Congress govt in Karnataka spent public money in 5 states' recent polls, alleges Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, Jan 5: JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Friday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of spending the state's "public money" to aid the party in the recent assembly elections in five states, as he targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
The former prime minister lashed out at Siddaramaiah alleging that he could not prevent the flow of money from Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, to the Congress party in the five states to fight elections.
JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year after former chief minister and Deve Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy met with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President J P Nadda in New Delhi.
Both parties have said they would fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together in Karnataka.
In the elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly in May last year, the JD(S) put up a poor show, winning only 19 seats. The Congress bagged 135 and the BJP 66.
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Referring to Shivakumar, who is also President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Deve Gowda said, "It is now out in the open where all he went and how much money he transported."
Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah over his statement of providing a clean government, he sought to know why he was not able stop "the illegalities" happening in Bengaluru.
"If you please do not take it otherwise, during the five state elections, how much money was taken from here? Whose wealth is this? It's public money of Karnataka," the JD(S) patriarch said at a press conference.
He said, "Our deputy chief minister (Shivakumar) and his insolence...where all he went, how much money he transported, how much money the ECI (Election Commission of India) seized, is now out in the open. From where did this money go? From here in Bengaluru.
"All the Bengaluru agencies (like Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Bangalore Development Authority) and irrigation portfolio are in his (DCM's) hand. It fills me with shame to see what is going on here," Gowda said.
He sought to know why Siddaramaiah was not able to stop it (corruption).
"I don't know whether Siddaramaiah has the strength to stop it. He gives lecture to the country that no one can point a finger at his administration and says that he stands by the poor, minorities and AHINDA (a Kannada acronym that stands for 'Alpasankhyataru' (minorities), 'Hindulidavaru' (Backward Classes) and 'Dalitaru' (Dalits) firmly. Yet, it (money) is flowing! Why is he not able to stop (the illegalities)?", Gowda asked.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
