Mumbai woman IAS officer's anti-Gandhi tweet sparks row
Mumbai: A Mumbai woman IAS officer's tweet has triggered a row by calling removal of Mahatma Gandhi's statues from across the world, including his images from the Indian currency notes.
Demanding that institutions and roads named after the Father of the Nation be renamed, she also "thanked" his assassin Nathuram Godse.
After the controversy, the officer, Nidhi Choudhari, posted as Deputy Municipal Commissioner in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said on Saturday that the tweet was "sarcastic" and it was "misinterpreted". The controversial tweet has since been deleted.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) demanded her suspension for the "derogatory" tweet about Mahatma Gandhi and "glorification" of Godse.
In her tweet posted on May 17 along with the picture of Mahatma Gandhi's mortal remains, Choudhari had written, "What an exceptional celebration of 150th birth anniversary year is going on. High time we remove his face from our currency, his statues from across the world, rename institutions/roads named after him! That would be a real tribute from all of us! ThankU#Godse for 30.01.1948."
On Saturday, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad demanded strict action against Choudhari by suspending her. "She glorified Godse by posting a derogatory tweet about Gandhiji. This shouldn't be tolerated," he said.
Claiming that Mahatma Gandhi's 'My Experiments With Truth' is her all-time favourite book, Choudhari said that her tweet was "misinterpreted."
"Those who have misinterpreted my tweet of 17.5.2019 should go through my timeline. Even past few months tweets would be self explanatory. I am deeply hurt and saddened by misinterpretation to a tweet written with sarcasm.
"I would never insult GandhiJi. GandhiJi is Father of Our Nation & in 2019 all of us must do our little bit to make this country better. Hope those misinterpreting my tweets would realise the sarcasm in it," she said on Twitter on Saturday.
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Lokayukta raids govt officials in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): The Lokayukta on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids at the premises of several government officials across different districts of Karnataka in connection with alleged possession of disproportionate assets, officials said.
The searches were carried out at multiple locations linked to officials working in various government departments in districts including Bengaluru, Mandya, Dharwad, Hassan, Mysuru, Vijayapura and Yadgir, among others, they said.
According to Lokayukta officials, the raids targeted officials holding posts such as Assistant Executive Engineer, Junior Engineer, Deputy Electrical Inspector and Taluk Backward Classes Welfare Officer.
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Among those raided was Assistant Executive Engineer M C Satyanarayana of the Hassan Municipal Corporation.
High drama unfolded during the raid at Satyanarayana’s residence in Hassan, where Lokayukta officials were forced to wait outside the house for more than an hour before gaining access as the door was not opened, sources said.
When Satyanarayana failed to respond to requests to open the gate, officials attempted to enter the house by climbing to the first floor.
In another case, officials conducted searches at the residence of Chief Engineer Vasantappa Nayak of Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited located in Akshaya Colony in Hubballi, sources said.
Currently serving in Bengaluru, Nayak had been transferred from Hubballi to Bengaluru in April last year. Officials are carrying out searches at his residence in Akshaya Colony, they said.
The raids were conducted by multiple teams of Lokayukta officials early in the morning at the residences and offices of the suspects following complaints regarding disproportionate assets.
