K'taka Minister Priyank Kharge demands FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s resignation in Electoral Bonds case
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday demanded the resignation of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after a case was registered against her in Bengaluru, following a court direction for allegedly extorting money through now scrapped electroal bonds.
He alleged that companies which incurred huge losses have made significant donations to the BJP through the Electoral Bond scheme and the court found valid grounds to direct the police to register an FIR against Sitharaman and others.
“If you have morality, then drive out former BJP Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his son B Y Vijayendra who is the BJP state president. Expel Nirmala Sitharaman, (leader of opposition in the Karnataka assembly) R Ashoka and BJP MLA Munirathna,” Kharge said in a press conference.
According to police, an FIR was registered under IPC sections 384 (punishment for extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) against Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, ED officials, office-bearers of the BJP at state and national level, based on the order of a special court.
BJP Karnataka chief B Y Vijayendra, party leader Nalin Kumar Kateel have also been named in the FIR.
Kharge said, “Don’t frighten us (Congress) with the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Governor’s Office. We will not be scared. We have a history of 140 years of struggle and will continue our struggle for another 140 years. We grew up fighting against your policies and principles. First you make your house in order before coming to us.”
Explaining the matter, the minister said the FIR was registered based on a petition filed by the Janadhikara sangharsh Parishath.
The Supreme Court too had called the Electoral Bond scheme as unconstitutional, he said.
According to Kharge, 33 companies running at a loss of Rs one lakh crore have donated Rs 576.2 crore to the BJP.
Further, six companies which have shown a positive net profit have donated Rs 646 crore to the saffron party, which is more than their aggregate net profit.
Three companies, which had positive net profit but reported negative direct taxes, have donated Rs 193.8 crore to the BJP, he claimed.
Kharge took a dig at some BJP leaders for their alleged statement that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were into money laundering and they should be jailed first.
“You (BJP) have been in power for the past 11 years. What did you do all these years?” the minister asked.
He further charged Vijayendra with being involved in money laundering through shell companies based out of Kolkata and other places.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
