Deve Gowda will not run for President, says H D Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru, Jun 17: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Friday clarified former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda will not run for President.
He said the 89-year-old JD(S) patriarch's only aim is to see JD(S) forming an independent government in Karnataka, during his lifetime.
"Couple of days ago Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal CM) had invited me and our national President (Gowda) to attend the meeting (opposition meeting on the President candidate)...we had attended the meeting that was attended by about 17 parties, who have expressed their opinion," Kumaraswamy said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, the former Karnataka chief minister said another round of meeting would probably be called on June 20 to decide on the candidate for Presidential polls, as there was no outcome from the previous meeting.
"No, there is no question of Deve Gowda's name in the race (for Presidency), he has no interest in it. His desire is to see JD(S) forming an independent government in Karnataka during his lifetime, that's his aim," he said in response to a question regarding Gowda, as a likely candidate for Presidential polls.
As many as 17 opposition parties attended the meeting on June 15 to build a consensus on fielding a joint candidate against the BJP-led NDA. They will meet again on June 20-21 which will be convened by Pawar in Mumbai.
The leaders at the opposition meeting adopted a resolution saying, "in the forthcoming Presidential elections held in the year of the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, we have decided to field a common candidate who will truly serve as the custodian of the constitution and stop the Modi government from doing further damage to India's social fabric and democracy".
Leaders of several opposition parties had urged NCP supremo Sharad Pawar to be the joint opposition candidate for the Presidential elections, but the veteran leader declined the offer at a meeting convened by Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi.
The election is scheduled to be held on July 18.
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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.
