Union minister Athawale invites Kumaraswamy to join hands with BJP
Bengaluru, Apr 15: Union Social Justice Minister and Republican Party of India(A) president Ramdas Athawale Monday said the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka will not last long and asked Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to join hands with BJP for the state's welfare.
Terming the Congress as "casteist", the Dalit leader said that party president Rahul Gandhi should not dream about becoming Prime Minister.
"...Kumaraswamy is upset, I request him-why are you behind Congress when the BJP-JD(S) coalition government can be formed?"Athawale told reporters here.
Stating that there was such a proposal earlier, he said "Congress was clever, they supported Kumaraswamy and made him CM, but Kumaraswamy is crying, he is not happy with Congress people.
So I feel that this government will not last long."
"Kumaraswamy has to come back to the BJP and if Karnataka's development has to happen...Kumaraswamy has to leave Congress and come back.
Staying with BJP will benefit as Modi ji government is coming (to power) with NDA securing over 350 seats" he added.
In 2006, Kumaraswamy had joined hands with BJP to form the coalition government, overthrowing the Dharm Singh led Congress-JD(S) government, which lasted about 20 months.
Asking Kumaraswamy to join hands with BJP for the benefit of the state, Athawale said "you will become the Deputy Chief Minister...
He (Kumaraswamy) is not happy with theCongress... as Deputy Chief Minister he will be happier than now(as Chief Minister)."
"Asked if he would mediate between BJP and JD(S) leaders, he said after the Lok Sabha elections, "we can try, because if Modi government comes, then I doubt that Kumaraswamy will be safe (as Chief Minister)."
Athawale said eradication of poverty was something only Modi could do and not Rahul Gandhi and the Congress president should not dream about becoming Prime Minister.
"Eradication of poverty is Narendra Modi's work, not Rahul Gandhi's- it is not something he can do.
Rahul Gandhi should not dream about becoming Prime Minister," he said.
"As long as there is a Narendra Modi wave in the country, how can Rahul Gandhi become the prime minister?" he added.
Stating that Rahul Gandhi does not have the support of Mahagathbandhan leaders, Athawale said the leaders were posing for photographs only to oppose Modi.
He said the Congress calls BJP "jaatiwadi" (casteist), but it is the most casteist party.
"Their face may be secular, but within they are casteist, so I left them."
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West Asia conflict: Six Indians lost their lives in 'various incidents', says MEA
New Delhi (PTI): Amid the escalating West Asia conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said six Indian nationals have lost their lives while one remains missing in "various incidents".
At an inter-ministerial briefing here, Additional Secretary (Gulf), MEA, Aseem R Mahajan, also said, "Late yesterday night, we received information regarding the tragic demise of an Indian national, during an attack in Riyadh on March 18." He, however, did not elaborate upon the circumstances of this death.
"We express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our Mission in Riyadh is in touch with the family and closely co-ordinating with local authorities for the early return of the mortal remains to India," he said.
On Friday, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh also said that an Indian national was killed in Saudi Arabia due to the “recent events of March 18”.
In a social media post, the Indian Mission expressed its “deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national in Riyadh due to recent events on March 18".
A day earlier, the Indian embassy said alerts were received by residents in Riyadh and some other regions on Wednesday. “The Indian community is advised to remain calm and composed,” the embassy said.
Mahajan also told reporters in Delhi that "six Indian nationals have lost their lives and one is missing in various incidents".
"Our missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, and the UAE are in regular touch with the concerned authorities regarding the missing Indian national and for the early repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased Indian nationals to India," he said.
Less than a week ago, the MEA official had told reporters in an inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia situation that five Indian nationals had lost their lives while one is missing in various incidents.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israel combine launched military strikes on Iran. In retaliation, Tehran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US military bases.
Energy and other civilian infrastructure in the Gulf region have also come under attack during this conflict that has stretched into three weeks, with no end to it in sight.
Since February 28, around three lakh passengers have returned from the region to India, Mahajan said.
