Former PM Deve Gowda backs Mamata Banerjee
Bengaluru, Feb 4: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has said the massive standoff between the Centre and the West Bengal government over the CBI's attempt to question the Kolkata Police chief in connection with chit fund scams, reminded him of the Emergency days.
The JD(S) patriarch sympathised with the Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee and said he was shocked to learn about the CBI rushing to arrest the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the subsequent developments.
Banerjee heads the TMC, a key member of the 'Mahagathbandhan', the grand alliance, in which the JD(S) is also an active partner.
"I am shocked to learn about the CBI rushing to arrest the Police Commissioner and subsequent developments in West Bengal. The country has faced similar kind of unconstitutional methods during the Emergency. Situation in WB is similar to that of the Emergency days. #SaveDemocracy," the JD(S) national president tweeted.
The Congress' Karnataka unit too extended its support toeing the party line. It dubbed the Centre's action as anti-democratic and a threat to the federal system of the country.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy also extended support to his West Bengal counterpart Banerjee.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party is using the CBI by filing false cases against officers. It is a clear case of political vendetta. We all stand with the Chief Minister of West Bengal," he tweeted.
The senior Congress leader, who has been criticising the NDA government at the Centre for not earmarking sufficient funds and also for excluding Puducherry from the ambit of the Central Finance Commission all along, said, "Time has come for the Narendra Modi-led Central government to go."
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Heavy rains prompt warnings and travel bans in many Kerala districts
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): As rains lashed many parts of Kerala, authorities on Sunday urged people, particularly those living in hilly and coastal areas, to exercise vigil.
The Meteorological Department has issued red alerts for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts for Sunday and Monday, and sounded orange alerts for four other districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, for these days.
The Met office predicted thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 km/h at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala till 1 pm on Sunday.
The Idukki District Collector has ordered a ban on night travel through the hilly areas of the district from Sunday until the red and orange alerts are withdrawn.
"Strict instructions have been issued to the District Superintendent of Police, Sub Divisional Magistrates, Regional Transport Officers, and Tehsildars to implement the ban effectively," an official statement said.
Mining activities have been banned in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts in view of the forecast for heavy rain.
The southern district of Thiruvananthapuram experienced heavy rains on Saturday night, leading to waterlogging in the city and its suburbs, affecting normal life.
Visuals aired by news channels showed that houses and shops were flooded in some parts.
Due to the non-completion of the Smart City Road, waterlogging has worsened in many places.
In some areas, canals crisscrossing the capital city and its suburbs overflowed.
The affected people alleged that the lack of pre-monsoon cleaning of canals and drainage systems was the reason for the waterlogging in the capital city and its suburbs.
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