Bengaluru, Sept 28: Striking a dissenting note over the additional charge of sports and youth empowerment, Karnataka Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa on Saturday said he was mulling whether to accept it or not.
His statement comes a day after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa gave additional responsibilities to 14 ministers.
"Some additional responsibilities have been given to the ministers. I have been given the additional charge of sports and youth empowerment.
I will discuss with the chief minister and decide whether to accept this responsibility or not," Eshwarappa told reporters in Shivamogga, without elaborating.
Replying to a query on the war of words between former chief minister Siddaramaiah and former union minister K H Muniyappa, Eshwarappa said, "Power and position are not permanent. It is applicable to me, Siddaramaiah, Yediyurappa or Kumaraswamy."
According to reports, a bitter war of words ensued between Siddaramaiah and Muniyappa during the Karnataka Congress meeting held here on Thursday to discuss their strategy for the upcoming bypolls and strengthening the party base.
Muniyappa was reportedly upset with his defeat from Kolar Lok Sabha constituency and held Siddaramaiah accountable for it.
Recalling how Yediyurappa's attempt to form Karnataka Janata Paksha to counter the BJP fell flat, Eshwarappa asserted that no one was above the party and any attempt to destroy it would have a bearing on their political future as well.
"No one comes to power without the support of the party.
Siddaramaiah had built the party but how many seats could he win? Three plus one! Yediyurappa too formed a party, how many seats he won? Three plus one seats!" the minister said.
Eshwarappa noted that no one could succeed by crossing their limits and trying to go beyond the party line.
"If people in power do not understand this then, they alone will be destroyed, not the party," he added.
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Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
