Massive tax evasion: Amitabh, Aishwarya among 500 Indians with hidden assets

Bengaluru, Jul 11: Karantaka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Friday raised questions over claims that Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project Madhya Pradesh was "largest in Asia" and said a 2000 MW had been built in the state.

"BJP central government is claiming today that it inaugurated Asia's largest solar plant of 750 MW at Rewa, MP. What then is the 2000 MW Solar Plant in Pavagada, Karnataka which was built in just 3 years by Karnataka Congress government and has been operational since 2018?" Shivakumar said in a tweet.

The Congress leader further said that the most unique thing about the solar project set up in Karnataka was that the farmers were being paid yearly rents for the land upon which it was constructed as it had been leased and not purchased from them, helping them retain ownership.

"The unique thing about the 2000 MW Pavagada Mega Solar Park was that not a single acre of land was acquired from the farmers. All 13,000 acres have been leased from the farmers who are being given yearly rent. Karnataka model of renewable energy was accepted as the best in India," he said.

"Union power minister must answer as to how the Central Government can claim that the Rewa Solar Park (750 MW) opened today is Asia's largest when clearly the Pavagada Park in Karnataka is much larger (2000 MW) and was opened two years back!" he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project to the nation on Friday. 

Bengaluru, Feb 14: Raja and Rani got married on Valentine's Day at Cubbon Park here.

The bride and the groom were decked up in bridal finery were heralded with traditional wedding music with nadaswaram and thavil (percussion) . The catch was that the married couple were horses.

Pro-Kannada activist and Kannada Vatal Party chairman Vatal Nagaraj performed the marriage ceremony of the two horses.

Nagaraj gave a dhoti and shirt to Raja (male horse) and a saree along with a taali (mangal sutra) to Rani (female horse).

Nagaraj has been conducting such ceremonies in the past too. Last year he had married off two sheep- Jacob and Carolyn in a similar ceremony.

The activist says he is all for love and urged anti-Valentine's Day supporters not to oppose lovers and their Valentine's Day celebration.

He also urged the Central government and the Karnataka state governments to give Rs 1 lakh and RS 50,000 respectively to the "lovers to support their love" by helping them get married.

Meanwhile, sweets were distributed to all the guests who had participated in the Valentine's Day marriage ceremony today.

Bengaluru, Jan 8: Accusing the BJP of running a "fake news factory" at full potential, former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said according to reports only Rs 669 crore of additional flood relief funds are being released by the Centre for the state as opposed to the ruling party's claim of Rs 1,869.85 crore.

Reacting to his attack, the State BJP unit, without clarifying on the actuals of the amount being released, said it believed in speaking the truth and not spreading lies.

Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, tweeted: "Reports from State govt officials tells that only Rs 669 crore of addl funds (sic) are released in 2nd instalment as opposed to the claim of Rs 1870 Cr by @BJP4Karnataka leaders. At a time when manufacturing industries are closing, BJP's fake news factory is running at full potential!!"

Calling BJP leaders "devotees of the God of lies," he said in another tweet that Prime Minister Narendra Modi released an additional Rs 669.85 crore moved by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's plea, taking the total amount to Rs 1,869.85 crore. He said it was funny that they were attempting to depict the total relief amount as 1200+1869.85 equalling to Rs 3,069.85 crore.

Siddaramiahs tweet was in response to Karnataka BJPs tweet last night claiming that the High-Level Committee (HLC) Chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the release of Rs 1869.85 crore as central assistance to the state towards flood relief. This was in addition to Rs 1200 crore already released by the Centre in October 2019, the BJP unit had said.

On Monday, the HLC had approved additional central assistance to seven states affected by floods last year, from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), including Karnataka.

While a PIB release states that Rs 1869.85 crore was approved for Karnataka, according to sources in the state government the figure was inclusive of Rs 1,200 crore released in October. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa while expressing confidence that more funds will be released in later stages, maintained that Rs 1869 crore has been released in addition to Rs 1,200 crore earlier, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"...funds will never be enough, they (central government) will release in stages, they have released such big amount- earlier Rs 1200 crore, now again Rs 1869 crore- I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it," he told reporters here.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the state government will press for more funds in the days to come, and the state government will fulfil promises made to those hit by floods.

Karnataka faced two spells of unprecedented rains and floods last year, resulting in widespread damage to life and property, following which the state government had submitted a report to the centre claiming loss was to the tune of about Rs 38,000 crore.

Reacting to Siddaramaiah's attack of "fake news factory" against it, the state BJP tweeted "Ayyo @siddaramaiah Avare, We surrender to You as we are incapable of running Fake News Factory like You or @INCIndia.

We believe in speaking the Truth like Gandhiji, not spreading lies like Goebbels. Kannadigas still remember the "Lies Bhagya (a scheme)" you gave them as CM from 2013-18."