Ministers ready to resign to accommodate unhappy MLAs: D.K. Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Jan 19: Senior Congress leader and Minister D K Shivakumar Saturday said all ministers in the party including him were ready to step aside from the cabinet in the interest of the party to accommodate those MLAs who are dissatisfied.
"We are loyal soldiers of the party. When Dharm Singh government was there I was kept out of the government for political reasons...in the last regime I was MLA for sixth term, Siddaramaiah could not include me in his cabinet (initially)," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said this time it was a coalition government, and several legislators, who were senior to him- V Muniyappa, Ramalinga Reddy, Roshan Baig, H K Patil - are not part of the government.
"If need be, including myself, I'm telling you, we are ready to sacrifice for the party, for the workers, for legislators. Nothing is important.
Party is important to us we want to bring back our party with flying colours," he said in response to a question.
Shivakumar also said the "decision" was arrived at a meeting of Congress ministers held a few days ago.
He said "I voluntarily have offered (to step down).
In the interest of the party, if my leaders want, I'm ready."
To a question how many ministers were ready to resign, he said "All of us are ready..."
The statement by the Congress' "troubleshooter" gains significance as there is simmering discontent within a section in the party over not getting cabinet berth during the recent rejig.
To a question about getting in touch with MLAs, including Nagendra and Umesh Jadhav who were absent from the CLP meeting on Friday, Shivakumar said, "I'm in touch with all MLAs...I don't want to disclose."
He said there were no "rebels" in the party and downplayed dissatisfaction within the party.
"Who is rebel? I don't know, I have not seen any rebels," he said.
To a question how long Congress legislators will stay in the resort, Shivakumar said "Let me see...discussions are on district by district, constituency wise discussions are on (regarding Parliamentary election), also about the development work in each constituency."
Asked whether MLAs would return from the resort tomorrow, without giving any direct response, he said "Can they stay there itself?"
Congress on Friday had shifted all its MLAs to a resort to allegedly "escape" from the BJP's "onslaught."
On BJP going for a statewide tour to study drought, Shivakumar, terming it as a "good" move, assured full cooperation from the government.
He also asked BJP legislators still in Delhi, to put pressure on the Prime Minister and Rural Development Minister "to get back our NREGA money" of about Rs 1,500 crore that is pending with the Centre.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
