"Will do whatever it takes to protect state's assets": Karnataka Dy CM on HAL relocation proposal
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 27 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the state government would protect its assets at all costs, amid reports of a proposal to relocate Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) advanced production facilities to Andhra Pradesh.
He was reacting to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's proposal to relocate HAL's advanced production facilities to his state.
Speaking to reporters at the KPCC office, he said, 'HAL was not given by any BJP government. It was set up in Bengaluru by Nehru due to the availability of technical manpower. I am not going to interfere in Chandrababu Naidu's political request to the Centre. We have also given sufficient land to HAL and provided land to set up a helicopter unit in Tumakuru. They are free to set up anything new in Andhra Pradesh; we are not going to object to it. But our government will do whatever it takes to protect our state's assets.'
He also questioned the silence of Karnataka MPs on the matter. 'What are our MPs representing Karnataka doing? The Union Ministers have not spoken a word about moving HAL to Andhra Pradesh. I would expect them to speak up for the state,' he said.
On the appointment of actress Tamannaah Bhatia as a model for Mysore Sandal soap, Shivakumar said, 'I will speak to CM and Industries Minister regarding this. A similar discussion took place with regards to bulbs in the past and we had appointed Puneet and Ramya for it. We are also discussing making Anil Kumble as an ambassador for Forest department.'
Further talking about the expulsion of S T Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar, he said, 'It is an internal matter of the BJP. Neither Somashekar nor Hebbar have molested anyone in Vidhana Soudha. They haven't even conspired to inject AIDS virus to Opposition leaders. The BJP hasn't taken any action on those who tried to trap Yediyurappa. I thought their party would take action against those who have committed heinous crimes such as rape. Is this the BJP culture? Let them keep their gems to themselves.'
Responding over BJP MLC C Ravikumar calling Kalaburagi DC as 'Pakistani', he said, 'The government has taken this seriously. We don't have a choice but to take action. The person he is accusing is a civil servant and is serving the nation. Our government stands by the DC. Is this the way the BJP treats a female IAS officer? BJP leaders R Ashok and BY Vijayendra must give their reaction on this incident.'
When asked about the growing demand for action against Ravikumar, he said, 'Many IAS officers have met me regarding this. We will evaluate this from a legal perspective.'
Speaking at an event to induct former MLA of Bangarapete M Narayanaswamy intothe Congress party, he said, 'Leaders from other parties are coming forward to join the Congress party two years after the elections. Former BJP district president is also joining Congress. Over 50 leaders are quitting the BJP and are joining the Congress party. This is a new chapter for Congress in the state.'
'Many BJP and JDS leaders are coming forward to join the party as they think that the Congress government under the leadership of Siddaramaiah is doing a great job of governing the state. We have instructed all the MLAs and district presidents to induct leaders who would like to join our party. I would like to invite all the new leaders to our party. We will take the old and new leaders together,' he added. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Complaint against SIDDA to governor
A formal complaint was submitted to Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday against chief minister Siddaramaiah over alleged negligence leading to the June 4 stampede near the Chinnaswamy stadium that claimed 11 lives, even as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its attack on the Congress leadership in the state. In his complaint to the governor, Girish Kumar, a resident of Kottigepalya in Bengaluru, alleged that the chief minister had personally invited the public to participate in the celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory without ensuring adequate safety arrangements. The complaint also questioned the state government's decision to host a grand reception for a private cricket franchise like RCB, claiming that IPL is a commercial venture driven by profit motives rather than national pride. 'Players are bought by franchises and play for money, not for the country or the state,' the letter alleged, pointing out that such celebrations were not extended to national heroes such as soldiers or Olympic athletes. The complainant also criticised deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar for receiving the RCB team at the airport, calling it excessive and unwarranted. He alleged that the government failed in its duty to protect citizens and demanded that those responsible for the mismanagement be held accountable. The letter urged the Governor to take the issue seriously and initiate necessary action against those responsible for the fatal lapse in public safety. A victims family alleged that no government official visited them since three days. 'My son was mad about cricket and worshipped Virat Kohli like a god. From the age of five till seventeen, all he ever spoke about was Virat'' Mariyamma , mother of Shiva Linga (17) who died in stampede told reporters. He wanted to be like him. But all he got from Virat was death,' said the mother . Shivalingas parents originally from Yadagiri district and came to city a decade back and working as labourers in cement brick manufacturing unit in Sonnuru. 'We are a very poor family, just like many others from this region. We had moved to Bengaluru and were doing labourers work to survive. It has been three days since my son died, but not a single official has visited our home. We have received no help from the government either,' she added. The stampede on June 4 evening occurred in front of the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's maiden IPL victory celebrations. At least 11 people died and 56 were injured in the incident. Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday increased the compensation amount announced for the kin of the deceased in the stadium stampede from ₹10 to ₹25 lakh per family, the government said in a statement. A political slugfest over the incident continued, with senior BJP leader and Union minister of state Shobha Karandlaje alleging that CM Siddaramiah and his deputy Shivakumar have 'blood on their hands', holding them directly responsible for the stampede and demanded their resignation. (With agency inputs)
Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Top Gujarat Congress leader arrested over Op Sindoor post: Who is Rajesh Soni?
