Corruption a standout feature of all departments under Congress Govt, says Ex-CM Bommai
Hubballi: Calling Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah a ‘Pay-Double CM’ who leads a government neck-deep in corruption, former CM and BJP MP from Shiggaon, Basavaraja Bommai, has alleged that the revenue from various departments is shared between the ministers and Siddaramaiah.
Rephrasing the ‘Pay CM’ slogan of the Congress against him prior to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, Bommai hit out at the current Congress government. Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, he stated that the Congress leaders had made allegations of taking commissions against his government without providing evidence. “Currently, however, their government is facing allegations of taking commissions, with people complaining about the Excise Department,” he added.
“The Finance Department is directly under the charge of CM Siddaramaiah, and personnel demand heavy commissions from people applying for licences. I urge the CM to ensure a probe into the amounts demanded as commissions from each applicant in the department,” Bommai said.
When asked to comment on the Congress leaders’ allegations that no development work has been undertaken in the Savanur constituency of Shiggaon, Bommai said the locals, who are experiencing the development work, could be asked about the matter.
“Shiggaon taluk has been provided with a 200-bed hospital and a textile park; Savanur has a new Ayurveda college and an ITI college. In addition, new homes have been provided for more than 12,000 citizens affected by the recent floods, and a well-developed road has been constructed, connecting Shiggaon to Bengaluru,” he listed out, mockingly asking whether the CM had fallen asleep while travelling through Shiggaon, if he had failed to notice such development works.
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Prime organiser of Messi event in Kolkata arrested over ‘mismanagement’ after stadium chaos
Kolkata (PTI): The police on Saturday arrested Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake Stadium here, following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the stadium unrest, Datta was held by the Bidhannagar Police for “mismanagement” of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.
"We are looking into whether there was any mismanagement from the organiser's side, which led to the chaos at the stadium. He has been detained, and the police have now brought the situation under control," West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said at a press conference.
A senior police officer later confirmed that Dutta has been arrested. Till reports last received, the police were interrogating him and his manager inside one of the departure lounges of the airport.
The organiser has given in writing that he will refund the prices of tickets he sold to the disappointed spectators, Kumar said.
What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated, as they failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide, paying hefty sums for tickets.
Police said they were also investigating how organisers allowed sale of bottled waters and beverages inside the stadium premises, which are banned items during such events.
Thousands of water bottles were used as missiles and lobbed inside the pitch by angry spectators, who also uprooted bucket seats from the gallery and used them as ammunition inside the field against the defending police and security personnel.
Spectators alleged that water bottles were being sold at a massive premium inside the stadium despite police disallowing such items from outside at the entry gates.
Police agreed there was an underlying tension in the galleries on account of Messi not showing his footballing skills on the field, which only got aggravated after a bunch of VIPs, including State Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and unidentified people, blocked the football icon’s view during the limited time he spent on the ground.
“We are on the job, and will ensure that whoever is responsible for what happened today at Salt Lake Stadium will be punished, and action will be taken against the authorities concerned,” said Jawed Shamim, ADG, Law and Order.
