BJP MLA Umesh Katti claims 15 Cong-JDS MLAs in touch with him; Congress dismisses it
Bengaluru : Senior Karnataka BJP MLA Umesh Katti Wednesday claimed he was in touch with 15 disgruntled legislators of ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and his party would welcome them if they chose to join it.
The eight-time MLA further claimed BJP would form a new government in the state by next week, drawing a strong reaction from state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, who hit out at him for making "illusionary statements" to 'confuse' people.
The claim by Katti came in the midst of public display of anger by some ministerial aspirants from Congress who were left out in the recent cabinet expansion.
Senior MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, upset after being dropped from the H D Kumaraswamy ministry, has threatened to resign and said he would announce his future course of action later this week.
Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and senior Congress leaders and ministers have asserted that no MLA would resign and there was no threat to the stability of the six-month old government.
BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa separately said Wednesday that the party was not in touch with any disgruntled MLAs of Congress.
Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Katti said: "Fifteen MLAs are in touch with me, I cannot divulge their names now, when time comes I will tell.
However, ruling out 'Operation Lotus' (engineering defections), Katti said, "we will welcome those who are pained in Congress and JD(S) and want to join our party. If they come, we will induct them into our party and form the government, he said.
Replying to a question, Katti said he would welcome if Ramesh Jarkiholi came to the BJP.
New government will be formed by the BJP in Karnataka by next week. How it will be formed, why it will be formed, dont think about it. When it is formed we will tell you, he added.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Commitee President Gundu Rao asked Katti not to confuse people by making such illusionary statements.
If it doesnt happen, Katti will have to resign if he has guts, he told reporters.
Reacting to Raos comments, Katti claimed that already eight to ten (Congress-JDS) MLAs were ready to resign.
"So as a party with 104 MLAs in the 224 member assembly, Im confident we can form the government," he said maintaining that the Congress-JDS government would fall "100 per cent".
Yeddyurappa said the BJP had nothing to do with the disgruntlement among the MLAs of the ruling combine.
"...if they are fighting internally, lets wait and watch what will happen at the end...till now no one has contacted us, nor we have contacted anybody and we don't require it also..." he told reporters here.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
