Holi a symbol of India’s precious cultural heritage, says President Murmu

Bengaluru, Feb 19 (IANS) Claiming that the Karnataka government was struggling to pay salaries to its employees, the BJP on Wednesday asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to issue a white paper on the state’s financial situation.

Speaking at a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Karnataka BJP President B. Y. Vijayendra questioned whether the state’s consolidated funds were being used properly or misused.

He claimed to finance the guarantee schemes, the Siddaramaiah government increased property registration fees by 600 per cent, property guidance value by 30 per cent, vehicle registration fees by 10 per cent, hospital service charges by 5 per cent, electricity rates by 14.5 per cent, water tariffs by 30 per cent, and milk prices by 15 per cent.

Expressing concern, Vijayendra said Karnataka has reached a “dire financial state” where the government is “struggling” to pay salaries and clear electricity dues.

He also pointed out that there has been no mention of the Yuva Nidhi scheme by the Congress-led government under which unemployed graduates were promised Rs 3,000 and diploma holders Rs 1,500 per month for two years.

He alleged that funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Tribes were being diverted to finance the guarantee schemes.

Calling CM Siddaramaiah a “master of lies,” Vijayendra said the state government cannot even fix a pothole in Bengaluru, yet it talks about building underground tunnels.

“They release funds for guarantees during Lok Sabha elections and again during by-elections. Now, there is a possibility of distributing money during district and taluk panchayat elections as well,” he said.

He pointed out that cities like Chennai, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi have not increased metro fares, whereas in Karnataka, the hike was due to the Congress government’s insistence.

He claimed that payments under the Gruha Laxmi scheme (Rs 2,000 per month for women heads of BPL families) have been delayed for five to six months, and even the promised 5 kilograms of free rice is not being provided.

–IANS

mka/svn

Patna, Feb 21 (IANS) At least six people were killed after a car returning from Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj crashed into a parked truck in Bihar’s Bhojpur district on Friday.

The accident occurred around 3.30 a.m. near the Dulhinganj Bazar under the Jagdishpur police station on the Arrah-Mohania four-lane road.

The SHO of Jagdishpur police station confirmed the accident. “The victims, residents of Patna’s Jakkanpur and Kumhrar locality, were returning from the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj when their high-speed Baleno car collided with a parked truck,” the SHO told IANS.

Preliminary investigations suggested that the driver may have momentarily fallen asleep, leading to the fatal crash. First responders from a nearby fuel station initiated rescue operations and alerted local authorities.

“As soon as we learned about the accident, we reached there and removed the dead bodies from the car. They died on the spot. We have recovered the dead bodies and sent them for post-mortem examinations in the Sadar Hospital in Arrah. The families of the deceased have been informed,” he said.

Following the fatal accident, the family members of the deceased reached the Sadar Hospital. This incident has created a shock wave across the Jakkanpur locality in Patna.

Those who died in the accident include four women. The deceased, identified as 62-year-old Sanjay Kumar and his wife, 58-year-old Karuna Devi, son 25-year-old Lal Babu Singh and daughter 20-year-old Priyam Kumari, residents of Jakkanpur. Besides, Asha Kumari (28) and Juhi Rani (25) residents of Kumhrar in Patna also lost their lives in this fatal accident.

The truck driver and helper fled the scene following the incident. This accident underscores the critical importance of adhering to road safety measures, especially during long journeys.

Drivers are urged to take regular breaks to prevent fatigue-related mishaps. Additionally, the practice of parking vehicles on highways without proper warning signals poses significant hazards to other motorists and should be strictly avoided.

–IANS

ajk/dpb

Jaipur, Feb 12 (IANS) Rajasthan Cabinet minister Kirodi Lal Meena on Wednesday said that he has submitted his reply to the BJP leadership over the show-cause notice sent to him about the phone tapping claims.

Meena, in his statement to the party leadership, said: “My phone is being tapped, and I have received information about this. I did not disclose this to the media; I merely mentioned it at a social gathering, and someone made it viral. I have always remained committed to the party and have upheld discipline.”

He further clarified that the BJP state president has the authority to take action on matters of indiscipline, while others are not in a position to comment on the proceedings.

On Wednesday morning, Meena submitted his reply to the party’s notice via email, in which he mentioned that he had received input suggesting his phone was being tapped.

Meena had earlier accused his own government of phone tapping, triggering a political row. The issue even caused an uproar in the assembly during the Chief Minister’s response.

Speaking to the media in Jaipur about the party’s notice and his response, Meena remained tight-lipped about the details of his reply but insisted he was not upset.

“If I were angry, I wouldn’t be smiling,” he remarked.

Regarding disciplinary action, he reiterated that the decision lies solely with the state president.

“If my response is unsatisfactory, only he has the right to determine further action,” he said.

“The current administration is acting just like the previous regime. CID personnel are being deployed to monitor me, and my phone calls are being recorded. However, this does not concern me,” he had claimed earlier.

Further, Meena commented on the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), and noted that media reports indicated it had been reprimanded, which he deemed necessary.

He argued that while RPSC cannot be dissolved, it should be restructured. “Even Sachin Pilot had called for its dissolution,” he pointed out.

Meena also supported MLA Gopal Sharma’s recent statement, recalling a past incident where orders were allegedly given for his “encounter” during a previous regime.

On Monday (February 10), Rajasthan unit BJP president Madan Rathore issued a notice to Meena, citing indiscipline over his phone tapping statement. He was given three days to respond.

–IANS

arc/pgh