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Siddu-Kharge meet sets tongues wagging

March 27, 2016

Bengaluru, March 27:Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have never seen eye-to-eye.KHARGE

The Kharge camp has always felt that it was Siddaramaiah who came in the way of their leader from becoming the chief minister of the state in 2013. There has been a buzz in the State Congress that Kharge will replace Siddaramaiah before the 2018 Assembly polls.

So on Saturday when Kharge called on Siddaramaiah at the latter’s home office it raised eyebrows in the Congress camp and also speculation in the opposition BJP.

The two were closeted together for an hour. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kharge said he had discussed pending projects in Hyderabad-Karnataka region including the Wadi-Gadag railway line, Narayanapur Right Bank Canal, industrial zones, among others, with the chief minister.

To a query on the setting up of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), for which Siddaramaiah had come at the receiving end from various quarters, Kharge was all support to the chief minister.

He said, “The concept is not confined to Karnataka but exists in 15 states including several BJP?ruled states.... The government has clarified that the powers of the Lokayukta have not being curtailed. There is no need for any controversy or confusion.” He also said the Congress high command had not taken exception to the decision to constitute the ACB.

On Congress leaders including S M?Krishna, Janardhana Poojary opposing the setting up of the ACB, Kharge said, “I have placed my views from what knowledge I have.... We have to trust the chief minister.... If somebody does not want to trust, it is up to them.” He said if some Congress legislators have concerns regarding the move to set up the ACB, they can raise it in the legislature party meeting.

The BJP had its own interpretation regarding the new found bonhomie between the two leaders. BJP MLC?G?Madhusudhan said Kharge had met Siddaramaiah to impress upon him not to table the Karnataka Minority Commission report on encroachment of wakf property in the Legislative Council.

“Kharge’s name is there in the list and he wants Siddaramaiah to save him. We want to save wakf property,” he said.

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News Network
March 30,2020

New Delhi, Mar 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with Indian ambassadors and high commissioners abroad and urged them to remain alert to developments in global efforts against COVID-19 including breakthroughs to help the country's fight against the coronavirus.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla were also present during the interaction through video-conferencing.

"Coming together for India PM interacted with Indian Ambassadors/High Commissioners abroad and urged them to remain alert to developments in global efforts against COVID-19 including breakthroughs to help our national efforts to fight COVID19," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.

"PM appreciated the efforts of our missions in helping Indians abroad, in particular, students and workers," he added.

The number of positive coronavirus cases in the country stood at 1,071 on Monday. It includes 29 deaths and 99 people, who have been cured of the highly contagious virus.

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News Network
July 1,2020

Sopore, Jul 1: Police rescued a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan and a civilian lost their lives after terrorists fired upon a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore.

Two of the injured CRPF jawans are known to be in critical condition. Three CRPF personnel were also injured in the attack, as per CRPF.

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Agencies
April 24,2020

New Delhi, Apr 24: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has termed the government decision to freeze Dearness Allowance of Central government employees for a year as "insensitive and inhuman."

The former Congress President in a tweet said: "Lakhs and crores are being spent on the Bullet Train and New Delhi's Central Vista which should have been suspended, but the government has deducted DA of Central government employees and pensioners... It is insensitive and inhuman."

"The tragic part is that by deducting this amount from January 1, 2020 up to 30th June, 2021 for a period of 1.5 years, the government of India proceeds to deduct almost Rs 38 thousand crore from the income of these middle class government employees and pensioners, who rely completely on the pay and pensions that they receive," said Randeep Surjewala, chief spokesperson of Congress.

There are about 50 lakh such serving government employees and about 62 lakh pensioners.

"Even more tragic and objectionable is the fact that the government of India has not even spared our armed forces. The government has deducted Rs 11 thousand crore of the 15 lakh serving armed forces personnel and nearly 26 lakh military pensioners. What is their fault? They are serving the nation in times of all types of crises," said Surjewala.

The Congress alleged that the government did not spare the savings scheme.

Instead of curbing the wasteful expenditure, the government has been constantly hitting at the income of government employees and the middle class, it added.

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