Parameshwara being targeted in gold smuggling case amid Cong power struggle, alleges HD Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru, May 23 (PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday alleged that Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara is being deliberately implicated in the gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao, as part of an internal power struggle within the ruling Congress party.
He also claimed that the motive is to sideline Parameshwara and derail his leadership ambitions.
In a statement, Kumaraswamy noted that Parameshwara's recent moves to organise a dalit convention and engage with senior party leaders in New Delhi may have ruffled feathers in the party.
He also referred to statements made by state Minister K N Rajanna in the assembly, hinting at surveillance and manipulation by a powerful political figure.
Kumaraswamy also said Rajanna’s remarks may now be relevant given the current developments.
The Union Minister also wondered how a Congress insider came to know about the alleged smuggling attempt involving an actress and how the information reached the authorities.
He raised doubts about whether the Intelligence Department, which reports directly to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was truly unaware of these developments.
According to him, the gold smuggling case was being used to undermine Parameshwara's credibility and block his rise within the party.
A senior Congress leader, eyeing the CM’s post, may be orchestrating the situation behind the scenes.
Kumaraswamy further criticised the Congress party for blaming the central government while ignoring the internal power politics unfolding within their own ranks.
Lashing out at Kumaraswamy over the matter, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, “Kumaraswamy has lost his mental balance.”
Shivakumar was speaking to reporters in Vijayapura.
Rao, the step daughter of DGP rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials detained her and recovered 14.2 kg of gold bars valued at over Rs 12.56 crore from her.
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Had a very good conversation with friend Modi: Trump
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had a "very good conversation" with his "friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He was referring to the talks the two leaders had on Tuesday.
"I had a very good talk with him, and he's a friend of mine from India, and he's doing great. We had a very good conversation," Trump told reporters here as he headed to Las Vegas to address a roundtable on tax cuts.
Trump had called Modi on Tuesday to discuss the bilateral relationship and share perspectives on the situation in West Asia, where the US and Israel have launched a war on Iran.
The US and Iran declared a two-week ceasefire on April 7. They engaged in peace talks with Washington, insisting that Tehran give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and uranium enrichment.
The war with Iran has sent gas prices soaring as Tehran blocked the sea lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway for a fifth of global oil supplies.
During the Trump-Modi phone call on Tuesday, the two leaders stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.
According to the US Ambassador to India Sergei Gor, the 40-minute conversation ended with Trump telling Modi, "we all love you".
Tuesday's phone call was the second between the two leaders since the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28.
