Congress alleges commission in accounts of MLA Sunil Kumar’s close aide
Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar is facing fresh allegations of corruption as the Karkala KPCC campaign committee president, Shubadrao, has claimed that the MLA's close aides have received deposits of Rs 25,000 each in their accounts as commission.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Rao also accused Kumar of canceling all agreements made by the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) for the poor vehicle owners agreement and making a single tender for 603 vehicles at a higher rent rate of Rs 45,000 per month, owned by his close friend.
Rao alleged that commission money of Rs 13,000 for one vehicle and Rs 80 lakh for 603 vehicles is being paid, in which Rs 25,000 per month is being deposited in the accounts of 60 close aides of the MLA. He also drew attention to a similar tender process initiated by HESCOM, CHESCOM, GESCOM, BESCOM and MESCOM, which floated a tender for more than 1000 vehicles, where 210 vehicle owners of Mescom division brought a stay order from the court.
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Rao questioned whether the money received by 60 MLA's close-aides was not commission money and criticized BJP workers, saying that they were being used for the selfish ends of their leaders. He promised benefits such as Rs 2,000 per month through the Grihalakshmi scheme, free electricity to alleviate financial burdens, and job opportunities for the educated unemployed, emphasizing that a Congress-led government would prioritize the welfare of the people.
Former municipal councilor Vivekananda Shenoy, campaign committee member Dinakar Shetty Nitte, and others were present at the press conference. The allegations of corruption against the MLA have caused a stir in the Karkala constituency, and many are questioning the transparency of the tender process initiated by the MLA. The BJP has not yet responded to the allegations.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
