CM turns tables on BJP, says Centre tapping phones

DHNS
September 20, 2017

Bengaluru, Sept 20: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Centre of tapping phones of Congress leaders in the state.

“It is not the state government, but the Centre that is tapping phones,” Siddaramaiah told reporters, reacting to BJP leader R Ashoka’s allegation that the Congress government had tapped the phones of BJP and JD(S) leaders. “Tapping phones of opposition party leaders is something our government has never done and will never do. But the Centre has been tapping our phones, which the state BJP is not aware of. We haven’t played it up, because it’s a small thing,” he said.

Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, too, claimed that the Centre had resorted to espionage. “It’s true that the phones of 30-35 Congress leaders are being tapped. It’s been happening for many days,” Reddy said. He, however, refused to name leaders whose phones were under surveillance.

This is not the first time the state Congress is alleging that phones were being tapped. Late last month, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) vice-president Prof B K Chandrashekhar accused that the Centre was using a mobile company to tap phones.

Ashoka dared Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy to institute an inquiry. “The ruling Congress had tapped 162 mobile numbers belonging to BJP and JD(S) leaders. I was a home minister. I have reliable information,” Ashoka said. “Phones belonging to terrorists or rowdies can be tapped, but there’s no provision to tap phones of politicians. Let there be a departmental inquiry or a CBI probe into this,” he said.

Comments

Vivek
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

Standard dialogue by the shouting brigade! When they are at low Congress will come up with such bombastic ideas like they are under surveillance life is under threat. This was the time tested formula of survival of Indira Gandhi whenever she was cornered. Phone tapping and sighting of armed assailant are the halmark of this survival formula.

Indian
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

Congress is so seriously unemployed !
They desperately need some constructive work & an intelligent thinking adult.

Govt maybe BJP/ Modi's today but even now they are cleaning the muck of the previous Govt - scams then , scams now! 

What is Congres creating all this ruckus about ? 
To come to power once again ?
To do what - sell the people of India to Italy or change India's name to Italy ?

Nothing else seems to be left.

Shivaram
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

Tapping phones is not a small thing. It can topple governments Siddaji, Beware. I know you are aware of its dangers and if really center had done it , you and your colleagues would have been the first to bring to light such a major scandal. Now you are saying these things only to counter allegations on you.

Yogesh
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

CM is worried that his phone conversations with Sonia and Rahul are being tapped

Kalandar Manna…
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

The BJP is the top of such a Task

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 8,2020

Mangaluru, May 8: Dr Arathi Krishna, former deputy chairman of Karnataka NRI Forum, today called on Karnataka chief secretary Vijaya Bhaskar and urged him to exert pressure on the Centre through chief minister to expedite evacuation of Kannadigas stuck in Saudi Arabia amidst covid-19 lockdown. 

She also conveyed the message from labourers in Gulf countries requesting for free quarantine facility upon their arrival. Positively responding to the demand, Mr Bhaskar said that free quarantine facility will be arranged at BSF base in Bengaluru apart from paid quarantine facility in different hotels and guest houses.

Dr Arathi Krishna told coastaldigest.com that she also spoke to the officials in-charge of Gulf in the Ministry of External Affairs  and requested them to take necessary steps to add more special flights from Gulf countries to Karnataka. 

The officials have promised to consider operating flight from Riyadh to Mangaluru via Dammam in the second wave of evacuation, the schedule of which is expected to be announced in a few days, she said.

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News Network
March 11,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 11: DK Shivakumar has been appointed as the new president of the party's Karnataka unit, an official said on Wednesday.

"Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) has appointed D.K. Shivakumar as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC)," said party's general secretary K.C. Venugopal in a statement from New Delhi.

Party's state unit leaders Eshwar Khandre, Satish Jharkiholi and Saleem Ahammed are the working presidents in the southern state.

"Former chief minister Siddaramaiah will continue as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and opposition leader in the state legislative assembly.

MLC M. Narayanswamy and MLA Ajay Singh will be the party's chief whips in the state legislative council and assembly.

Congress appoints Anil Chaudhary as DPCC chief

The Congress on Wednesday appointed former MLA Anil Chaudhary as its Delhi unit chief, while also naming five vice-presidents for the DPCC.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi named Chaudhary president and Abhishek Dutt, Shivani Chopra, Jaikishan, Mudit Agarwal and Ali Hassan vice-presidents of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), a party statement said.

Subhash Chopra had resigned as the Delhi Congress chief in February, taking moral responsibility for the party's debacle in the Assembly polls.

The Congress drew a blank for the second time in a row in the Delhi Assembly polls and reduced its vote share from 9.7 per cent in 2015 to 4.27 per cent this time.

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News Network
February 5,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 5: Despite installing a BJP government in Karnataka through disguised operation Kamala, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government has continued its step motherly attitude towards this south Indian state.

Under the new formula adopted to share central taxes among states Karnataka will be the worst-affected. Though the 15th Finance Commission has recommended a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore for the state for 2020-21, the Centre appears reluctant to pay up and instead has asked for the proposal to be reviewed.

During the Union budget, the report of the 14th Finance Commission headed by NK Singh for 2020-21 was tabled in Lok Sabha. It shows besides Karnataka, Telangana, Mizoram and Kerala saw their central tax share decrease, while Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra were top gainers.

Karnataka's share has decreased from 4.7% provided by the previous finance commission, to 3.6%. Acknowledging there is a steep decline in Karnataka's share from 2019-20, the finance commission has recommended a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore for the state.

Its share in 2019-20 was Rs 36,675 crore, but under the new formula, Karnataka will get only Rs 31,180 crore in 2020-21 from the divisible pool of Rs 8.5 lakh crore - a decline of 22.5%.

Also, the decrease for Karnataka comes on the back of a shortfall in 2019-20. While the state was entitled to Rs 39,806 crore from the divisible pool, it got only Rs 36,675 crore as the Centre suffered a tax revenue shortfall of Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

What is more disheartening though is the Centre's refusal to pay the special grant. Instead, the Union finance ministry has asked the finance commission to reconsider the recommendation. This has prompted the state to take up the issue with the Centre.

"The decline in central taxes devolution comes at a time when the state is going through a tough financial situation. Steps are being taken to ensure Karnataka gets justice," said chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar.

Officials said besides corrective measures for 2020-21, the focus will be on ensuring a fair share in subsequent years. However, Karnataka has little chance of getting its dues as the Centre is known to be prudent when distributing tax proceeds among states.

"The Centre has certain views on devolution. We have done our duty by submitting the interim report. It's up to the states to convince the Centre," said Ravi Kota, joint secretary of 15th Finance Commission.

Under the new formula, the commission changed the weightage for some of the six criteria it considers - population, area, forest cover, income distance, demographic performance and tax effort.

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