CM Kumaraswamy revives golden chariot for Kukke Subrahmanya temple
Opposition blames the move to CM's personal astrological belief
Bengaluru, Apr 29: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has revived a long-pending project for building a golden chariot for the famous Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Dakshina Kannada district, a move which has drawn flak even as reports linked it to his astrological belief.
He has asked officials to submit a fresh proposal before the state cabinet for the chariot, first taken up by the then Congress-JDS coalition government in 2005, after revising the cost estimate of Rs 15 crore when it was cleared earlier.
The fresh initiative, however, has drawn flak from the state unit of BJP while reports in a section of media said Kumaraswamy has taken it up after being advised by astrologers that not completing the project may have implications on his political future.
BJP Spokesperson and MLA Suresh Kumar in a tweet questioned whether Kukke Subrahmanya (reigning deity) will desire for a golden chariot (at such a cost) at the time when the state was facing a shortage of drinking water.
A release from the Chief Minister's Office said devotes of the temple met Kumaraswamy and brought to his notice about the Dharam Singh government's decision and requested him to resume the project.
"In this context, the Chief Minister has directed the officials submit a proposal before the cabinet after revising the estimates, considering today's market value of gold, construction cost," it said.
Noting that the project was approved in 2005, the CMO said a government order was also issued for building the chariot at a cost of Rs 15 crore then.
The government had given its approval to use the gold available with the temple and for purchasing the remaining requirement through banks, it said.
The order had stated that the chariot be built by using the resources of the temple and public donations, making clear no government grant could be utilised for the purpose.
Kukke Subramanya temple is said to be the richest among the shrines under the state Muzrai department, which administers several temples.
Though the then government had given the clearance, the chariot project had not taken off till now.
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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
