Bengaluru: Expelled JD(S) Karnataka state president C M Ibrahim is gearing up for a major showdown against JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and his family by organising party's national convention in Bengaluru on December 11.
In his capacity as the 'state president', the 75-year-old leader has convened a national level meeting in Bengaluru. He claimed that the party members and leaders from across the country will participate.
"We are organising a national level meeting where we will provide accommodation. State presidents from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala leaders, Rajasthan and all over the country are coming here," the former Civil Aviation Minister told reporters here.
According to Ibrahim, the agenda is 'Stand for Secularism'.
Ibrahim who was expelled for rebelling against the party leadership for forging an alliance with the BJP for the Lok Sabha election, said, "I am an elected man. They can't remove me. My father has not appointed me as a president. I have been elected by the voters of the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders."
The convention is aimed at aligning the party with the INDIA bloc instead of BJP led NDA. He also said he is in touch with like-minded people such as Akhilesh Yadav, Nitish Kumar, RJD leaders, K Chandrashekar Rao of BRS, M K Stalin and Pinarayi Vijayan.
Noting that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is contemplating contesting in the Lok Sabha election from Karnataka, he welcomed the decision. He added that 'his party' will back him.
"Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi had contested from Karnataka and now her grandson will be contesting from here. We will welcome him here. Let him choose whichever constituency he wants. We will support him," Ibrahim said.
The expelled JD(S) leader alleged that the BJP won in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh due to EVM hacking.
Ibrahim demanded that the Election Commission of India conduct elections using ballot papers.
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Ottawa, Jan 29 (PTI): A Canada commission report has said that "no definitive link" with a "foreign state" in the killing of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was "proven", smashing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that accused the involvement of Indian agents in the killing.
In September 2023, Trudeau said Canada had credible evidence that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023.
The report titled "Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions' was released on Tuesday.
In the report commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue said "Disinformation is used as a retaliatory tactic to punish decisions that run contrary to a state's interests."
The report has suggested India spread disinformation on the killing of Nijjar.
"This may have been the case with a disinformation campaign that followed the Prime Minister's announcement regarding suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (though again no definitive link to a foreign state could be proven)," the report said.
Nijjar was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
The 123-page report also talked of expelling six Indian diplomats.
"In October 2024, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials in reaction to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India," it said.
However, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of its high commissioner.
The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
New Delhi had rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd".
India has repeatedly criticised Trudeau's government for being soft on supporters of the Khalistan movement who live in Canada. The Khalistan movement is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
On Tuesday, India strongly rejected "insinuations" made against it in the report by a Canadian commission that investigated allegations that certain foreign governments were meddling in Canada's elections.
In a strong reaction, the MEA in New Delhi said it rejects the report's "insinuations" on India.
It is in fact Canada which has been "consistently interfering" in India's internal affairs, it said.