Congress affirms no change in Karnataka leadership, vows to expose BJP’s alleged conspiracy
New Delhi: The Congress party has declared that there will be no change in the leadership of Karnataka, reaffirming its support for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah amid corruption allegations. KC Venugopal, Congress General Secretary (Organisation), stated on Saturday that the party will expose what it calls a “scared” BJP’s “conspiracy” to target Siddaramaiah, who is an OBC leader, through “baseless” allegations and the use of the Governor’s office.
Amid the ongoing controversy, the Congress is also in discussions with its I.N.D.I.A alliance partners about organizing a joint public meeting in Bengaluru. This protest is expected to follow the pattern of similar events held in support of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren earlier this year.
The corruption allegations against Siddaramaiah relate to the MUDA land allotment to his wife, and the Governor of Karnataka, Thawarchand Gehlot, has sanctioned his prosecution. Siddaramaiah has since challenged this decision in the Karnataka High Court.
Following a meeting with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and top leader Rahul Gandhi, Venugopal said that Siddaramaiah has the full backing of the party’s High Command. He dismissed any possibility of a leadership change, asserting that both the central leadership and the entire Karnataka Congress, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, are united in their support for Siddaramaiah.
The Congress believes that the BJP is attempting to destabilize the state government by targeting Siddaramaiah due to his popularity following the implementation of the government’s guarantee scheme. Venugopal also criticized the Governor for allegedly acting immediately against Siddaramaiah while not taking similar actions against BJP leaders.
The Congress plans to launch a campaign to inform the public about what it perceives as the misuse of the Governor’s office by the BJP and to defend Siddaramaiah against the corruption allegations.
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Kerala: Court imposes 41-year jail term on man for sexual assault of minor
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy near Valayam in 2021.
Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court judge K Naushad Ali sentenced 64-year-old Panchara Musa, also known as Ganapathiyat Musa, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to special public prosecutor Manoj Aroor.
As the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict will have to serve the highest term of 20 years’ imprisonment, SPP Aroor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Musa.
The incident took place in August 2021 when the accused allegedly took the 14-year-old boy to a bus stop in Valayam town and sexually assaulted him, the prosecutor said. The accused also gave Rs 50 to the boy, he added.
Following the incident, the boy and his father lodged a complaint at the Valayam police station.
A case under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC was registered, and the accused was subsequently arrested, the SPP said.
The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and submitted 16 documents to substantiate its case against the accused, he added.
