Bengaluru (PTI): Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday dubbed the permission granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA alternative site scam as an act of “political vendetta” by the PM Narendra Modi-led government. He said the Congress party would fight the battle legally.

Surjewala alleged that the decision is an "act of shameless unconstitutionality" by the Governor, who is hell-bent on bulldozing the law and the Constitution to carry further BJP’s conspiracy.

"In a brazen political conspiracy hatched in the corridors of PMO and the Home Ministry, in Delhi, against the people of Karnataka and its elected government, the ‘puppet Governor of Karnataka’ has proceeded to grant prosecution sanction against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, by dancing to the tune of his political masters," he said in a statement.

He emphasised that Congress was blessed by crores of Kannadigas and won a decisive mandate in the 2023 Assembly elections to serve the people. PM Modi and the BJP are unable to fathom their loss in the state and have tried every trick in the book to defame and destabilise the Congress government.

"Every single attempt failed miserably, and they are now using their ‘Puppet Governor’ to hatch a conspiracy of destabilization. The Governor is now colluding with a complainant, who is a known blackmailer, to attack the elected Government and the Chief Minister. The Governor has brought huge disregard and infamy to his own Constitutional position in the process," he alleged.

He further alleged that the ‘Machiavellian’ conspiracy of the PMO/Home Ministry/BJP Leaders has three facets -- Try to steal the vote and the mandate of the people of Karnataka, decisively given in favour of the Congress party, by using the office of a ragdoll Governor.

The second is to attack the Congress government in order to accomplish the BJP’s evil design to stop the five Congress Guarantees, benefitting over five crore Kannadigas.

The third is "attack the Backward Class/SC/ST and marginalised sections by a fabricated design to tarnish the image of India’s senior most Backward Class Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Such fabricated and manufactured conspiracies will get shredded to pieces in the people's court."

Surjewala affirmed that the Congress party and its government will never permit the BJP to succeed in its evil design to stop the Congress' guarantees.

"We shall fight the battle legally as also in the court of the people of Karnataka and the Country. Truth shall prevail. Satyamev Jayate!," he added.

 

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Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.

The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.

Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.

District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.

Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."

The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.

Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."

"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.

"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.