K'taka to boycott NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM, over neglect of state in budget: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, July 23: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his government had decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, as a mark of protest against the "neglect" of the state’s demands in the Union Budget.
He said there is no point in attending the NITI Aayog meeting, as Kannadigas are not heard.
“Despite my earnest efforts in calling for an all-party MPs meeting in New Delhi to discuss Karnataka's essential needs, the Union Budget has neglected our state's demands,” Siddaramaiah said.
“Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who also attended the meeting, has ignored the concerns of the people of Karnataka. We don't feel that Kannadigas are heard, and hence there is no point in attending the NITI Aayog meeting,” he posted on social media platform X.
“We have decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 July, as a mark of protest,” he added.
Stating that even the farmers' demands to approve Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects have been ignored, the CM said, “There was no attempt to rectify their sin of reducing funds to our state under various categories.”
Funds for metro and other infra projects are still a distant dream, he added.
He said that Modi is unable to see states other than Andhra Pradesh and Bihar because "his eyes are on the position of Prime Minister".
"His agenda is exposed in front of the people. We hope the people of our state stand with us in our fight for justice,” the CM said.
Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah termed the union budget "disappointing" and said, "As Nirmala Sitharaman is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, we had expected her to do justice to the state and hoped that she would protect the interests of the state, but she hsd disappointed and done injustice to the people of Karnataka, he had said.
Despite my earnest efforts in calling for an all-party MPs meeting in New Delhi to discuss Karnataka's essential needs, the Union Budget has neglected our state's demands.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 23, 2024
Finance Minister @nsitharaman, who also attended the meeting, has ignored the concerns of the people of…
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B'desh: Lawyer killed in clash between security personnel, followers of Hindu leader
Dhaka, Nov 26: A lawyer was killed on Tuesday during clashes between the security personnel and followers of a Hindu community leader, who was denied bail and sent to jail by a Bangladesh court, according to local media reports.
The victim was identified as Saiful Islam, a 35-year-old assistant public prosecutor and a member of the Chattogram District Bar Association, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
Citing Dr Nibedita Ghosh, a duty doctor at the emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the paper said that six others were injured in the clashes that erupted after Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate court denied bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, arrested on sedition charges.
Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, president of the Chittagong Lawyers' Association, said that protesters dragged a lawyer from beneath his chamber and hacked him to death.
As Das was being taken away in a police van, he addressed the crowd through a hand mike, urging them to remain calm.
Around 3 pm, the law enforcement agencies resorted to sound grenades, tear gas shells, and baton charges, dispersing the protesters.
Deputy Commissioner of City Police Liaquat Ali confirmed one death but said they were still investigating the cause.
The Daily Star newspaper reported that at least 10 people, including journalists, were injured during the clash.
