No ‘Super CM' in Karnataka, says Mahadevappa
Responding to remarks over Mr. Surjewala's one-to-one meetings with Ministers, Dr. Mahadevappa, who is the Social Welfare Minister and a close confidante of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, told reporters in Mysuru, 'Mr. Surjewala is the party in charge for Karnataka and he has the authority to meet Ministers and MLAs. There is no extra constitutional authority in the State as alleged by the Opposition.'
He further stated that there was no opposition to Mr. Surjewala holding such meetings. 'Even I met him after returning from Indi. These efforts are aimed at ensuring the stability of the government and the Congress returning to power again,' he added.
Criticising the Centre for violating protocol during the inauguration of the Sigandur bridge, Dr. Mahadevappa said, 'The Centre should have written to the Chief Secretary seeking the Chief Minister's time for the inaugural event. We live in a parliamentary democracy where coordination between the State and the Centre is crucial for development. If both work together, it will ensure rapid progress.'
He termed the inauguration of the bridge without the Chief Minister as an unhealthy practice in parliamentary democracy. 'Had the Chief Minister been invited and attended, it would have added greater significance to the event,' he observed.
Dr. Mahadevappa alleged there was 'pressure' on the Centre from the State BJP to inaugurate the bridge without the Chief Minister's presence.
He claimed that the vision for constructing the bridge was that of the State government. 'A DPR was prepared for the bridge way back in 2013 based on public feedback. I had requested the Centre then to consider it under the Sagarmala project as the estimated cost was ₹480 to ₹520 crore. Now that NHAI has implemented the project, it is ultimately the State's vision,' he asserted.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
40 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Some Don't Agree To Share Power": DK Shivakumar At Congress Event In Delhi
Congress's DK Shivakumar, seen as engaged in a tussle with his boss - Chief Minister Siddaramaiah -- over the top post in Karnataka, made a few pointed remarks while praising the Gandhi family in Delhi today. While talking about power-sharing in politics at an event organised by the AICC titled "Constitutional Challenges", in Delhi, Mr Shivakumar praised the Gandhi family while also trying to highlight his long career with the Congress and his efforts to bring the party to power in Karnataka. He lauded Sonia Gandhi's decision in 2004 to step away from the Prime Minister post and spoke of power-sharing in politics. "When Sonia Gandhi was asked by the President to take oath as the Prime Minister, she said, 'For me, power is not important.' She decided that a Sikh, a minority, and an economist could save the country and should become the Prime Minister," he said, calling it an unparalleled act of political sacrifice. "Has anyone in such a big democracy made such a sacrifice? Does anyone even sacrifice a small position today? Even at the panchayat level, many don't. Some MLAs and ministers share power, but some of us don't even agree to share power," he said. While Mr Shivakumar did not name anyone, his comments, coming in the backdrop of persistent speculation about a power-sharing agreement between him and Mr Siddaramaiah, offer food for thought. Mr Siddaramaiah recently put such talks to rest, firmly saying that there is no power-sharing deal and that he would serve the full five-year term as Chief Minister of Karnataka.
NDTV
40 minutes ago
- NDTV
63-Year-Old Man Dies By Suicide, 'Feared Being Deported To Bangladesh'
Kolkata: A 63-year-old man was found hanging in his residence in Kolkata on Sunday morning, with his family claiming that he had been living in fear that he would be sent to Bangladesh if the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was implemented. Initial probe revealed that the man, Dilip Kumar Saha, had arrived in Kolkata in 1972 from Nawabganj in Dhaka and had been living in Anandapally West in the Regent Park area, a police officer said. Saha worked as a non-teaching staff member at a private school in Dhakuria in south Kolkata. "This morning, his wife called him several times, but received no response from inside his locked room. She then called their niece-in-law from a neighbouring house. They broke open the door to find him hanging from the ceiling fan," the officer said. The man's wife Arati Saha said her husband had been worried that he would be deported to Bangladesh after implementation of the NRC. "He has been under severe stress for quite some time regarding this. There was no other tension. He came to Kolkata in his childhood. He was afraid that he would be sent to a detention camp and then pushed back to Bangladesh, where he had nobody. He had valid voter ID card and other documents," she said. It is suspected that this fear led him to take his own life, the police officer said, adding that a suicide note has been recovered from the room. The matter is being investigated, the officer said. Power Minister and local Trinamool Congress MLA Arup Biswas reached the place and spoke to the family members. "This is what the fear of being thrown out of the country could do to a man. What they (Centre) have started in the name of the SIR shows their anti-people attitude, and the result is in front of you," Biswas said.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
While in power AIADMK surrendered T.N.'s autonomy by backing Centre's policies: Stalin
DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday charged the AIADMK with having 'surrendered' Tamil Nadu's autonomy during its previous rule by supporting the Centre's policies such as the NEET and the UDAY scheme. He accused AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami of 'betraying' the people of Tamil Nadu by aligning with the BJP. In a letter to his party cadre, Mr. Stalin alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre allocated meagre funding to Tamil, the first language in India to be recognised as a Classical Language, while allocating several crores of rupees for Sanskrit. 'Through the National Education Policy, 2020, the Centre attempts to impose Hindi. The scientifically established cultural glory of Tamils, based on the findings of the Keeladi excavation, is being deliberately withheld by the Union Government,' he said. Mr. Stalin urged the cadre to honour the legacy of DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi by participating in a tribute rally on August 7, the latter's death anniversary, towards his memorial at Marina beach in Chennai and to pledge their commitment to securing victory in the 2026 Assembly election. Recalling Karunanidhi's initiatives for the uplift of the poor and society as a whole, he said: 'Carrying forward his legacy, our Dravidian Model government has implemented schemes such as the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam, Naan Mudhalvan, Pudhumai Penn, Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, and Innuyir Kappom. Several States across the country have followed our initiative.'
