Lingayat seers ask BJP to change its Dharwad LS candidate Pralhad Joshi
Hubballi, Mar 27: A few Lingayat seers in the region met here on Wednesday and asked the BJP central leadership to change the party's Dharwad Lok Sabha candidate Prahlad Joshi, Fakira Dingaleshwar Swamiji of Shirahatti-Balehosur said.
He said, at the meeting it was decided that "like in the north", Swamijis in the south too should work in the political field and contest elections.
"Swamijis met and discussed about a Central minister who has been fielded from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency (by BJP), they want him to be changed. We have given four days time for this, we will wait till March 31 to see what the (BJP) high command decides," Fakira Dingaleshwar Swamiji said after the meeting.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, they will meet once again on April 2 and announce their decision accordingly.
Lingayats are said to be the majority among voters in the Dharwad segment, while Joshi, a four-time MP, is a Brahmin.
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Stating that he has a lot of respect and regard for Dingaleshwar Swamiji and has over 30 years of association with his guru and the math, Joshi said, he will consider seer's comments as a blessings and will try to clarify the misunderstandings, if any, in the days ahead.
He said he would not like to comment on any personal allegations.
Veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, a Lingayat, said there is no question of changing Joshi from being the candidate. "He is a senior leader and will win with a huge margin."
He said he will personally speak to Dingaleshwar Swamiji and clarify the misunderstandings that he may have.
Targeting Joshi, the Swamiji further said, "every community is pained by him...We are not speaking against the party, we are speaking about Union minister Pralhad Joshi."
He also said that in north India "Kavidharis" and Swamijis have been given an opportunity in politics, but it is not the case in South India. "We have discussed it and it was decided that swamijis in the south too should work in the political field and contest elections."
Asked whether he or someone among the Swamijis will contest the polls from Dharwad if BJP doesn't change its candidate, he said, "Wait till April 2 for it."
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
