HD Kumaraswamy challenges Siddaramaiah to approach SC in Janthakal mining case against him
Bengaluru, Aug 18: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday challenged the state government to approach the Supreme Court against him instead of seeking Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s permission to prosecute him.
“What is the need to prosecute me? For how long have you been doing this drama?” Kumaraswamy asked, reacting to Siddaramaiah’s accusation.
The chief minister in a press conference on Saturday said that on November 23, 2023, the Lokayukta sent a report to the governor seeking permission to prosecute Kumaraswamy, who presently holds the steel and heavy industries portfolio at the Centre, but no permission was granted in a 2007 mining case.
The union minister said the Supreme Court has said that in the Janthakal mining case that “no other court shall pass any other order with regard to these matters till the matters are finally decided by the honourable Supreme Court”.
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“Who is stopping you from approaching the Supreme Court? Why this drama of sending the file to the governor seeking permission for my prosecution — to scare me and to silence me? Is this what you have done?” Kumaraswamy asked.
He said the present government had sent the report to the governor to prosecute him when it was clear that one has to approach the Supreme Court.
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Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
