No disgruntlement, say Karnataka CM and Deputy CM amid reports of complaint by 30 MLAs
Hubballi/Bengaluru, July 25: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D K Shivakumar on Tuesday ruled out any disgruntlement within the ruling Congress, amid reports that as many 30 legislators have expressed concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies, and said there are no such complaints.
Both of them said, the legislature party meeting has been called, most probably on Thursday, as part of a routine exercise to discuss various programmes and policies of the government, and to ensure coordination between government and party MLAs.
"Who told you?" Siddaramaiah retorted, in response to a question that about 30 MLAs had written to him complaining about the functioning of Ministers and developmental work not taking place.
Noting that he had called the legislature party meeting last week, but as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was about to chair a meeting it was postponed, the CM said he has called it again on Thursday.
"We will discuss it there. It has been just two months since the formation of the government. The Legislature party meeting had to be called, so I called. There are no complaints (against Ministers). They (MLAs) had asked for a legislature party meeting to be called, so have called," he added.
The Chief Minister, however, did not want to comment about Shivakumar's claims that a plot was being hatched in Singapore to topple the Congress government in Karnataka. "About Singapore, you ask him. I don't know about it, ask D K Shivakumar."
The Deputy Chief Minister's claims on Monday had created a flutter in political circles.
According to reports, Congress MLAs are said to have complained to the Chief Minister and party leadership that they had not been able to get their work done in their constituencies, and also transfers as requested, and have expressed unhappiness regarding Ministers, alleging non-cooperation.
The recent statement by senior party leader and MLC B K Hariprasad, that he knows "how to make and bring down a chief minister", has added fuel to the speculation and is indicative that all is not well within the ruling party.
On his part, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President termed reports that 30-odd MLAs have written a letter complaining about the functioning of the Ministers as "false" and mere speculations.
"It is all false, no one has written such a letter. The Chief Minister and I have requested all Ministers to work taking into confidence all the legislators and lost candidates of all constituencies. All are doing their job. These are nothing but mere speculations," he told reporters here.
The Deputy CM said, "there are certain programmes, which had to be discussed, there was an Assembly session. Our five guarantee schemes, whether they are reaching people or not, are there any corruption, regarding all this we had to discuss, give guidance and information to our legislators."
He said, during the Assembly session, which concluded last Friday, there was no time to call a legislature party meeting and discuss all this.
Observing that there are certain financial constraints as the government has to implement five guarantee schemes, Shivakumar said, "all the legislators have a lot of desire regarding implementing various promises they had given to people, but we are asking the MLAs to keep them on hold for some time now. In my own department legislators are seeking for implementation of works to the tune of Rs 10 crore, 100 crore, 200 crore or 300 crore."
As the government, due to financial constraints is not in the position to spend such huge amount, the MLAs are being requested to keep things on hold and have some patience, he said. "MLAs, especially freshers, have been asked to go to the constituencies, remain with the people as there is rain and flooding in some regions; where there is drought like situation in other places. We have to make legislators understand this."
Responding to a question, the Deputy CM said, all Ministers are touring various districts and are doing their job.
"What work has not been done to legislators, who have their own rights and responsibilities? Regarding transfers within the time limitations, Ministers have done, rest is left to the Chief Minister," he said. "There is no disgruntlement, it is only media creation".
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
