Act of “political vendetta” by Narendra Modi govt: Surjewala on MUDA 'scam'
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.
Grant of prosecution sanction against CM, Sh. @siddaramaiah is An Act of “Political Vendetta” &“Personal Revenge Seeking” by the Modi Govt. - BJP leadership & their “Puppet Governor”!
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 17, 2024
Sinister Assault on the People of Karnataka by BJP in order to Abolish the five Congress… pic.twitter.com/C7lE7tnInM
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Flip-flop on COP: Cong's dig at govt on withdrawing bid to host COP33
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Thursday attacked the Centre over India withdrawing its bid to host the COP33 climate summit in 2028, and said it reflects the Modi government's true commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement both in letter and spirit.
The opposition party said the decision also calls into question the government's true commitment to take on more ambitious carbon mitigation goals in the short and medium term.
Congress general secretary and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh recalled that on December 1, 2023, the prime minister had announced grandly in Dubai that India would be hosting the annual UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) in India in late 2028.
"Clearly the intention was to milk the global gathering for whatever it is worth in the months before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections like Mr. Modi did by having the G20 Summit in New Delhi a few months before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," Ramesh said on X.
"Unexpectedly last night, it was announced that India will not be hosting the high-profile 2028 Conference. No reasons have been given for this sudden decision. But it does reflect on the Modi Govt's true commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement both in letter and spirit," the Congress general in-charge communications said.
It also calls into question the Modi government's true commitment to take on more ambitious carbon mitigation goals in the short and medium term, Ramesh said.
By 2028, the seventh assessment report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) may get published and this could put greater pressure on India as the Chair of the 2028 Conference to forge a new consensus that would undoubtedly involve a scaling up of ambitions not just for a distant future, he said.
"Incidentally, do we recall what the PM had told a group of children some years ago on his view of climate change? He had remarked that 'people have changed, climate has not.' Bizarre!" Ramesh said.
He slammed the government's "flip-flop" on hosting the conference.
Ramesh had on Wednesday night said that he was "surprised" at the development.
"I am very surprised. It was high on the PM's agenda especially since 2029 will be the year of Lok Sabha polls. So atmospherics could have (been) created," he had said.
India has withdrawn its offer to host the United Nations annual climate Conference Of the Parties (COP33) in 2028, according to sources.
During his address at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, Prime Minister Modi had proposed India as the host country for COP33. Usually, the venue for a COP edition is decided two years in advance.
Sources confirmed that the decision was officially communicated to the authorities concerned earlier this week that India is withdrawing its bid to host COP 33. They, however, did not state any specific reason behind the government's decision.
