Amit Shah holding road show in Bangalore Rural as BJP-JD(S) workers are not united there: DKShi
Bengaluru, Mar 31: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah is holding a roadshow at Channapatna in the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, as workers of BJP and JD(S), who are fighting the polls in alliance, are not united there.
Shivakumar's brother and sitting MP D K Suresh is the Congress candidate in Bangalore Rural, while the BJP has fielded noted cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath, who is the son-in-law of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, on its ticket.
Shah will kick off his campaign in Karnataka on April 2. He is scheduled to hold a roadshow at Channapatna in the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment.
"Why they have selected Channapatna is because BJP and JD(S) are not united there, their workers are not united there. BJP and JD(S) workers who have fought each other day in and out, and even during local body polls, are not working together. So, Amit Shah is starting his campaign from there," Shivakumar said.
Addressing reporters here, he said JD(S) workers are also in a state of confusion in the Bangalore Rural segment, and people there know well about D K Suresh and Shivakumar.
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"They (BJP-JDS) want to show their strength and that they are united by bringing Amit Shah there. Why didn't they hold both parties' joint workers' meetings till now? Just because the leaders have come together will the workers come together?" he asked, as he expressed confidence about his brother's win from the segment once again.
Suresh was the only Congress candidate who had won the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 when the party was in alliance with JD(S). While the regional party had won one seat, the BJP almost swept the polls then by winning 25 seats. The saffron party had also ensured that an independent candidate supported by it won.
Noting that he felt strange looking at the political developments in Ramanagara and Mandya districts, Shivakumar pointed out that BJP and JD(S) leaders, who had attacked each other in the past, have now come together.
"Kumaraswamy is now going to the doors of everyone (BJP leaders), so much change in him. Those who dislodged his government (Congress-JD(S) coalition government) or who laid foundation for its collapse -- (BJP leaders) Yediyurappa, Ashoka, Ashwath Narayan -- he (Kumaraswamy) is now embracing them, people will have to decide," he added.
Responding to a question on Kumaraswamy reportedly accusing him of backstabbing and "politically poisoning" the JD(S), Shivakumar asked the JD(S) state President to say it before the people.
"Congress party had made him (Kumaraswamy) who had only 38 MLAs as the Chief Minister of Karnataka (in 2018), is that poison? Amid rains and in the scorching heat I fought for the stability of his government, is that poison? My conscience, the Shakti that I believe in, and the workers of JD(S) are aware as to what I did. I don't mind if he (Kumaraswamy) doesn't remember it," he said.
The state Congress chief also condemned veteran party leader and MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's alleged sexist remark on the BJP's candidate from the Davnagere constituency Gayathri Siddeshwara, saying she is only "fit to cook".
"Congress and I believe in the fact that a woman is the eye of a family. He (Shivashankarappa) is aged and might have spoken something with some calculation, but we are committed to the cause of women. We have given tickets to six women candidates including Shivashankarappa's daughter-in-law, for the first time in the history of Karnataka Congress for Lok Sabha polls. We have introduced programmes keeping women in mind," he added.
To another question, Shivakumar claimed that surveys of several channels have said that NDA will not emerge victorious in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls.
"The candidate, programmes we have given and the unity that we have shown, you cannot match in the country," he added.
Asked about former Minister and BJP leader in Channapatna C P Yogeshwara's daughter Nisha Yogeshwara joining the Congress, Shivakumar said, she had come to meet him, and he has all sympathies for her, "but, I don't want the bad name of separating father and daughter for the sake of politics...I will speak to party leaders and workers, if she is insistent on working for Congress."
He also said that Yogeshwara seems to be "dreaming" about his future prospects in the Channapatna constituency, because of the BJP-JD(S) alliance, "but, he is not aware as to what will happen to him and his supporters there, as he lacks experience."
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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
