In next six months, half the BJP leaders in K'taka will be in jail or run for bail: Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday said half of the BJP leaders in the state will either be in jail or running for bail in the next six months as the Congress government will get to the bottom of the corruption cases of the previous BJP government.
Reacting to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the site allotment scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), he said the Congress did not go for a witch-hunt because its first priority was good governance.
"As a government our first priority is to deliver an efficient governance, not witch-hunt. But yes, having said that, there are a lot of discrepancies in the previous government," Kharge told reporters here.
There are more than 35 cases against BJP leaders and in three to four cases, an interim report has been submitted, the Minister said, adding that the state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team of the Criminal Investigation Department.
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"We are looking at these cases closely. We will get to the bottom of those cases. It takes time. There was extreme corruption in the previous government. We are working on it. And let me assure you again that in the next six months half of the BJP leaders will be running for bail or will be in jail," he added.
The Minister said there are umpteen cases where the role of the Governor has been debated, which has been set in stone and will be put forth before the court.
To a question, Kharge said there is no way BJP leaders can take the case against Siddaramaiah to the logical end because they do not have any evidence.
"The only thing they can do is they can keep the case alive by using the Central Bureau of Investigation, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, and the Governor himself," he added.
Blaming Gehlot for the political turmoil in the state, Kharge alleged that the Governor was a puppet and not a constitutional head of Karnataka.
"Unfortunately the position (of Governor) has been compromised and he is behaving like a BJP Karyakarta," Kharge alleged.
Replying to a question, he charged that the BJP never came to power through people's mandate but stole it. That was the only way BJP could come to power in Karnataka or elsewhere.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
