On getting caught, Modi turned whole country into chowkidars: Rahul Gandhi
Kalaburagi: Mocking the prime minister's "main bhai chowkidar' (I too am watchman) campaign, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Monday said Narendra Modi has turned the whole country into "chowkidars" after getting caught.
Gandhi, who had been repeatedly taking the "chowkidar chor hai"(watchman is the thief) jibe at Modi to claim irregularities and favouritism in the Rafale fighter jet deal, said the prime minister never said he would make the whole country "chowkidars".
Addressing a public rally here in north Karnataka, he said Modi had told the people to make him a "chowkidar" and not prime minister, but was now turning the whole country into "chowkidars."
"Whose chowkidari has he done?" the Congress president asked, alleging Modi had only helped Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi, a charge vehemently being denied by the BJP and the government.
Modi had on Saturday urged his supporters to take the 'main bhai chowkidar' (I too am watchman) pledge, saying he is not alone in the fight against graft and social evils.
He also posted a little over three minute video to drive home his message.
The prime minister has often described himself as a "chowkidar" who would neither allow corruption nor get corrupted himself.
Modi and other BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, prefixed the word "chowkidar" to their names in their Twitter profile Sunday as they sought people's support in the Lok Sabha elections.
Gandhi also alleged that the target of Modi was to abolish the Constitution just as he scrapped the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes during the demonetisation exercise.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
