Sabarimala: Union Minister travels to Pamba, gets into war of words with police
Nilackal(Kerala), Nov 21: Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, who was on his way to the Sabarimala Temple, Wednesday engaged in a brief war of words with the police here over restrictions on private vehicles heading to Pamba, the last entry point to the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
Though IPS officer Yatish Chandra said the minister could travel in his official vehicle, Radhakrishnan preferred to proceed to Pamba from here in a state-run KSRTC bus as a mark of protest against the restrictions imposed by state authorities causing difficulties to pilgrims.
Radhakrishnan, the Minister of State for Shipping and Finance, arrived at the base camp here, located about 20 km from Sabarimala, a day after the visit of opposition Congress-led UDF MLAs and BJP MPs to take stock of facilities offered to devotees.
After reviewing facilities, the minister asked the Chandra, why only KSRTC vehicles were being allowed till Pamba and asked them to allow private vehicles also.
"You (police) are unnecessarily harassing devotees. Why only KSRTC vehicles are being allowed till Pamba? This is not good for Sabarimala pilgrims. Private vehicles should also be allowed," the minister said.
Chandra, however, said that parking lots in Pamba had been washed away in the August floods. He said, the KSRTC buses would not park at Pamba and would be returning with pilgrims.
But if private vehicles were allowed, they would create traffic blocks causing difficulties to pilgrims.
The senior police official explained to the union minister about the features of Pamba, an environmental fragile area.He also said if the union minister gives him in writing to allow private vehicles to Pamba, he was prepared to allow all vehicles.
Accompanied by the BJP state leaders and activists, the minister later interacted with the devotees especially those who arrived from neighbouring states.
Carrying the customary 'irumudikettu' (the sacred offerings to Lord Ayyappa), Radhakrishnan later headed to Pamba in the state-run bus along with other leaders and activists.
"The government should correct itself, otherwise the people will correct them", he told reporters in Pamba.
The minister is expected to reach the Sannidhanam later in the day.
Senior leaders and activists of the Opposition Congress-led UDF, who staged protests at Pamba and Nilackal Tuesday, had been booked for defying prohibitory orders on Tuesday.
BJP MPs, V Muraleedharan and Nalin Kumar Kateel, along with a group of other party leaders, also visited the base camp here and Pamba and reviewed infrastructure facilities.
They had also interacted with devotees and enquired about the facilities offered at the shrine complex.
The Lord Ayyappa Temple was opened on November 16 evening for the over two-month-long pilgrim seasons amidst tension.
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CBI questions Anil Ambani for second day in connection with 2,929-cr RCom case
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New Delhi (PTI): The CBI on Friday questioned industrialist Anil Ambani for the second consecutive day in connection with a Rs 2,929-crore cheating case, registered against Reliance Communications Ltd and him on a complaint by the State Bank of India, officials said.
Ambani arrived at the agency headquarters at around 10 am, they said.
On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought his responses on alleged fund diversion, misappropriation and other irregularities in the loan funds issued to the company by the bank, they said.
"The appearance is in furtherance to Mr Ambani's commitment to extend full cooperation in the matter with all agencies," Anil D Ambani's Spokesperson had said in a statement on Thursday.
The CBI had booked Ambani in August last year for allegedly defrauding the SBI to the tune of Rs 2,929 crore, officials said.
According to the SBI complaint, now part of the FIR, the company had an outstanding of over Rs 40,000 crore to various lenders, with the public sector bank alone facing a loss of Rs 2,929 crore, according to 2018 figures.
The CBI booked Ambani and RCom for allegedly committing offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust.
"It is alleged that the accused persons, in criminal conspiracy, misrepresented and got sanctioned credit facilities from SBI in favour of Reliance Communication Ltd," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement in August last year.
Ambani's spokesperson responded, "Anil D Ambani denies all allegations and charges, and will duly defend himself."
According to sources, the agency also searched the Ambani residence 'Sea Wind' at Cuffe Parade in Mumbai.
The complaint filed by SBI pertains to matters dating back more than 10 years, according to Ambani's spokesperson.
At that time, Ambani was a non-executive director of the company, with no involvement in the day-to-day management, a statement from his spokesperson then said.
"The matter remains sub-judice, pending before the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) and other judicial forums, including the Supreme Court, for the past six years," it said.
Anil Ambani has duly challenged SBI's declaration before the competent judicial forum, it said.
