Hubballi: Fakira Dingaleshwara Swami, the pontiff of the Shirahatti Mutt, who recently withdrew his nomination as an Independent candidate from the Dharwad constituency, has renewed his criticism of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, accusing him of employing divisive tactics and oppressing the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
Addressing reporters in Hubballi on Saturday, the pontiff asserted his intention to challenge the BJP candidate, Joshi, whom he accuses of hindering the progress of Lingayats and Veerashaivas. Dingaleshwara Swami alleged that Joshi had thwarted the development of Dharwad despite representing the constituency for two decades. He questioned Joshi's track record in facilitating Central government appointments for locals and in allocating funds for Dharwad's development.
Accusing Joshi of pursuing a policy of divide-and-rule, Dingaleshwara Swami claimed that the BJP candidate regularly met with senior pontiffs to exert pressure on him. The pontiff warned Joshi against attempting to divide the mentor-disciple relationship between himself and the Shirahatti Mutt's senior pontiff, suggesting that such actions could lead to Joshi's marital separation. He also claimed to possess video evidence of Joshi's meetings with various pontiffs during the election period.
Critiquing Joshi's focus on the recent tragic incident involving Neha Hiremath in Hubballi, Dingaleshwara Swami accused him of exploiting the situation for political gain. The pontiff emphasized Joshi's alleged neglect of the backward classes and Lingayats throughout his tenure as MP.
Dingaleshwara Swami affirmed his desire for Joshi's defeat, citing significant cultural and social changes in Dharwad since Joshi assumed office. He also highlighted the alleged absence of government grants to mutts in the Dharwad constituency over the past 15 years.
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Thane (PTI): Authorities have seized illegally stored 1,839 gas cylinders and seven vehicles worth over Rs 67 lakh in the Dombivli MIDC area of Thane district, officials said on Saturday.
A special vigilance team of the Mumbai Rationing Department detected an illegal storage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders in Phase-2 of Dombivli (East).
Cylinders belonging to multiple gas agencies were found stockpiled in closed vehicles, unauthorised warehouses, and open sheds without mandatory permissions from the Explosives Department, Fire Department, or oil companies, according to an official release.
