Siddaramaiah will lead Congress in next elections, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Rejecting speculation over a change in leadership, former Bangalore Rural MP and BAMUL president D.K. Suresh on Wednesday reaffirmed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will continue to lead the Congress in all upcoming elections.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Suresh said, “Siddaramaiah is our leader. There is no question of leadership change or transfer of power. All such discussions are mere speculation. The Congress party has not taken up any such issue. Siddaramaiah is not too old, and every future election in Karnataka will be fought under his leadership.”
Suresh also clarified that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s visit to Delhi was unrelated to any political developments. “He has gone to discuss legal strategy with officials and lawyers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on the Mekedatu project in the court. His visits to the Congress headquarters are routine whenever he is in Delhi,” he explained.
On the issue of cabinet reshuffle, Suresh said the matter rests entirely with the Chief Minister and the party high command. “The Congress is not dependent on one or two leaders. It has been built collectively by senior leaders like M.B. Patil, Dr. Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, and Dr. Mahadevappa,” he added.
Responding to speculation that supporters of D.K. Shivakumar want him to be Chief Minister, Suresh said such aspirations are natural in politics. “There is nothing wrong if followers want their leader to become Chief Minister. Some want Kumaraswamy, others want Vijayendra, Parameshwara, or Satish Jarkiholi to take the post, this is a normal process in democracy,” he said.
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Businessman lured by FB friend, attacked for extortion in K'taka; 4 held
Madikeri (Karnataka) (PTI): Four people were arrested for allegedly assaulting, illegally confining and attempting to extort money from a 39-year-old businessman who was lured through a honeytrap set up on social media, police said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Rachana, Malati, Darshan and Ravi.
Police said efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects involved in the incident, which occurred on December 12 in Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu.
According to the complaint, the victim, a resident of Maddur taluk in Mandya district, was befriended by a woman identified as Rachana through Facebook, who later sought financial assistance and received Rs 5,000 from him via PhonePe on November 28.
When he asked her to return the money, the woman allegedly asked him to travel to Mysuru or Kushalnagar, promising to meet him.
The police said the woman later called the victim to Madikeri on December 12 and took him to a house near the market area, where they spent some time and consumed alcohol in the evening.
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Later that night, citing an emergency, the woman left the house. After her departure, three men allegedly broke into the house and attacked the victim, assaulting him with a stick and the handle of a sword, causing injuries to his face, mouth, chest and leg, the FIR stated.
The complainant alleged that he was forcibly confined, stripped and a nude video of him was recorded. The accused also allegedly threatened him with a toy gun, demanding Rs 50 lakh and warning that the video would be uploaded on social media if the money was not paid.
Police said the victim was held captive and somehow managed to escape in the early hours of December 13. However, after he escaped, the accused allegedly attempted to kidnap him in an autorickshaw, an incident that was captured on CCTV cameras.
Based on his complaint at the Madikeri Town police station, a case was registered under Sections 310(2) (dacoity), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.
“Four accused, including two women, have been arrested. Efforts are on to nab two more absconding accused. Further investigation is on,” he added.
