'PM assured Centre will consider demand for more funds for development’: CM BS Yediyurappa
Bengaluru, Jan 3: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him the Centre would consider the state's demands for more funds for development and called him a “great visionary”.
He said the Prime Minister spoke to him personally assuring him of all help and suggested that he come to New Delhi and meet the Union Ministers concerned on the matter.
The clarification came a day after Yediyurappa sought the Centres help while addressing the 'Krishi Karman' awards event in Tumkur, which Modi attended.
In a statement the Chief Minister said a section of the media had attached a motive to his speech, "which was plain and honest in its content."
Being in a federal set up, there was nothing wrong in placing the facts before the Prime Minister and making submissions, he said.
He said that as Chief Minister, he placed the state's problems and need of more funds for development before Modi.
Yediyurappa said he had urged the Prime Minister to grant more funds for relief work, scientific and remunerative price for farm produce, and special fund of Rs 50,000 crore for speeding up of on-going irrigation works.
As it was a farmers meet, I felt it worthy and timely to plead with the Prime Minister for more funds for all the developmental activities in the state," he added.
Modi not responding to request during his two day visit to the state had drawn flak from sections of the media, social media users and also the opposition parties.
Noting that undoubtedly the Prime Minister was a great visionary and his concern for the poor and farmers was unquestionable, Yediyurappa said when the world is appreciating his statesmanship and visionary zeal, it is in very bad taste for the media to attribute motives to my speech and relate it to the prime minister.
In fact, the Prime Minister spoke to me personally and assured me of all help and suggested I come to New Delhi and meet the concerned Ministers and apprise them about the states problems and pending projects.
He also directed me to prepare a detailed report on this matter, the Chief Minster said.
Yediyurappa requested the electronic and print media not to misinterpret, but support the government in the interest of development of the state and interest of the people and hoped they would respond to it.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too had alleged that Modi's act of ignoring Yediyurappa was equivalent to insulting Kannadigas.
"Irrespective of the party from which @BSYBJP is elected, he is our @CMofKarnataka & our representative.
The act of @narendramodi to ignore Yediyurappa & humiliate him on the stage is equivalent to insulting Kannadigas. I condemn this," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
Some twitter users who trended "#GobackModi" on Thursday had used a clipping of Yediyurappa's speech about not getting additional flood relief from the Centre despite repeated requests, at a programme attended by the Prime Minister, to attack him.
Yediyurappa, while referring to the flood damage had said on Thursday he had brought to Modi's notice that the loss was over Rs 30,000 crore and that additional funds had not been released despite his repeated requests to the Centre.
Irrespective of the party from which @BSYBJP is elected, he is our @CMofKarnataka & our representative.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 3, 2020
The act of @narendramodi to ignore Yediyurappa & humiliate him on the stage is equivalent to insulting Kannadigas. I condemn this.#PressMeet pic.twitter.com/37JzJOzpvr
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Police arrested Kejriwal's aide at same time his anticipatory bail plea was being heard: Atishi
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Minister Atishi alleged on Saturday that the city police arrested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar at the same time his anticipatory bail plea was being heard in court.
Kumar was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal, officials said.
He was picked up from the chief minister's residence by a Delhi Police team around noon, a senior officer said.
Addressing a press conference, Atishi said Kumar had filed a plea for anticipatory bail before the Tis Hazari court.
Kumar was picked up for questioning by the Delhi Police around 11 am. As soon as he was taken for questioning, news channels started saying he had been arrested, she claimed.
"This shows the BJP's conspiracy. Their intention is to disturb our election campaign and Arvind Kejriwal," she said.
Atishi said the Tis Hazari court considered Kumar's matter urgent and agreed to hear his plea on Saturday itself.
"The court commenced hearing on his plea at 3:55 pm and within 20 minutes, the Delhi Police arrested him at the Civil Lines police station. As soon as his lawyers began arguments, the police learnt that their case is weak and Kumar would get relief. So they arrested Kumar," she claimed.
Atishi alleged that when the court was dictating its order on the matter at 4:55 pm, the Delhi Police lawyer appeared through videoconferencing and said Kumar had already been arrested.
Kumar's anticipatory bail plea has become "infructuous" as he has been arrested, the court observed.
The chief minister's aide, accused of assaulting Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal's residence, was arrested two days after an FIR was registered against him at the Civil Lines police station.
Additional Sessions Judge Sushil Anuj Tyagi, while dictating the order to the court staff on the anticipatory bail plea, noted that Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava appeared through videoconferencing around 4:45 pm and informed the court that Kumar had already been arrested.
Atishi said, "Even they knew that their case was weak and if the case was heard, Bibhav Kumar would get bail. That is why tomorrow (Sunday) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will lead all AAP leaders and to the BJP headquarters and court arrest."
Kejriwal said he and other AAP leaders would go to the BJP headquarters on Sunday "so that the prime minister can send anyone he wants to jail".
The BJP is saying they would send AAP MP Raghav Chadha and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj to jail, he claimed at a press briefing, hours after Kumar was arrested.
