Police stations, govt offices in Karnataka functioning like ruling BJP's offices: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: The Congress in Karnataka on Friday alleged that police stations and government offices at several places in the state were functioning like ruling BJP's offices and party workers were being intimidated and threatened to stage protests.
The party's state president D K Shivakumar, while leveling this charge, said efforts were on to strengthen the Congress and the party's aim was not only to outperform BJP in the coming taluk and Zilla panchayat polls but remove it from power.
"Various police stations and government offices have been converted into BJP offices.
Police officers like circle or Sub-Inspectors are threatening our workers with cases if they don't go to BJP," he told reporters at a state Congress "Sankalpa' convention here.
Shivakumar claimed that many block presidents had informed the party of this and it had been taken note of.
"We have made a list of it. We are thinking about organizing protests at those police stations or in those constituencies.
We will plan and do it. We will not sit in rooms..we will go on the streets and agitate. It will be to give strength to our workers and send a message to authorities," he added.
The division level Sankalpa conventions are aimed at strengthening the Congress at the grassroots level and chalk out political strategies, including creating awareness on the 'failures' of BJP-led state and central governments.
"There are taluk and Zilla panchayat polls also in certain municipalities ...not just winning these polls, our challenge, our vow, and resolve are to remove the BJP government from the state and the country."
Noting that his aim was to convert Congress, which is a mass-based party, to a cadre-based party, the KPCC chief said the process was on to appoint and train booth level agents.
"We have also asked the local leadership for new panchayat and ward level committees to be formed and inform the party about it.
We will have a "digital youth" (to manage social media, databases) in every booth, involve women and youth in a big way at the grassroots level of the party organization," he added.
Shivakumar said the Congress would come out with a list of "anti-people" moves and "corruption", among other things, against the BJP government.
To a question about the Karnataka High Court dismissing the Chief Minister petition, seeking quashing of the FIR in connection with an illegal denotification case, he said "...Yediyurappa should take moral responsibility, Delhi leadership of that party seems to be encouraging..."
The court had on January 6 dismissed Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's petition and directed the Lok Ayukta to continue the probe in the matter.
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Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
