Channapatna (Karnataka), Oct 29: Hitting back at the ruling Congress leaders for calling him and his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy as “migrants” in Channapatna that goes for by-polls on November 13, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy questioned Priyanka Gandhi’s candidacy from Kerala’s Wayanad for Lok Sabha by-poll there.
He pointed to Priyanka Gandhi’s mother and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s nationality, while targeting the grand old party.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy is BJP-JD(S) alliance’s joint candidate from Channapatna that goes for by-polls along with Shiggaon and Sandur Assembly segments.
“How am I a migrant? I will be buried in Ramanagara district when I die. I might have been born in Hassan district, but I was nurtured and my entire life is— Kethiganahalli village in Bidadi hobli of Ramanagara district,” Kumaraswamy said in response to him being called outsider or migrant to Channapatna.
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Speaking to reporters here, he said, “….you (Congress) can field Italian born Sonia Gandhi’s daughter (Priyanka Gandhi) from Wayanad in Kerala…. I’m a Kannadiga, born in Kannada soil, how can I become a migrant here? …(If I’m a migrant, I want to ask who is she? Answer it first, let’s discuss the rest later.”
Channapatna is a taluk and an assembly segment in Ramanagara district. Kumaraswamy had twice represented Channapatna, and the by-polls is necessitated as he vacated the seat and got elected to Lok Sabha from Mandya in May elections.
Nikhil is pitted against Congress' C P Yogeeshwara, a local political heavyweight in Channapatna, who just switched sides to Congress from BJP.
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New Delhi (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who attended a prayer ceremony at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Thursday to pay tributes to him on his 101st birth anniversary.
Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers J P Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, NDA ally JD-U leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, several other ministers, MPs, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and BJP working president Nitin Nabin were among those who attended the event.
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In a message, the prime minister said Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation. He said Vajpayee dedicated his entire life to good governance and nation-building.
"He will always be remembered as a brilliant orator as well as a spirited poet. Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation," PM Modi said.
Vajpayee was born on this day in Gwalior in 1924 and passed away in New Delhi on August 16, 2018. The government observes his birth anniversary as Good Governance Day.
The BJP marked the day by its leaders commemorating Vajpayee's legacy in nationwide events. Its chief ministers, Union ministers and MPs, besides organisational leaders, are part of these programmes held across the country.
Vajpayee, India's 13th prime minister, served the country for three terms between 1996 and 2004.
He is known for his valuable contribution to India's economic growth. The 'Operation Vijay', commonly known as the Kargil War, was fought against Pakistan and won during his tenure as prime minister. He made India a nuclear weapons power.
He had a distinguished four-decade parliamentary career, was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha.
Rising from humble beginnings in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) to the post of prime minister, he received the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 for his selfless dedication to the nation and was conferred with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2015.
Vajpayee championed democratic ideals, women's empowerment, and social equality.
As prime minister, he prioritised good governance and economic development, building national highways, rural roads, expanding telecom, and improving infrastructure.
