Pro-people governance reflected in 1,000 days: Siddaramaiah
Haveri (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that his government had set records in welfare delivery and economic growth, asserting that its 1,000 days in office reflected its commitment to inclusive development.
The CM inaugurated the government's 1,000-day celebration and a programme to distribute title deeds to one lakh beneficiaries, organised jointly by the district administration and the Revenue Department.
"We are distributing title deeds to one lakh beneficiaries for the second time through the Revenue Department. So far, we have created a record by distributing title deeds to 2.20 lakh families," he said on the occasion.
"It is our pro-people government that has made the state's GDP number one in the country. The state is also moving at record speed in GST tax collection," he said, presenting data to substantiate the claim.
Siddaramaiah said his government has completed two years and nine months. "Out of the 590 promises made, we have fulfilled 243 promises. The remaining promises will also be fulfilled in the remaining term," he claimed.
Referring to his previous tenure, he said that even during 2013-18, the Congress government fulfilled all promises made and implemented 30 additional promises not mentioned in the manifesto, thereby creating a record of "walking the talk".
The chief minister said that so far, through the guarantee schemes, the state government has availed direct benefits to the tune of Rs 1.18 lakh crore to the people of the state.
"Our government has successfully completed 1,000 days in office. Only the Congress government walks the talk," Siddaramaiah stated.
He added that his government believes in inclusive development for people of all castes, religions and languages, and is committed to reducing inequality.
"The government completed 1,000 days on February 13. Our achievement convention during these 1,000 days reflects our commitment. We stand for the poor, Dalits, backward classes, minorities, women and workers," Siddaramaiah reiterated.
He assured that district demands would be addressed after reviewing the state's financial position.
Praising Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Siddaramaiah said there had been "revolutionary progress" in the department after he took charge.
Targeting the BJP, the chief minister said the party, which failed to fulfil its promises while in power, was spreading negative propaganda that the state treasury is empty.
Citing opinions expressed by economists, including Amartya Sen and Abhijit Banerjee, as well as studies by newspapers and universities, Siddaramaiah said the BJP indulging in misleading the people was condemnable.
The CM alleged that the BJP did nothing for four years when it was in power in the state from 2019 to 2023.
"The Central government is doing injustice to the state by not providing adequate grants. Our successful 1,000 days of governance stand testimony to our pro-people commitment," he said.
The chief minister claimed that these achievements had been accomplished despite what he termed injustice by the Centre.
Alleging financial injustice, he said the central government had caused financial injustice to the state. Due to shortfalls in GST compensation, the state had suffered a loss of Rs 12,000 crore to 15,000 crore.
"We are not getting our rightful share. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs 15,000 crore is yet to be released. If this grant is provided, many development works can be taken up across the state," Siddaramaiah said.
He accused former Chief Minister and current MP Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar of not even speaking in Delhi against the injustice being done to the state.
During the programme, officers were honoured for their outstanding performance.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, ministers, MLAs and leaders were present.
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Media dinner shooting suspect wrote about targeting of administration officials, Trump says
Washington (AP): The man accused of trying to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives had written about targeting Trump administration officials, and his family raised concerns with law enforcement before the event, President Donald Trump said Sunday in an interview on Fox News Channel.
The accused gunman's family had alerted police in Connecticut, Trump said, revealing new details about a chaotic encounter that disrupted one of Washington's glitziest annual events the night before.
The suspect, identified by law enforcement officials as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was expected to face criminal charges on Monday from the Justice Department, whose acting leader, Todd Blanche, said the suspect travelled by train from California and checked in as a guest days earlier at the Washington hotel where the Saturday night gala dinner was held with its typically tight security.
Law enforcement officials who have interviewed Allen's relatives, examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner.
He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a violent scene that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the two firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Authorities believe the suspect fired the shot that hit the Secret Service officer, who is expected to make a full recovery, Blanche said.
“He's going to be great, he's going to be fine, and thank God he was wearing a bulletproof vest,” Blanche said Sunday on ABC's “This Week.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump.
The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realised something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
Trump was unusually conciliatory after what he saw as a third attempt on his life in less than two years. He suggested that his personal politics had made him a repeated target, but he also called for unity and bipartisan healing in an increasingly violent world.
“It's always shocking when something like this happens. Happened to me, a little bit. And that never changes,” Trump told reporters in a hastily organised news conference at the White House late Saturday.
