Next time invite Finance Minister to pre-budget meet: Congress in jab at BJP
New Delhi, Jan 9: The Congress on Thursday took a swipe at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her absence at a pre-budget meeting with economists and experts at the Niti Aayog here which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Here's a suggestion, next budget meeting, consider inviting the Finance Minister," the Congress said on its official Twitter handle, using the hashtag "FindingNirmala".
"How many men does it take to do a woman's job," the opposition party said in another tweet, using the same hashtag.
Incidentally, while Nirmala Sitharaman was absent, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar were present at the PM's pre-budget meeting.
The Congress tagged a tweet of the BJP that said the finance ministry has invited suggestions for the Union Budget 2020-21.
"Citizens from all walks of life are welcome to be a part of this exercise," the tweet on the BJP twitter handle said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was not present as the Prime Minister met economists, private equity and venture capitalists, business leaders and agri experts at Niti Aayog and called for focussed efforts from all stakeholders to achieve the target of nearly doubling the size of the Indian economy to USD 5 trillion by 2024.
BJP sources said Sitharaman was holding pre-budget meetings with party workers at the BJP headquarters at that time.
FM Smt. @nsitharaman having pre-budget consultation meetings with Party’s national office-bearers, spokespersons, Morcha members, departments, publications and think-tanks at BJP headquarters in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/sUi5Kjwons
— BJP (@BJP4India) January 9, 2020
How many men does it take to do a woman's job? #FindingNirmala https://t.co/RbiFmFZVBW
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 9, 2020
Same question again: https://t.co/QhZQtBLRwv. What’s going on here? Finance Minister indisposed?
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 9, 2020
Sir, the minister has already met industrialists, experts, and economists during the pre-budget consultations.
— NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) January 9, 2020
Also, she has been meeting and interacting with representatives and stakeholders from various industries for many months now. https://t.co/0jqzqlaCrT pic.twitter.com/00jYixrVc3
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kulkarni became victim of BJP conspiracy as he grew politically in North Karnataka: Shivakumar
_vb_59.jpeg)
Bengaluru (PTI): Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar claimed on Friday that Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case, has become a victim of a BJP conspiracy because he was growing politically in the north Karnataka region.
Stating that he has faith in Kulkarni and believes he has done nothing wrong, he said the former minister will fight the case legally by filing an appeal.
A Bengaluru court on Friday sentenced Kulkarni and fifteen others to life imprisonment in the BJP leader Yogeshgouda Goudar murder case.
On Wednesday, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, Judge of the Special Court for cases involving elected representatives, convicted Kulkarni and others under various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy and murder.
“I respect the court. But there was a big conspiracy in this case. When the police were about to file a B-report, the CBI was given the case to harass him (Kulkarni). Vinay Kulkarni has become a victim of a BJP conspiracy as he was growing politically in north Karnataka,” Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said Kulkarni has several legal options.
“I have spoken to his family. He swore on God and told me that he had not done anything wrong. I still have faith in him. I feel that he has not done anything wrong. He has an opportunity to file an appeal,” he said, adding that he stands with Kulkarni’s family and supporters and believes he will get justice.
The case pertains to the killing of Goudar, a BJP zilla panchayat member, in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Kulkarni was a minister at the time. Hired assailants allegedly attacked and hacked Goudar to death in his gym in Saptapur, Dharwad.
Following demands from Goudar’s family and others, the then-BJP government transferred the case to the CBI in 2019.
Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, under whose tenure the case was handed over to the CBI, told reporters in Chikkamagaluru, “I said what I needed to say when the crime happened, and what I said—that the guilty should be punished and justice should be served—has proven true.”
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, BJP leader and MLC C T Ravi, reacting to the court order, said, “Justice delayed, but not denied.”
