Bengaluru: With the Maharastra Border row once again in the limelight ahead of the crucial Karnataka Assembly polls, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah slammed the Maharashtra government over their move to provide health insurance for the people in 865 border villages of Karnataka.
The response of Siddaramaiah comes in the wake of the Maharashtra government’s announcement of providing health insurance to the border villages of Karnataka that it made on April 4.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Siddaramaiah called the move “obnoxious” and called on the Maharashtra government to immediately withdraw the order.
“Maharashtra government's order, to implement their health insurance scheme in 865 border villages of Karnataka, is obnoxious. This is despite opposition from Karnataka & we will not tolerate this. We demand them to immediately withdraw the notification.” Siddaramaiah added in the tweet.
In another tweet, the former Chief Minister also questioned the stance of CM Basavaraj Bommai and asked if he and his party were scared of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.
“What is @BSBommai doing about this? Why have not they not been able to oppose this move of Maharashtra despite BJP being party of the government? Is BJP scared of @mieknathshinde?” he added.
CM Basavaraj Bommai also responded to the Maharashtra government’s move and threatened the Maha government with retaliation from Karnataka if the order was not immediately withdrawn.
Maharashtra government's order, to implement their health insurance scheme in 865 border villages of Karnataka, is obnoxious.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 5, 2023
This is despite opposition from Karnataka & we will not tolerate this. We demand them to immediately withdraw the notification.#ಗಡಿವಿವಾದ pic.twitter.com/aVTTdd941E
What is @BSBommai doing about this?
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 5, 2023
Why have not they not been able to oppose this move of Maharashtra despite BJP being party of the government?
Is BJP scared of @mieknathshinde?#ಗಡಿವಿವಾದ
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Pune, Jan 10: A special court in Pune on Friday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case related to his alleged objectionable remarks on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar.
The MP/MLA court granted bail to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on a surety bond of Rs 25,000 after he appeared before it through video conferencing, his lawyer said.
Senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi stood as surety for Gandhi (54) before the court presided over by Amol Shinde, judicial magistrate (first class) and special judge for MP/MLA cases.
Advocate Milind Pawar, representing Gandhi, said soon after his client appeared before the court, they moved a bail application.
The judge allowed the plea and granted bail to the former Congress president on a surety bond of Rs 25000, he informed.
The advocate said the court also granted permanent exemption to the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli from appearing before it.
The case was filed on a complaint by V D Savarkar's grandnephew Satyaki, who alleged Gandhi had made defamatory remarks against the Hindutva icon at a programme he attended in London in March 2023.
Earlier, advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, objected to Gandhi's application seeking virtual appearance.
There was no provision that allows an accused to appear in court through video conferencing before securing bail, Kolhatkar argued.
The court, however, permitted Gandhi to attend the proceedings online.
Wearing a bottle green sweater, the Congress MP appeared before the court and stated his name when the judge asked for it.
The matter will be next heard on February 18.
As per the complaint, Gandhi, while speaking at the London event, stated that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy.
According to the complaint, the freedom fighter had not written this anywhere and the Congress leader's remarks were aimed at defaming him.
At the time, the court had asked the Pune police to investigate the allegations and file a report.
The Vishrambaug police, after an inquiry, submitted that there was prima facie truth in the complaint.
Gandhi had skipped the previous court appearance on December 2 citing the winter session of Parliament which he was attending.
His lawyer Pawar had then assured that the opposition parliamentarian will appear in the court on January 10.