SC dismisses Karnataka Deputy CM DKS’ plea on disproportionate assets case

An Indian passenger bus with 40 people on board has plunged into the Marsyangdi river in Tanahun district, Nepal Police has confirmed, as per an ANI report.

As per the official, the bus was on the way to Kathmandu from Pokhara. Further details awaited.

“The bus bearing number plate UP FT 7623 plunged into the river and is lying on the bank of the river,” DSP Deepkumar Raya from the District Police Office Tanahun told the news agency.
 
This is a breaking story, more details are awaited…

Bengaluru: A war of words broke out between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy over the Lokayukta's Special Investigation Team (SIT) seeking Governor's sanction to prosecute the latter in an alleged illegal mining lease case.

Siddaramaiah told reporters at Ganigera in Koppal district on Wednesday that he has not said anywhere that Kumaraswamy would be arrested in connection with the case.

But the Chief Minister added: "If there is a circumstance (in connection with the case) to arrest him, we will arrest him without any hesitation. Such a circumstance is not there now. He is now scared that the Governor (Thaawarchand Gehlot) will give sanction,", the Chief Minister said.

"If he is not scared, he would not have held a press meet today."

Hitting back at the Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy told reporters here: "100 Siddaramaiahs should come (to arrest him). Do you think so (I am scared) when you see me?"

Responding to this, the Chief Minister said: "It's not 100 Siddaramaiahs....It's the police who arrest Kumaraswamy....not me...one constable is enough to arrest him. Even if 100 Siddarmaiahs come, arrest can't be made. I am not arresting... arrest is done by police."

The SIT has once again submitted a proposal to the Governor on Monday seeking permission to file a charge-sheet against Kumaraswamy in the alleged mining lease case.

The SIT had first requested Gehlot's nod in November last year to prosecute the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, who had allegedly granted mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals when he was the Chief Minister in 2007 in violation of law.

The Chief Minister also dubbed Kumaraswamy a "hit and run case". Siddaramaiah alleged that Kumaraswamy, a former Chief Minister, had levelled many allegations but not taken any of them to "logical end".

A senior minister from Karnataka has requested the party top brass in Delhi to revamp guarantee schemes by limiting it to only the poor to reduce burden on state exchequer.

The minister, who met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka in-charge Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala here, apprised them about the ‘concern’ expressed by a large number of legislators of the lack of funds for development after implementation of the guarantee scheme, sources in the Congress said here.

If the guarantee schemes were limited to only below poverty line card holders in the state, the state exchequer would save at least Rs 25,000 crore per annum and the same amount could be spent on other developmental works, the leader is said to have suggested to Congress leaders.

Citing the Congress' poor performance in Lok Sabha polls, he said it was a clear indication that such a scheme won't help the party electorally. The state senior leader also brought to the party high command's notice about the state legislators facing wrath from the public about pending developmental works including roads and drinking water facilities.

As the launching of some of the guarantee schemes completed one year last month, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently said in the national capital that he too had noticed that some of the MLAs and other leaders were demanding the stopping of the scheme.

Ruling out the stopping of the guarantee scheme, the CM said the government would also keep welfare of the poor in mind while cutting down expenditure of the guarantee scheme.

Earlier this year, Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, while presenting state budget announced Rs.1,20,373 crore for welfare programmes, of which a whopping 43 per cent (Rs.52,000 crore) has been set aside for the five guarantee schemes– Shakti, Gruhajyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Yuvanidhi and Anna Bhagya.