Congress concentrated only on work, no marketing; BJP doing only marketing'

Bhopal, Mar 18: Congress leader Digvijay Singh's detention by police in Bengaluru is display of "dictatorship and Hitlarshahi" by the BJP, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said here on Wednesday.

Singh staged a protest near a Bengaluru resort this morning where rebel MLAs of Madhya Pradesh Congress are staying, and demanded that he be allowed to meet them.

Singh, who has been detained by the police, accused the BJP of holding the MLAs captive and said that he would go on a "hunger strike".

Reacting to this, Nath said if the need arises he would also go to the Karnataka capital.

"Preventing Congress Rajya Sabha candidate and other ministers from meeting MLAs, misbehave with them, forcibly taken them into custody is totally a dictatorship and hitlershahi (sic)," Nath said in a tweet.

"Entire country is watching how an elected government is being made unstable and how BJP is murdering democratic values," Nath said.

"Why they are not allowing them to meet MLAs. What BJP is afraid of. BJP is playing a dirty political game in the state," the chief minister tweeted.

Demanding immediate release of detained Congress leaders, Nath said that democratic norms and Constitutional values are being stifled.

Later speaking to reporters, the CM said, "Why the BJP is afraid of presenting 16 MLAs here (Bhopal)? What is the problem in one person (Singh) meeting with 16 legislators?"

Nath reiterated that his government had proven majority on floor of the House in the last 15 months since coming to power.

Amid political uncertainty in Madhya Pradesh, the state Congress Legislature Party on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre and the BJP-led Karnataka government to grant it access to communicate with its rebel MLAs staying in Bengaluru.

The apex court had also directed the Kamal Nath government to respond by Wednesday to a plea by senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking immediate floor test in the Assembly.

Bengaluru, Jan 22: The suspected man in planting of a live bomb at the Mangaluru International Airport surrendered before the DG and IG of Karnataka Police, Neelamani Raju, here on Wednesday, police sources said.

The accused was identified as Aditya Rao, a resident of Udupi.

The accused was taken for questioning by the Halasurugate Police, where he was being interrogated intensively, the sources further said.

According to them, he confessed that he planted an explosive device at Mangaluru Airport on Monday said that it was an act of revenge for denying him an employment by the Kempegowda International Airport Limited (KIAL).

He was arrested by the Bengaluru police in the past for making a hoax call to the police stating that a bomb had been planted at the Bengaluru Airport.

Karnataka Home minister Basavaraj Bommai told the media that 'the Bengaluru police have taken the custody of Aditya Rao, who is being subjected for a thorough interrogation'.

The Mangaluru police was also likely to join the Bengaluru police into the investigation, the sources added.

Also Read: Udupi’s Aditya Rao arrested for issuing bomb threats to Airport, railway station

Mangaluru, Jul 22: City based APD Foundation has mooted the idea of giving state recognition and compensation for ‘Covid Saviors’, namely healthcare workers and civic officials who die in the line of duty in the war against Coronavirus pandemic. This suggestion was formally proposed by Abdullah A. Rehman, Founder & CEO, APD Foundation in a letter addressed to Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minster of India and Shri B. S. Yediyurappa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka on July 22, 2020.

In the letter Mr. Rehman asserts that COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread devastation in the country and played havoc in the lives of the common man. In this scenario, the healthcare workers, such as doctors, nurses and paramedics along with civic officials have emerged as the saviors of the suffering humanity. They expose themselves to great personal risk while treating Covid patients. Many of them catch infection and a few of them have died. Such persons deserve to be recognized by the government for their supreme sacrifice.

Elaborating the rationale behind the proposal, the letter draws comparisons with practice of soldiers who die on the battlefield being glorified as ‘MARTYRS’. The slain soldiers are decorated posthumously with medals and titles of honour. Their families are provided with generous cash compensation so that the future of their widows, children and parents are safeguarded. They are provided with allotment of land, lucrative business opportunities like petrol pump / gas agency or reservation in government jobs for their spouse and children.

The letter suggests that healthcare workers and civic officials who succumb in the line of duty should also be similarly honoured. “Hence I propose that healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and paramedics who die while treating Covid patients should be recognized as ‘COVID SAVIORS’. Civic officials who are working for the cause should also be included in this scheme. Generous compensation should be paid to their families so that their future welfare is ensured as if they were alive,” Mr. Rehman has written.

The suggestion has been made in the wake of news reports that the Odhisha State Government has announced compensation of Rs. 50 lakhs and state honours for healthcare workers who die on Covid duty. Similarly the French government has announced a major increase in salary to its healthcare workers. In the same manner India too can provide optimum welfare to its health workers and set an example on the world stage.

“Though Covid pandemic is likely to be a temporary phenomenon, there is a need to recognize the service of those who are helping society to overcome this grave crisis. They inspire confidence in the hearts of the common people in the same manner as soldiers in uniform do. Hence I urge you to accept the suggestions made herein and announce the same at the earliest,” Mr. Rehman concludes in his letter.

Copies of the letter have also been sent to Shri Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, Mangalore, Shri D. Vedavyas Kamath, MLA, Mangalore and Smt. Sindhu B. Rupesh, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, DK District for their information and follow up action.