Not afraid of politically malicious criticism, says CM as opposition attacks his govt. over 'scams'
Bengaluru, Jul 15: With opposition parties targeting his government over alleged financial irregularities in a state-run corporation in both Houses of Karnataka legislature and planning to raise the Mysuru Urban Development Authority 'scam' issue, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said he has answers to their "every word" and it is not in his nature to sit quietly, afraid of politically malicious criticism.
He also accused BJP and JD(S) of adopting "hit and run" tactics by lying before the media, and asserted that it will not be allowed in the House (Legislative Assembly/Council).
"How true are the allegations of the opposition parties? How much lies? We will bring it to light in this House. It is not in my nature to sit quietly, afraid of politically malicious criticism," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.
"BJP and JD(S) leaders, I have an answer for every word of yours. It's not like lying before the media so far, standing somewhere far away and shooting a bullet in the air. This is the House, your hit and run has no place here," he added.
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The illegal money transfer issue, involving Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd, came to the fore, after its accounts superintendent, Chandrashekhar P, died by suicide on May 26, leaving behind a death note.
The note alleged unauthorised transfer of Rs 187 crore belonging to the Corporation from its bank account, and from that, Rs 88.62 crore was illegally moved to various accounts allegedly belonging to "well-known" IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank among others.
Following allegations against him in connection with the scam, Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra tendered his resignation on June 6. He is currently under Enforcement Directorate custody.
The MUDA case is linked to fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by the Authority, which involves plots given to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
The controversial scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts.
BJP and JD(S) have demanded for Siddaramaiah's resignation and CBI probe into both these cases.
Reacting to BJP demanding CM's resignation in connection with the MUDA case, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said: "let them raise their issue in the Assembly, we will respond to it, whether it is MUDA or any other case."
"All scams were done by them (BJP) and they are now blaming us. We are taking several measures to clean up things after coming to power," he told reporters here.
On BJP terming the government's move to constitute a Commission, headed by Justice P N Desai, a retired Karnataka High Court judge, to probe the MUDA alleged scam, an "eyewash" and demanding CBI probe, Shivakumar said: "Should we obey whatever they say? People have given us the mandate. We will do what is good for the state."
ವಿರೋಧ ಪಕ್ಷಗಳ ಆರೋಪಗಳು ಎಷ್ಟು ಸತ್ಯ? ಎಷ್ಟು ಸುಳ್ಳು? ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಈ ಸದನದಲ್ಲೇ ನಾವು ಬಯಲು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇವೆ. ರಾಜಕೀಯ ದುರುದ್ದೇಶದ ಟೀಕೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಹೆದರಿ ಕೂರುವ ಜಾಯಮಾನ ನನ್ನದಲ್ಲ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 15, 2024
ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಮತ್ತು ಜೆಡಿಎಸ್ ನಾಯಕರೇ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರತಿ ಮಾತಿಗೂ ನನ್ನ ಬಳಿ ಉತ್ತರವಿದೆ. ಇಷ್ಟು ದಿನ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳ ಎದುರು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾ, ದೂರದಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲೋ ನಿಂತು… pic.twitter.com/iljISfqvYx
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Trump rushed out of dinner event after shots fired; one arrested
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump and other top White House officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the hotel.
The incident took place at around 8:34 PM local time when dinner was served. At that time, Trump was seen having a conversation with Weijia Jiang, the President of the White House Correspondents' Association, and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was scheduled to present a show at the marquee event at the Washington Hilton here.
Secret Service officials and other security personnel covered the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and the Second Lady Usha Vance, who were seated at the head table, and escorted them out of the ballroom.
Several guests at the dinner, including leaders across the political spectrum, journalists and other invitees, ducked under the table, apparently as a reflex reaction.
Putting up a brave face, President Trump later announced on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table,” a C-SPAN reporter at the dinner said.
Hours later, Trump addressed a press conference at the White House and announced that the security personnel had captured one person who hails from California.
“I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him,” Trump told reporters, recalling the incident.
Trump said one security officer was shot at but saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Several protestors had lined up on the road outside the hotel, raising slogans against the Trump administration and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A CNN reporter who was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton said he saw a gunman opening fire just a few feet away. He was among the dozens of attendees who took cover as law enforcement swarmed the venue.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California.
Asked how Saturday’s incident impacts him as the US president, Trump told reporters he is in a dangerous job but that he is no “basket case.”
“I like not to think about it. I lead a pretty normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life. I think I handle it as well as it can be handled,” Trump said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
“I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives...everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd,” he said.
“We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully,” Trump said.
