Mangaluru: Former Mayor of the Mangaluru City Municipal Council and District Congress spokesperson Mahabala Marla on Wednesday blamed BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, for the merger of Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda.

Speaking at a press conference at the Congress election office at Bendorwell here, Mahabala said “Nalin Kumar Kateel recently said that Congress leader Veerappa Moily and Chidambaram were to be blamed for the merger of the bank, but in reality he has made those allegations to for political gains ahead of the LS Election”.

“For last three years, the Central government did not appoint committee officers for any bank nor did they appoint any government representative for any bank. This was done to hide the irregularities of the government which was providing illegal profits to the corporate entities. Nalin Kumar already knew in advance that this is going to be the fate of Vijaya Bank. He could have resolved the issue by calling for a all party meeting, but he did not opt for it fearing losing out on his ticket from the constituency. Now he is making allegations against senior Congress leaders to cover up his mistakes and blunders” Mahabala said.

Suresh Ballal, TK Sudhir, Stani Alwares, J. Abdul Salim and others were present at the press conference along with Mahabala.

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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.