BJP, JD(S) trying to destabilise govt: Cong over opposition's graft charges against CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Aug 4: The Congress would unitedly fight against the BJP and JD(S)'s attempts to destabilise the Siddaramaiah government, the ruling party in Karnataka said on Sunday, backing its chief minister who is on the opposition's radar in MUDA and state-run Valmiki Corporation "scams".
"Everybody knows about Siddaramaiah's honesty. He is not a new chief minister here. Everybody knows about his career, where he started, where he is now, also his ideology and his background," Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organisation K C Venugopal told reporters here.
His comments came after he held a meeting with state ministers along with Congress General Secretary in-charge of the state Randeep Singh Surjewala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar.
Shivakumar is also the party's Karanataka unit chief.
The meeting comes in the wake of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot issuing a show cause notice to Siddaramaiah, which is seen as a precursor to giving sanction to his prosecution in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment "scam".
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The notice was issued on July 26 based on a plea filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham. The chief minister was directed to submit his reply within seven days.
Venugopal claimed the BJP and JD(S) are targeting the Congress dispensation and the chief minister as they are aware that the state government's guarantee schemes to address the concerns of the poor people will harm them politically.
"So they conspired and brought out some charges against Siddaramaiah and the Congress dispensation, thereby trying to destabilise the government. Unfortunately, the governor has become a tool in the BJP's conspiracy," he added.
The opposition BJP and JD(S) began a week-long 'Mysuru Chalo' foot march on Saturday against the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites by MUDA to those who lost land to other development projects, including Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi. The two parties are demanding the chief minister's resignation.
The Karnataka government on Thursday "strongly advised" Gehlot to withdraw the show-cause notice and alleged "gross misuse of the constitutional office" of the governor.
The council of ministers held a meeting on Thursday and later alleged that a concerted effort was being made to destabilise a lawfully elected majority government in Karnataka for political gains.
Venugopal on Sunday said the ministers have been told to visit districts and assembly constituencies and explain to the people how the BJP was trying to "destabilise" the government and end the guarantee schemes.
"We are very much concerned about the poor people of the state. We will continue with the guarantee schemes. We are really proud of the government's implementation of guarantees. This is what we have discussed and decided today," he added.
The opposition parties have been demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation also over the Valmiki Corporation "scam" that came to light after its accounts superintendent Chandrashekhar P ended his life on May 26.
Chandrashekhar left a note claiming that Rs 187 crore was transferred from the corporation's bank account, of which Rs 88.62 crore was "illegally" moved to accounts of "well-known" IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank, among others.
According to Congress sources, Venugopal asked the ministers at the meeting why the Congress government has not been able to effectively counter the BJP and JD(S)' narrative, despite the opposition "lacking" any clear evidence.
Venugopal and Surjewala are said to have asked the ministers to strongly stand behind the CM and defend him, while also effectively countering the opposition.
Indicating the possible scenario where the government may have to legally fight the governor if prosecution against the chief minister is sanctioned in connection with the MUDA "scam", they assured the high command's support, the sources added.
Noting the BJP's "history in sabotaging governments", Venugopal alleged the last JD(S)-Congress coalition dispensation was "dislodged" by a conspiracy hatched by the BJP's central leadership.
"They are trying and targeting the current Karnataka government the same way with a clear motive," the Congress leader said.
He alleged that when former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna's sexual abuse cases came to the fore, at that point itself there was a conspiracy against the Congress government. "The BJP and JD(S) want to save their leaders' children which is why they are targeting our elected government."
Venugopal said the BJP talking about corruption is the "biggest joke".
"How many cases (BJP state president) B Y Vijayendra has against him? How many cases are there against Prajwal Revanna? Now they are trying to project them as the most decent people in the country and attacking the chief minister who has built his career by being amidst the common people of the state," he said.
"We know their intention. They want to finish a person who is standing for the poor people of Karnataka... By creating a perception that Siddaramaiah is corrupt, their intention is to target him and our guarantee schemes," he said.
At the meeting with the state ministers, Venugopal and Surjewala asked them to focus on performance, amid indications about the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle in the next couple of months, sources said.
Responding to a question, Venugopal said today's discussion was not about the performance of the ministers.
About the Union budget, he said, "Union Finance Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) was elected (to Rajya Sabha) from Karnataka. Total discrimination. No BJP member is raising it in Parliament. It is a very sorry state of affairs."
Instead of coming forward to support the state, the BJP is trying to destabilise the government, he alleged. "But times have changed. The Central government is not as strong as earlier. Those trying such things (destabilising) have to think about it."
"The Congress is very confident. We will fight it legally, and such destabilising attempts will be explained to the people of the state with great vigour," Venugopal added.
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US warns shipping firms they could face sanctions over paying Iranian tolls in Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The alert posted Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.
Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.
That "tollbooth” effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.
The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including chartibale donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.
“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.
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The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.
Trump rejects Iranian proposal
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The warning came as US President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war between the countries.
“They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said Friday at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.
“It's a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up.”
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.
The shaky three-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.
Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys' trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America's Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country's initiatives to end the ear, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU's Gulf partners.
China's UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions
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Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassdor to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is “the most urgent issue" as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations “to make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi “has been on the phone almost constantly” with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan's efforts to mediate between the parties.
Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, “is the illegitimate war by the US and Israel.
