheduled to hold an administrative programme to launch highway projects in West Bengal, followed by a political rally of the BJP, titled Parivartan Sankalpa Sabha, which he is supposed to address.
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No question of resigning, says minister; calls oppn’s corruption allegations ‘political conspiracy’
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister R B Timmapur on Wednesday asserted that there was no question of his resigning, as he termed the opposition’s allegations of corruption against him "false and a political conspiracy", even as the BJP and the JD(S) staged protests in the legislative assembly seeking his removal from the ministry.
He said he had not done anything wrong and that there was no evidence to support the opposition’s allegations against him.
The opposition on Tuesday staged an all-night protest in the assembly after the state excise minister refused to quit over corruption charges against him and his son related to liquor licensing and the transfer of officials.
The protest continued in the assembly earlier in the day as well.
"Can we run the government if we resign whenever the opposition demands it? They ask for everyone’s resignation, even the chief minister’s. Should everyone resign? What is the evidence? I will not allow them to defame the government as part of a political conspiracy," Timmapur said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the opposition was "indulging in wrongdoing, possibly under some pressure."
"Nothing has happened. There is no question of my resigning. I have not done any such wrong thing. There is no evidence for the allegations," he added.
Leading the charge, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka alleged in the assembly that bribes were being taken in the Excise Department for granting licences and facilitating transfers.
Wine merchants’ associations have alleged that the scam in the excise department was to the tune of about Rs 6,000 crore, he said, adding that related audio recordings had been released and complaints filed with the Lokayukta.
He also claimed that the "looted money" was being used by the ruling Congress to fund the party in election-bound states.
Questioning the evidence cited by the opposition, the minister said, "Have I spoken in the audio? Has any officer spoken? Did I say anything? All these audios and videos are false."
He said that if officials had done anything wrong, they would be held accountable. "I have taken immediate action against such officials and have suspended them," he added.
To a question on whether he had spoken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah regarding the allegations, Timmapur said, "Nothing. He has not asked me anything, and I too have not said anything."
