MP urination case: BJP functionary from Sidhi quits party, slams local MLA
Sidhi (PTI): The general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Sidhi district unit on Sunday quit the party over the urination incident after slamming the local MLA.
A video that went viral on social media earlier this week showing a tribal youth being urinated upon by a man, identified as Pravesh Shukla, has caused national outrage, prompting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to call the victim home and washing his feet as an act of atonement.
"My resignation is final. I had e-mailed it to MP BJP chief VD Sharma two days ago. I have posted it in the BJP's office-bearers' Whatsapp group. The party has not asked me to take back my resignation," Sidhi BJP general secretary Vivek Kol, an MBA who had unsuccessfully contested the last MP Assembly polls from Churhat seat as a BSP candidate, told PTI over phone.
Sidhi BJP district president Devkumar Singh couldn't be contacted for his comment over Kol's resignation.
Kol, in his resignation letter, said he had been hurt with the acts of local BJP MLA Kedarnath Shukla over the past two years, including alleged encroachment of tribal land and other atrocities in Sidhi.
Now his alleged "representative" has urinated on a tribal man, which has distressed him, Kol claimed.
The BJP has maintained that the accused had no link to MLA Shukla.
Kol also made other allegations on Shukla in the letter.
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Shivakumar challenges BJP to open debate on MGNREGS, VB-G RAM G
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday challenged the BJP leaders for an open debate on the merits of MGNREGA against the central government's VB-G RAM G rural employment scheme.
The challenge follows Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s announcement that a two-day legislative session will be called to pressure the union government to re-implement the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which was introduced in 2005 by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.
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Speaking to reporters here, he noted that the state government has already announced that it would hold a two-day session in the assembly to extensively discuss the Centre's decision to repeal MGNREGA.
Shivakumar pointed to the BJP's campaign to sensitise people about the newly introduced VB-G RAM G.
“Let them tell people what they have done and we will explain what this programme (MGNREGS) has done. Let the BJP come for a debate with us on the differences between our and their rural employment guarantee schemes. It is good. We have to make people aware of it,” the Deputy CM said.
He added, “Let their party president, opposition leader or a central minister come for a debate on a television channel. I am ready for a debate with them on our scheme and their scheme.”
To a question on the BJP’s allegation of rampant corruption in the MGNREGA, Shivakumar said the Centre should order a CBI inquiry if any scam has taken place.
