Be cautious while welcoming people into party, says Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Jun 25: Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar on Friday asked his partymen to be cautious while welcoming people from other parties, saying the new entrants should not "spoil the party" by indulging in groupism.
The statement seems aimed at Chamarajpet legislator B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who is at the forefront of the faction in the party, projecting Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah as the Chief Ministerial face for the 2023 assembly polls, which has irked Shivakumar, who is also nursing similar ambitions.
Khan, who was earlier with JD(S) and once considered the trusted lieutenant of its leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, joined Congress with seven others from the regional party in 2018 and has since been a Siddaramaiah loyalist.
"Both from JD(S) and BJP, some workers are desiring a good change in the state.
There are people who are educated and have put in struggle, who want to join our party, accepting our ideology and respecting the leadership of Sonia Gandhi (Congress President). Send a proposal with the list of such people," Shivakumar told party workers.
"If you feel that the party will benefit from such people wanting to join the Congress, induct them...but they should not come and indulge in groupism.
Don't induct people who come from other parties, indulge in groupism and try to spoil our party.
Induct those who are ready to leave 'personality worship' behind and do only 'party worship'," he added.
The issue of CM face for the assembly polls has widened fissures within the party and also triggered a game of one- upmanship between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.
Khan's repeated statements projecting Siddaramaiah paved the way for other loyalists of the former Chief Minister to make similar open statements, despite diktats from AICC General Secretary in-charge of the State, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Shivakumar against it.
Following Shivakumar's statement asking Siddaramaiah to rein in MLAs projecting him as next CM, the latter on Thursday asked legislators not to make such statements and said the high command would take a decision on the matter at an appropriate time.
Siddaramaiah himself had joined the Congress with his followers in 2006 after he was expelled from the JD(S).
Further, indicating that leaders from other parties, especially from BJP, are in touch with him, Shivakumar said, "I don't want to divulge as to how many are in touch with me.
BJP legislators and Ministers are aware that their party will not come to power once again, for any reason.
In such a situation we have to utilise the opportunity, organise our party and bring our party to power."
He said the party would replace people not actively involved in organisational work and that efforts were on to make Congress a cadre based party.
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Taj Mahal top earning ASI monument through ticket sales from FY19-20 to FY23-24: Govt
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): The iconic Taj Mahal in Agra earned the "highest income" through the sale of tickets among the ASI-protected monuments from FY19-20 to FY23-24, according to data shared by the government.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the data in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha.
He was asked the amount that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has received from selling entry tickets to various monuments in the last five years, year-wise and monument-wise; and the monuments that have received the highest income through selling entry tickets in the last five years.
In his response, the minister shared the data in a tabular form for cycles of financial years ranging from FY19-20 to FY23-24.
According to the data, Taj Mahal earned the top slot for all five years.
The Mughal-era architectural wonder was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jehan in the 17th century and it is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
In FY19-20, the Agra Fort in Agra and Qutub Minar in Delhi were in the second and third positions.
In FY20-21, the Group of Monuments Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu and Sun Temple, Konark were in the second and third positions. In FY23-24, Qutub Minar and Red Fort of Delhi were in the second and third positions.
