No direction from Cong high command on leadership change, says Yathindra Siddaramaiah
Mandya (PTI): Congress MLC and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Friday said the Congress high command has not given any direction on the leadership change, and the confusion is a media creation.
He also said no one knows whether any promise was made in 2023 about leadership change after two and a half years, and hence it was not good to speculate about it.
"There is no battle or skirmish (in ruling Congress). Since there is no confusion amongst us, I feel the media is into perception creation. The Congress high command has not given any direction for leadership change. If there is anything like that, then they will call and discuss it, Yathindra told reporters here.
He added that some people are saying that the deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar should be elevated, but he has said that he will listen to the party high command.
The party high command has said that it will invite both and discuss the issue. Till then no confusion should prevail, he noted.
Regarding confusion in the party over the leadership issue, Yathindra said there can be aspirants in every party, and some might have demanded the post of Chief Minister.
According to him, people aspiring to become Chief Minister is not a big issue, as it happened in all the political parties in power, including the BJP when it was ruling Karnataka.
Both the CM and DCM have said that they will stick to what the party high command says. Hence, all the confusion will be resolved.
To a question on the promise to Shivakumar to make him the next Chief Minister, Yathindra said, "No one knows whether any promise was made about leadership change after two and a half years. High command may or may not know about it. So, it is not proper to speculate about it."
On the question of MLAs being divided on the issue, he said, "Which MLA is in whose favor should not be discussed before the media. It is the internal matter of the party, which should be left to us."
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ED raids Kolkata Police deputy commissioner, businessman in PMLA probe
Kolkata (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday conducted raids at the premises of Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas and a local businessman as part of a money laundering probe against an alleged criminal and his linked syndicate in the poll-bound state, officials said.
Two premises of Biswas, including his residence in Ballygunge area and one location of the businessman named Joy Kamdar, Managing Director of a company named Sun Enterprise, have been raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Kamdar has been taken by the officials to the local ED office for questioning. Biswas, chief coordinator and nodal officer of the West Bengal and Kolkata Police welfare committee, was not present at his premises, they said.
The action is linked to a money laundering case against an alleged local criminal named Biswajit Podder alias Sona Pappu, who is booked in multiple cases on charges of attempted murder and extortion.
The federal probe agency had conducted the first round of searches in this case on April 1.
The ED had then seized cash of Rs 1.47 crore apart from gold jewellery and silver valued at Rs 67.64 lakh and a country-made revolver from some premises that were searched.
The probe stems from a Kolkata Police FIR against against Podder for his alleged involvement in rioting, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and Arms Act violations. The accused, including Podder, were engaged in organised criminal syndicate activities in the state of West Bengal and generated funds illegally by way of syndicate operations, the ED said in a statement on April 9.
Podder is also wanted by the police in a case of violence in Kankulia road near Golpark of Kolkata and is currently on the run.
The ED has issued summons to Podder but he has failed to join the investigation so far, according to the agency.
West Bengal will have a two phase poll on April 23 and April 29.
