Row over cash seizure from Karnataka minister's clerk
Bengaluru, Jan 5: The alleged seizure of a large amount of cash from a clerk in the office of Karnataka minister for backward classes welfare C Puttarangashetty snowballed into a major controversy Saturday with the BJP and a senior leader of ruling coalition partner JD(S) demanding the resignation of the Congress minister.
Chief Minister H.D Kumaraswamy said an investigation was on and a decision will be taken once a detailed report comes out.
Mounting an attack on the ruling Congress-JDS coalition government, the BJP demanded that the minister step down following the seizure of cash from the clerk in the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, Friday night.
"Yesterday the police seized Rs 25.76 lakh from Puttarangashetty's PA at Vidhana Soudha. The cover bore the name of Minister Puttarangashetty.
"He must resign immediately and the matter should be thoroughly investigated," BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said in Shivamogga.
Taking a jibe at the state government, BJP general secretary and party spokesperson N Ravi Kumar wondered "how much money other ministers would be making if the daily collection of a minister is Rs 25.76 lakh".
JD(S) MLC Basavaraj Horatti too demanded that the minister resign on moral grounds.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said investigations were on and accordingly action would be taken against the accused.
"With regard to the investigation, police will take their own decision. I am not the one to misuse power and influence investigation. We will take a decision when a detailed report comes out after a transparent investigation," he said.
Former chief minister and state congress leader Siddaramaiah said investigation has to be carried out to find out how the accused got such a huge amount of cash.
A case has to be registered, he said.
According to police, the clerk Mohan was intercepted when he was taking the cash inside Vidhana Soudha and was later arrested.
The clerk could not give any satisfactory reply to the queries on the source of the money and the motive behind taking it inside the state secretariat, they said.
Puttarangashetty had said he has no clue about the cash and that he was not in the office when the person was caught.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
2001 Parliament attack anniversary: Vice Prez, PM Modi, MPs pay tributes to fallen heroes
New Delhi (PTI): Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday led Parliamentarians in paying floral tributes to those who died fending off terrorists who attacked the Parliament House in 2001.
On the 24th anniversary of the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Radhakrishnan, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chair, were among the first to offer tributes.
A brief function is held outside the now old Parliament building (Samvidhan Sadan) every December 13 to mark the day.
CISF personnel presented a salute or "samman guard" at the venue, after which a moment of silence was observed to mark the anniversary. Till 2023, the CRPF used to offer 'salami shastra' (present arms).
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a senior party leader, were also present at the event. Union ministers Kiren Rijiju, Jitendra Singh and Arjun Ram Meghwal also lined up to offer flower petals at the photographs of the personnel who went down foiling the attack.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is in Latur to attend the funeral of former speaker of the Lower House of Parliament and ex-Union minister Shivraj Patil.
The attack was carried out by five armed terrorists, but personnel from the now former Parliament Security Service, CRPF and Delhi Police foiled the attack, with no terrorist being able to enter the building.
Six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel, a gardener and a TV video journalist were killed in the attack. All five terrorists were gunned down in the forecourt of the then Parliament building.
