Cong chief Kharge speaks to Mamata; Jairam Ramesh says 'will find way forward'
New Delhi, Jan 25: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday spoke with West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said and asserted that the two parties "will find a way forward".
Ramesh's remark came amid a Congress-TMC impasse over seat-sharing in Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls and a day after Banerjee announced that her party will fight the elections in the state "alone".
Congress president Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and everyone in the party would be "just delighted and privileged to have her as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra even if it is for a few minutes", AICC general secretary in-charge communications Ramesh told PTI.
"Congress president Kharge has spoken with her today and we will find a way forward because her objective is the objective of the INDIA bloc which is to defeat the BJP resoundingly in West Bengal and convincingly in other parts of the country," he said.
Ramesh said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would be immensely strengthened by her presence.
"Without her, we cannot fight the BJP in Bengal and the rest of the country. She is the integral, essential pillar of the opposition bloc INDIA. She has played a crucial role in making the INDIA bloc a reality," the Congress leader said.
Ramesh's remarks came after Gandhi expressed confidence in the unity of the opposition INDIA bloc in combating injustice nationwide.
The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,' led by Gandhi, entered West Bengal on Thursday from Assam through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district. It will take a two-day break on January 26-27 before restarting on January 28.
Banerjee had told reporters on Wednesday, "I had given them (Congress) a proposal (on seat sharing) but they refused it at the outset. Our party has now decided to go it alone in Bengal."
After Banerjee's sudden comments, the Congress has adopted a conciliatory approach with Ramesh asserting that the opposition bloc INDIA "cannot be imagined without Mamata Banerjee".
The CPI (M)-led Left Front, Congress, and the TMC are part of the 28-party INDIA bloc.
In the 2019 elections, the TMC secured 22 seats, Congress won two, and the BJP bagged 18 seats in the state.
TMC had previously allied with the Congress in the 2001 assembly polls, the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, and the 2011 assembly polls, leading to the ousting of the CPI (M)-led Left Front government of 34 years.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
