Did not try to divide Veerashaivas, Lingayats: Siddaramaiah to seer
Chikkamagaluru, Aug 19: Prasanna Veerasomeshwara Shivacharya Swami of Rambhapuri Mutt on Friday said former chief minister Siddaramaiah confided to him that he did not attempt to divide Veerashaivas and Lingayats and that he was "misled" by some people.
He said the Leader of Opposition today clarified to him regarding the push to accord a separate religion status to Lingayats when the Congress leader was the Chief Minister.
Siddaramaiah visited Rambhapuri Mutt at Balehonnur here.
"Earlier, when he (Siddaramaiah) was the Chief Minister of the State, there were allegations that he was supporting an attempt to divide Lingayats from Veerashaiva dharma. Today, he spoke his mind in front of me," the seer said adding: "He told me: I did not make any such attempt, but some people tried to mislead me. I repent for it."
Speaking to reporters here, he said, " He (Siddaramaiah) told me: I will never interfere in matters of religion, and want to work for the development of the State and its people in the days to come..."
Siddaramaiah and his government were accused of trying to divide Veerashaiva-Lingayats by making a recommendation for religious minority status for Lingayats.
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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.
