Siddaramaiah hits out at Modi on loan waiver scheme, calls him 'anti-farmer'
Bengaluru, Dec 31: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for criticising the state government's farm loan waiver scheme and called him "anti-farmer".
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, he questioned Modi's moral right to criticise the state government on the issue.
"I had twice led delegations (to Modi) as a chief minister, he did not agree to waive a single rupee. What moral right does he have?" said Siddaramaiah who is also head of the ruling Congress-JD(S) coordination committee in Karnataka.
Alleging that Modi and his government were against the agriculture sector, he questioned their contribution to the farming community.
"Ok we have given lollipop, what pop has he given? What has he given?" Siddaramaiah asked.
"What has he and his party governments done in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh until recently, and in Bihar and other states where the BJP is running a coalition government?" he questioned.
Addressing a rally at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh last week, Modi had said that the Congress promised loan waivers to lakhs of farmers, but the JD(S)-Congress coalition in Karnataka did not deliver.
"Lollipops were handed out. The loan waiver was given to only 800 farmers," he had claimed.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has also hit out at Modi for terming the state government's loan waiver scheme for farmers "one of the most cruel jokes", accusing him of misleading the country for "political gains".
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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.
