Udupi: Udupi-Chikmagalur MP and Senior BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje on Monday submitted a complaint to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh against the Karnataka Government and Karnataka Home Minister M B Patil for their ‘vindictive action’ targeting BJP workers in the state.

In the two page complaint, a copy of which she shared on her official twitter handle, Shobha stated that the coalition government in Karnataka ‘is indulging inwitch hunt against BJP sympathisers soon after  Lok Sabha polls’.

Her complaint comes in the wake of arrests of two persons Mahesh Vikram Hegde and Hemanth Kumar, both of whom Karandlaje claims to be BJP sympathisers for allegedly forging a letter of Home Minister M B Patil and spreading it ahead of the second phase of LS Election in the state.

The alleged forged letter was addressed to Sonia Gandhi wherein Patil had explained her the strategy to divide Lingayat votes by labelling it under a separate religious tag. The letter was published in Kannada leading daily Vijayawani days before 2nd phase of LS polls, Shobha added in her complaint.

“M. B Patil who went livid over the leakage of the letter to media and claimed the letter is a forged one and claimed he had never written any letter to Smt. Sonia Gandhi. Police who were under pressure to act on the Home Minister’s complaint, arrested Mahesh Vikram Hegde, Postcard Site owner” Shobha wrote in her complaint.

She also stated about the arrest of Journalist Hemanth Kumar, who was arrested in the case for forging and forwarding the letter. Shobha then mentioned arrests of several BJP supporters and activists to make her point.

The Udupi-Chikmagalur MP then added that a delegation of senior BJP leaders met Karnataka DGP Neelamani Raju, who she alleged was working under the directives of Home Minister. “Neelamani Raju struggled to give convincing reply to the BJP delegation and it was evident that police is acting under directives of Home Minister” Shobha wrote.

“BJP delegation met senior CID officials who are investigating the alleged fake letter case. They failed to provide convincing reply to our charge that police is targeting BJP workers and its sympathisers under orders from Home Minister” she further wrote in the complaint.

Shobha also mentioned several instances when the Congress leaders used foul language against the Prime Minister including the speech of Belur Gopalkrishna alleging that he openly instigated people to shoot down the prime minister. She added that complaints were filed on all the occasions but the police have failed to act against the Congress leaders.

“The police instead of finding the real culprit of the alleged fake letter written by M B Patil or to find out the authenticity of the letter they are going after innocent journalist Hemath Kumar who has no role in to or involved in any conspiracy. He is being falsely framed in the case by the police to please the minister” Shobha stated while requesting intervention of Union Home Minister in the matter to direct Karnataka DGP to stop “vindictive reprisal against BJP workers” and according to constitution of the country.

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New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.

Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.

"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.

"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country

"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.

"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.

Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.

"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.

"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.