Kumaraswamy hits out at Congress, says it has continued East India Company's corrupt legacy
Bengaluru, Aug 04: Alleging rampant corruption in the Congress government in Karnataka, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Friday said a Minister has demanded ''certain percentage'' from contractors in his department, while in Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officers have been told to collect Rs 250 crore to be ''delivered to Delhi''.
On his arrival in Bengaluru from Europe trip with the family, the former CM also hit out at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for claiming that a plot was being hatched in Singapore to topple the government and said the former has made such claims as he probably knows that this government will not complete its term. ''Couple of days ago, in a department, the Minister asked contractors to give a certain percentage, I got this information during my Europe trip. When the contractors association decided to have a meeting with the Minister on getting to know about the demand, 2-3 agents at the Ministers office told them they can go in if they have got money,'' Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters at the airport late Thursday night, referring to the ''entire'' state cabinet meeting the Congress leadership in Delhi recently, he asked, ''Will such people after going before Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and discussing corruption, stop corruption and bring a transparent administration?'' The anti corruption image the Congress wants to build is only for the outside world, Kumaraswamy said. ''If I have to tell you the true story of Congress, that party is for 'Vasooli' (taking bribery). East India Company (British East India Company) left us, but they handed over the administration of the country to the Congress party before leaving, the grand old party has continued East India Company's corrupt legacy.'' Within two months of coming to power the level of corruption in the Congress government was rampant, he said, adding, ''BDA officials have told me that they have been told that Rs 250 crore has to be collected to be sent to Delhi, and they will be given the list.'' When told Shivakumar is incharge of BDA, where he has alleged corruption, the former CM said, ''he has taken it (department) for that reason....to make (Bengaluru) Singapore.'' Despite being on a foreign tour he was gathering day-to-day developments in the state, Kumaraswamy said, adding the way in which ''transfer business'' took place in the police department will cause disrepute to the force.
''If you bring down police officials to this level, to what extent will they provide protection to the common people?,'' he asked, When the meeting took place between senior officials, the Home Minister and the CM regarding police transfers, a certain ''YST tax'' people were present there, he claimed, without taking any name.
Criticising the functioning of the present administration, he said now it has put those transfers on hold.
Kumaraswamy was referring to Karnataka government's decision to keep transfer of police inspectors in abeyance until further orders, a day after it transferred 211 police inspectors across the state. According to reports, the decision to put transfers on hold was taken after some party leaders and legislators expressed displeasure.
Noting that Shivakumar claimed that a plot is being hatched to topple the government after he left for a family trip, the JDS leader said, ''It shows how much our intelligence department is functioning. I had left that night with my brothers and sisters and entire family to European country for a 15-day trip, but in the morning a situation was created as though I was trying to bring down this government in Singapore'' It shows the fear the Congress has towards him and JD(S), despite it winning just 19 seats, he said. Shivakumar might have said it, as most probably he knows that this government will not complete its term.
''He (Shivakumar) follows astrology more than us. He makes different kinds of conspiracies with the help of astrology. The artificial strength he has got from it during the election -- he knows that the artificial strength will not stay for long, so might have made such statements,'' he added.
To a query regarding veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa too going on a foreign trip around the same time when he was not in the country, Kumaraswamy said he might have gone with his family and sought to know why should it be politicised. Clarifying on having ''friendly ties'' with BJP, he said, ''No, as an opposition party, when the public money is looted, it's my duty to work in the opposition, so I have raised my voice. Has BJP developed the state?'' Hitting back, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, Kumaraswamy is a known ''hit and run case always''.
Pointing to Kumaraswamy accusing the Congress government of corruption with a claim that he was ready to give a pen drive that had proof, the CM asked, ''did he prove that? There should be proof (of corruption) to release. Will he keep it in his pocket?''
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bangladesh High Court refuses to ban ISKCON
Dhaka, Nov 28: Bangladesh High Court Thursday rejected a petition seeking a ban on ISKCON's activities in the country, days after a lawyer was killed in a clash between security personnel and supporters of a Hindu leader, previously linked to the religious group.
A lawyer had sought a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) after placing some newspaper reports related to the organisation on Wednesday.
"The two-member High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury on Thursday declined to ban the ISKCON activities in Bangladesh," a spokesman of the attorney general's office said.
He said the bench made the decision after the attorney general's office submitted a report on the action taken by the government regarding the death of assistant government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif in the northeastern port city of Chattogram earlier this week.
Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachary, arrested earlier this week, was sent to jail by a Chattogram court on sedition charges, sparking a violent protest during which advocate Alif was killed. Chinmoy was earlier expelled from ISKCON.
"Right at this moment, the situation does not warrant the intervention of the (High) court as the State is carrying out its job (regarding the matter),” Justice Mahbub was quoted as saying by the spokesman.
The decision came a day after Attorney-General Mohammad Asaduzzaman urged the court not to take any decisions on the ISKCON issue as the government has started taking the required action.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Deputy Attorney General Asad Uddin informed the bench that three separate cases have been filed in connection with the murder of the lawyer and ISKCON's activities, and 33 accused have been arrested in these cases.
The bench then hoped that the government would remain cautious about protecting the law and order situation and the lives and properties of the people of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, ISKCON Bangladesh refuted allegations linking the organisation to the lawyer's killing, saying the claims were baseless and part of a malicious campaign.
"A series of false, fabricated, and malicious campaigns is being spearheaded targeting ISKCON Bangladesh, particularly in connection with recent events. These efforts are aimed at discrediting our organisation and creating societal unrest," general secretary of the organization Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari said.
Speaking at a press conference at the organisation’s head office, he said ISKCON Bangladesh was never involved in "communal or conflict-driven activities and will continue to promote unity and harmony".
"We have already clarified the matter multiple times through press conferences and official communications with the government and administrative authorities. Regrettably, certain groups continue to deliberately spread false propaganda against our organisation and make unreasonable demands, such as banning ISKCON," Das said.
He said that Chinmoy was previously expelled from the organisation along with two others for violating its rules and none of their activities were connected to ISKCON.
ISKCON Bangladesh President Satya Ranjan Baroi also spoke at the press conference, saying their organisation was dedicated to communal harmony, religious tolerance, and the welfare of humanity and “the allegations are an attempt to tarnish our religious and social reputation".
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Supreme Court Bar, protesting the lawyer's killing and demanding the ban on ISKCON.
The group is regarded as the lawyers’ wing of ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, which led the mass upheaval to oust deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime on August 5, also demanded the ban on ISKCON.
Separately, a group of Supreme Court lawyers sent a legal notice to the Bangladesh government on Wednesday seeking the ban on ISKCON describing it as a “radical organisation.”
India on Tuesday noted with “deep concern” Chinmoy's arrest and denial of bail and urged Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all other minority groups.
Earlier, the ISKCON had urged the Bangladesh authorities to promote "peaceful coexistence" for Hindus in the country as it "strongly" denounced the arrest of the Hindu leader.
Chinmoy, the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday as he was about to fly to Chattogram to join a rally.
He was denied bail and sent to jail by the Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate court in a sedition case on Tuesday.
