Prashant Kishor quits as Punjab chief minister's principal advisor
Chandigarh, Aug 5: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor Thursday resigned as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's principal advisor, saying he was taking "a temporary break from active role in public life".
Kishor's move comes with assembly polls in Punjab less than a year away.
Kishor had managed the Congress' successful campaign in the 2017 polls.
He devised campaign programs such as "Punjab Da Captain" to garner support for Singh.
In a letter to the chief minister Thursday, Kishor wrote, "In view of my decision to take a temporary break from active role in public life, I have not been able to take over the responsibilities as your Principal Advisor.
"Since I am yet to decide on my future course of action, I write to request you to kindly relive me from this responsibility. I take this opportunity to thank you for considering me for this position," he wrote.
The chief minister had in March appointed Kishor as his principal advisor and given him the rank and status of a cabinet minister.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
