'Are you bold enough to attack the common man,' Cong leader Ramanath Rai asks MLA Bharat Shetty
Mangaluru: In a press conference held at the District Congress Committee office on Tuesday, Congress leader and former minister Ramanath Rai issued a strong challenge to MLA Bharat Shetty, stating, "If Bharat Shetty has the courage and strength, let him lay hands on our common worker."
Rai’s statement came in response to Shetty's earlier condemnation of the remarks made by Rahul Gandhi. The MLA had said that ‘Rahul Gandhi should be locked up and slapped inside the Parliament for his anti-Hindu statements’.
The senior Congress leader has demanded that a suo motu case be filed against Bharat Shetty for his comments on Rahul Gandhi. He accused the BJP of attempting to undermine Rahul Gandhi's statement, calling Shetty “a man without merit”, who rose in politics through the support of Amarnath Shetty.
Rai defended Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, emphasizing the sacrifices of his family for the country.
Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati had also earlier said that Rahul Gandhi's statements did not term Hindus as violent. He had further demanded that those spreading misinformation should be punished.
Rai criticized the BJP, accusing them of engaging in divisive, low-level politics aimed at inciting violence and garnering votes. He further said that the government is taking necessary measures to curb the spread of dengue. He questioned the mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic by the BJP government. He also spoke against rising inflation.
Congress leaders Shashidhar Hegde, Shubhodaya Alva, Naveen D'Souza, M.G. Hegde, Ashraf, Prakash Salian, Ramanand Pujari, Neeraj Paul, Chittaranjan Shetty, Salim, Surendra Kambli, and Imran Sawad were present in the press conference.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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