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) general secretary Rajesh Soni, arrested for an alleged objectionable post on Operation Sindoor, belongs to a family of jewellers and is a first-generation politician, say his party colleagues. Many in the Congress refer to Soni as the go-to person for 'publicity-related tasks'. At least three top party leaders told The Indian Express that the credit for putting up maximum hoardings and billboards during Congress party events goes to him. However, according to his detractors in the party say 'his billboards would mostly be of his mentors and patrons in the party'. Soni, who is in his forties, was arrested by the Gujarat State Cyber Crime Cell on Friday under sections 152 (endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) and 353 (making, publishing or circulating statements that could lead to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS) for alleged posts on his social media handles and pages that were 'demoralising for the Army', as per the FIR. Originally from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Soni joined the Congress in 2015 with his team of supporters. 'Within just a couple of years of his joining the party, he was made an All India Congress Committee (AICC) delegate. Promotions came early for him compared to other senior leaders,' said a Congress leader in the Ahmedabad city unit. He was appointed general secretary of the state unit in 2022 when former MP Jagdish Thakor was the state party president. Thakor described Soni as a person 'who did a lot of charity and was always at the forefront to help during natural calamities', while state Congress spokesperson Amit Nayak recalled how, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Soni ran a community kitchen. Former Union minister Bharatsinh Solanki, who was the state Congress president from 2015 to 2018, told The Indian Express, 'Soni holds an event every year to distribute notebooks to children and this time he invited me. I suggested that he also distribute tablets. He obliged and gave tablets to some five children.' Soni's father, a jewellery businessman from Pali in Rajasthan, came to Ahmedabad for business and the family decided to settle down in the city's Isanpur area, where Soni was born. When he was young, Soni joined his father's business. 'Later, he got into the construction business and launched his own company called Soni Corporation,' said Nayak. Soni's party colleagues said one of the reasons he was being 'targeted' because he is an 'RTI activist' and participates in television debates.'Soni is being targeted because he is a kattar agevan (staunch leader), has been in charge of the party's IT Cell earlier. He is part of our TV debate team and his appearances must have bothered the BJP government,' said Nayak. The spokesperson, who said he was also booked for his social media posts in 2023, added, 'We have decided that all top leaders of the party will repost Rajesh Soni's (alleged objectionable) post and then go to the DGP's (Director General of Police) office to court arrest.' Top Congress leaders such as state Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Amit Chavda have criticised the action against Soni and demanded immediate bail. Gohil said Friday that the Gandhinagar Police cyber crime team picked up Soni as if he were a 'terrorist'. He said Soni's post was more about giving credit to the soldiers for their bravery and saying that 'money from the public treasury should not be used for publicity and … political gains should not be taken in the name of Operation Sindoor'.
India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
In Pakistan, You Get Rewarded For Promoting Terrorism: Shashi Tharoor
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised Pakistan for its treatment of Dr. Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the US locate and eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, responding to a post by US Congressman Brad Sherman who urged a visiting Pakistani delegation to press for Dr. Afridi's release. Taking to social media platform X, Sherman wrote, 'I urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr. Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama Bin Laden. Freeing Dr. Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11.' Reacting to the statement, Tharoor, who is currently leading an All-Party Parliamentary Delegation from India to the US, said: 'A welcome reminder by Rep. @BradSherman that Pakistan is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden (in a safe house near an army camp in a cantonment city!) but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location for the Americans. In Pakistan you are rewarded for promoting terrorism and persecuted for exposing terrorists!' Dr Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani doctor who helped the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Afridi served as the senior health official of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In 2008, he was abducted by Mangal Bagh, a bus driver turned commander of a Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Islam. The Indian delegation in the US also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue opposite the Indian Embassy in Washington, continuing a tradition observed in all the countries visited. 'Once again, as in all the countries the delegation visited, we were able to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue opposite the Embassy in Washington DC,' Tharoor posted. He further noted, 'It is striking how many world capitals are adorned with statues or busts of the Mahatma, the 20th century's greatest apostle of peace, nonviolence, and human freedom.' Earlier, the delegation held a significant meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. The Indian Embassy in Washington shared the update on the social media platform X, stating: 'The All Party Parliamentary delegation led by Dr. @ShashiTharoor had a warm and candid conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State @DeputySecState today. The Indian Delegation briefed him on the atrocities of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor,' the embassy posted. Earlier on Thursday, the Delegation had an "excellent meeting" with United States Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington, briefing him about Operation Sindoor, terrorism faced by India, and regional security.
