Senior Congress leader draws flak for remark on former PM Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, Jul 1: A former Congress legislator K N Rajanna got a backlash for his statement that former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda would soon be carried by four people, meaning that the 88-year-old's end was near. Later, Rajanna tendered an apology.
At a function at Madhugiri in Tumakuru district of Karnataka on Thursday, Rajanna appealed to the electorate to vote for him in the upcoming Assembly election as this would be his last election.
This will be my last election. I am not going to contest elections anymore even if you ask me to because I am already 72. After five years, I will be 77, that is when my hands and legs will be shaking, Rajanna told the gathering.
Suddenly, some one in the crowd reminded him of Deve Gowda, who is still active in electoral politics.
Quickly Rajanna said, Deve Gowda is presently being carried by two people. Soon, four people will carry him.
The remark drew the ire of the family of the JD(S) leader, the Opposition Congress as well as the BJP.
There are people who say Deve Gowda does not have strength anymore. I have to demonstrate as to how strong I am. I would like to say that there is something called strength - God, Gowda said at the party office - JP Bhavan - during an event Janata Mitra,' which kickstarted today.
Gowda's son and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said the words of Rajanna display a distorted mindset, and arrogance.
Today, the way a great Congress leader spoke ill against honourable Deve Gowda, exhibiting his distorted mindset, reflects on his culture. I am hurt by those words..., the JD(S) second-in-command said.
He said, I am hurt not because he (Gowda) is my father. I often cry whenever I go to anyone's funeral. The words "carried by four people" show his arrogance. There is someone above us. You are not God, you are just an ordinary human being.
Gowda's grandson and a Member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna said people of Madhugiri, who rejected Rajanna in the previous election, would beat him up for his remark.
Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy who is an MLA from Madhugiri advised Rajanna to respect an elderly politician.
As a friend, I want to tell Rajanna that he should not have said so. Whatever may be the politics, he should not have spoken so, of an elderly politician, Madhuswamy said.
The Congress State president D K Shivakumar condemned the remark.
It is deplorable and inhumane to speak ill of a senior statesman and worshipful Deve Gowda, who has served the State as well as the nation. I ask Rajanna to apologise, Shivakumar said.
Apologising, Rajanna said he has respect for Gowda and his intention was not to hurt him, his family or his well-wishers.
Those who heard me have perceived me wrongly. However, I will not get into any argument. I regret if my words have hurt him, his family or well-wishers, and I apologise, Rajanna said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
