DK Suresh expresses concern over personality cult in party
Bengaluru(PTI): Congress MP D K Suresh on Thursday expressed concern over the personality cult in the party at the preparatory meet for senior leader Siddaramaiah's 75th birthday bash, and cautioned that it should not send out a "wrong message" ahead of Assembly polls next year.
He sought to assert that the bash is not an event to project someone or to give leadership to someone.
Suresh is the brother of Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, who is a Chief Ministerial aspirant along with Siddaramaiah, in the event of the party coming to power.
"This (birthday bash) is seen as one to project Siddaramaiah or personality cult, not sure if Siddaramaiah himself wants this, but some people continue to do it," Suresh said.
Addressing a gathering of Congress leaders and workers at the preparatory meet, he said, "It's an election year, so we must see to it that the celebration does not damage the party, especially by sending out a wrong message to our workers and society," he said.
Siddaramaiah's supporters and well-wishers, including several senior Congress leaders and former ministers, are organising a massive convention at Davangere on August 3, which is also being seen as a show of strength by the former Chief Minister's camp as he turns 75. Party's national leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend.
Other than projecting Siddaramaiah and his contributions, the bash is also being seen as an attempt by his camp to send a message to both the high command and his detractors within the party, ahead of polls, while consolidating his 'AHINDA' vote base.
AHINDA is a Kannada acronym that stands for 'Alpasankhyataru' (minorities), 'Hindulidavaru' (Backward Classes) and 'Dalitaru' (Dalits).
Suresh said that in his opinion it would be appropriate to have Siddaramaiah's birthday bash together with celebrations to mark 75 years of India's Independence, adding that this is not an event to project someone or to confer leadership on someone.
"Whether we like it or not, the media is projecting this event as 'Siddaramotsava', so denying it will not benefit, we have to accept it...we should proudly say we are celebrating our leader's birthday," he added.
Siddaramaiah has been repeatedly trying to correct that the birthday is not 'Siddaramotsava', and it is 'Siddaramaiah-75 Amrut Mahotsava'.
Earlier in the day, Shivakumar said he doesn't want anyone to worship him, but to worship the party and the country.
The KPCC chief was responding to a question on the demand by some of his supporters to celebrate "Shivakumarotsava" to observe his birthday, on the lines of the one planned for Siddaramaiah.
"I don't want any 'utsava' for me, I want a party's 'utsava'," he said.
Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been nursing chief ministerial ambitions and are also working towards consolidating their clout within the State Congress, ahead of the polls next year.
There have been several instances of open display of one-upmanship between the two leaders in the past.
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Railway minister announces launch of Kavach 5.0 for Mumbai's suburban trains
New Delhi (PTI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday announced the upcoming launch of the automatic train protection system Kavach 5.0 for Mumbai's suburban trains.
The railway ministry said the state-of-the-art safety and signalling system has been tailored for the suburban section in Mumbai.
"Kavach 5.0 is expected to significantly reduce the inter-train headway, enabling more trains to run safely and efficiently," it said.
Vaishnaw, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, interacted with reporters to highlight the transformative progress in railway infrastructure across the state.
According to the railway ministry, Vaishnaw emphasised that infrastructure development is the cornerstone for increasing suburban services and projects worth nearly Rs 17,000 crore, covering more than 300 kilometres of new lines, are currently underway at a rapid pace.
"These initiatives aim to decongest existing lines, improve service frequency and cater to the ever-growing demand of Mumbai's suburban commuters," the ministry said.
Announcing a major upgrade in passenger comfort, Vaishnaw said 238 new air-conditioned suburban rakes, uniquely designed keeping in mind the needs of Mumbai's commuters, would soon be introduced.
"A major announcement during the interaction was the doubling of the Gondia-Ballarshah railway line, a 240-km strategic corridor, with an investment of Rs 4,819 crore," the ministry said.
"This key project connects Vidarbha and Marathwada, easing congestion and enabling faster passenger and freight movement. It will also strengthen Maharashtra's rail links with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, boosting regional trade and integration," it added.
This infrastructure push was announced on April 7, when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved four projects of the railway ministry with a total cost of Rs 18,658 crore.
