Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai calls Subramanian Swamy a 'freelance politician'
Bengaluru(PTI): Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Wednesday termed senior BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy as a 'freelance politician' whose character and forte had been to speak against his own party and its leadership.
"You know well about Subramanian Swamy. Whichever party he is in, he is like a freelance politician. He says whatever comes to his mind. Based on his analysis, he keeps saying things," Bommai said during a debate on price rise in the Karnataka Assembly.
Bommai said Swamy spoke against the leadership of Janata Party and then Janata Dal as well.
"While being in the government, he spoke against the then Prime Minister Chandrashekhar. It is the character and forte of Subramanian Swamy," he said.
The Chief Minister's statement came as the Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah quoted Swamy's February 2, 2021 tweet, which read, 'Petrol Rs 93 in Ram's India, Rs 53 in Sita's Nepal and Rs 51 in Ravan's Lanka."
Siddaramaiah quoted the sitting BJP Rajya Sabha member to point out the rising fuel prices in India and its cascading effect on other commodities.
"It's not me who has said this but Subramanian Swamy, who is a sitting Rajya Sabha member of the BJP. He was your father's (former CM Late S R Bommai) friend," Siddaramaiah quipped.
He even challenged the BJP leadership to sack Swamy if he was not right.
"I have no objection if the BJP leadership tolerates his statement. Don't forget that he is an economist and you have made him your Rajya Sabha member," Siddaramaiah said.
To this, Bommai agreed saying Swamy is genius in economics and the party gave him due credit.
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7 women farm labourers die as tractor-trolley plunges into well in Nanded; 3 rescued
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Apr 4 (PTI): Seven women farm labourers, two of them aged 18, died and three others were rescued after a tractor-trolley ferrying them to an agriculture field plunged into a well in Nanded district of Maharashtra on Friday morning, an official said.
The accident occurred at around 7.30 am in Asegaon village which lies under jurisdiction of Limbgaon police station when the vehicle veered off the road and fell into the well filled to the brim with water, said District Information Officer (DIO) Pravin Take said.
Police and local administration officials immediately launched a rescue operation and pumped out a large amount of water from the well, he said.
At the end of the operation, bodies of seven women were fished out of the well, while three others were rescued, said the DIO.
"The woman were on their way to harvest turmeric at a farm. All those who died hailed from Gunj village under Vasmat tehsil in Hingoli district," the official said.
The deceased were identified as Tarabai Satwaji Jadhav (35), Dhrupata Satwaji Jadhav (18), Saraswati Lakhan Burad (25), Simran Santosh Kamble (18), Chaitrabai Madhav Pardhe (45), Jyoti Irabaji Saraode (35), Sapna Tukaram Raut (25), he said.
Three other women farm labourers - Parvatibai Burad (35), Purbhabai Kamble (40), Satwaji Jadhav (55) -- were rescued from the water body.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the accident and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PM's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased.
The injured will be given Rs 50,000 each, he said.
"Saddened by the loss of lives in an accident in Nanded, Maharashtra. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected," the Prime Minister said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the death of farm labourers and separately announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family of each deceased.
"Some women died in an accident in Asegaon, Nanded district, this morning when a tractor trolley carrying 11 women labourers fell into a well. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them. These women were from Gunjgaon, Hingoli district, and were going for agricultural work," he posted on X.
"The families of the deceased will be given a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund," he declared.
"Three women were rescued safely. We are in touch with both Hingoli and Nanded administrations," the CM said.
Later, talking to reporters, Fadnavis said an inquiry has been ordered into the accident and steps will be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur.
नांदेडमध्ये भीषण अपघात; शेतमजूरांचा ट्रॅक्टर विहिरीत कोसळला, नऊ जण दगावले#Nanded #accident pic.twitter.com/FgOvNSlKEe
— Lokmat (@lokmat) April 4, 2025
