Top Stories

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) As the campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections came to an end on Monday evening, AAP leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressed voters across multiple constituencies, urging them to re-elect Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive term.

On the last day of the campaign, CM Mann led roadshows and addressed people in Adarsh Nagar, Shalimar Bagh, Shakur Basti, and Wazirpur Assembly constituencies.

His speeches focused on contrasting AAP's governance model with the divisive politics of the Opposition, emphasising education, healthcare, and financial empowerment as key pillars of AAP's vision.

"Today at 5 p.m., campaigning will end, and the decision you have made will be sealed in voting machines on February 5. This is not just an election; it is a choice between 'ladai' (conflict) and 'padhai' (education)."

He urged voters to press the 'jharoo' button on the EVM to ensure Kejriwal's return as Chief Minister and the continuation of AAP's "pro-people" policies.

CM Mann exposed the Opposition's attempts to buy votes, saying, "The Opposition has a lot of money, all stolen from you. If they bring money to you, I request you with folded hands: don't refuse, take it, it's your money! But on voting day, press the button with the broom symbol and vote for the future of your children."

"In Punjab, 90 per cent of households pay zero electricity bills, and 50,000 young people have been given government jobs. This is what good governance looks like. If you vote for the BJP, they will not only stop such initiatives but also take away the money you've saved. Make your own government and be the masters of your destiny," he said.

CM Mann accused the BJP of resorting to hooliganism and intimidation.

"They are attacking our workers and journalists, showing their desperation. Don't let their fear-mongering win. Choose education over conflict and secure a brighter future for Delhi," he said.

Mann outlined the financial benefits of an AAP government, saying, "Under AAP, each household in Delhi will save nearly Rs 30,000 monthly. But if you vote for the BJP, they'll stop all such benefits and even take the money you already have to benefit their friends."

--IANS

vg/khz

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Campaigning for the most hotly contested Assembly election in Delhi ever ended at 5 p.m. on Monday, drawing curtains on months-long, high-decibel electioneering replete with AI-generated memes, acerbic jibes and venomous barbs and a race to woo voters with freebies, including monthly doles to women and the youth.

The ruling AAP and rival BJP and the Congress engaged their star campaigners liberally with the pack being led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet Minister Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Piyush Goyal, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and Chief Ministers of other BJP and Congress-ruled states.

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh and filmstar Shatrughan Sinha added star power to the AAP’s campaign.

Cash assistance for women, heated exchanges over alleged corruption revolving around liquor scam and ‘Sheesh Mahal’, joblessness, water supply and sewers, toxic air, polluted Yamuna and free health insurance dominated the discourse.

At the peak of the campaign, the campaign turned into a direct fight between ‘Modi ki Guarantee’, ‘Kejriwal ki Guarantee’ and ‘Congress ki Guarantee, with all three parties offering freebies to woo voters.

The ruling AAP and rival BJP and Congress also locked horns on several occasions over issues of alleged poll code violation, deletion of voters’ names, suspected Bangladeshis enrolled as voters and attempts to influence voters using lies and wrong information.

The hot seats of New Delhi of AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Kalkaji seat of Chief Minister Atishi attracted special attention all through the campaign.

The fiercely campaign for the February 5 Assembly election has been defined by an unprecedented use of AI-generated spoofs and memes, sharp political jibes, and high-decibel roadshows.

The tech-driven campaign was supplemented by conventional methods like padyatra, corner meetings, handouts, newspaper ads, recorded phone calls by Kejriwal to voters and personal letters sent by Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva to voters.

On the final day of campaigning, the BJP organised 22 roadshows and rallies across Delhi while PM Modi issued a video on his interaction with students, as the party looked to end the AAP’s run of three successive electoral wins since 2013.

Similarly, the AAP’s last day dash saw Kejriwal holding public meetings in the Chhatarpur and Kalkaji Assembly constituencies and issuing videos alleging attempts to manipulate EVMs.

Throughout the campaign, the ruling AAP raised issues of poll code violation, alleged EC bias in favour of the BJP and wooed voters by showcasing its development model and offering 15 guarantees, including monthly financial assistance for women and others.

The ruling party also remained confident of securing a fourth straight term, banking on its governance model of free welfare schemes and blunting the rivals’ allegations of corruption and misgovernance.

The Congress, which ruled the capital for 15 years between 1998 and 2013, appeared energised, with a segment of Muslim voters showing faith in it in the recent civic elections.

On Monday, the Delhi election office imposed a prohibition on the display to the public of any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus and holding public meetings during a period of “48 hours ending with hour fixed for conclusion of poll during the General Election to Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi-2025."

All eyes on voting day will be on the voting turnout with the election department desperately trying to get more voters to polling booths.

The turnout in the 2020 Delhi Assembly election stood at 62.82 per cent, 4.65 per cent lower than 67.47 per cent in 2015. In 2013, the turnout was 66.02 per cent, 8.42 per cent higher than 2008’s 57.6 per cent.

Voting to pick a new 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held on February 5 and the result will be declared on February 8. In the outgoing House, the AAP has 62 candidates and the BJP has eight.

According to the data of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots across 13,766 polling stations. Among the total voters, 83.76 lakh are men, 72.36 lakh are women, and 1,267 are third-gender voters.

There are 699 candidates in the fray as compared to 672 in the 2020 poll.

The Election Commission has also introduced a Queue Management System (QMS) application for the first time in India, allowing voters to check real-time crowd levels at polling stations through the Delhi Election - 2025 QMS app.

Under the home voting facility for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, nearly 7,000 eligible voters cast their votes even before the pressing of the first EVM button on polling day.

--IANS

rch/uk

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA government on Monday, asserting that the Prime Minister was "forced" to bow before the Constitution after the 2024 general elections victory.

Lashing out at the Modi government, Prime Minister in particular, he said that latter was "forced" to bow before the Constitution after the 2024 general elections victory, seeking to claim moral victory over Cong's vigorous pitch for 'save the constitution' in the run-up to elections.

Speaking during the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said, "I remember before the elections, all of you (BJP) were saying '400 Paar' and you were saying you would change this (referring to Constitution). And then I was glad to see that the Prime Minister walked in and then was forced to bow his head in front of the Constitution."

"It was a moment of pride for all the Congress people that we had explained to the Prime Minister and to the whole country that no force will dare touch this (holding Constitution in hand)," he said.

The Congress MP said that he was "struggling" during the President's Address as it was a mere "laundry list" of government achievements that failed to address core issues. He then outlined what he called an "alternate vision" for the country, focusing on youth and unemployment.

"The future of this country will be decided by the youth of this country. Anything I say has to be addressed to them, focused on them," he said.

The LoP acknowledged that PM Modi's 'Make in India' initiative was a good idea in principle but it failed.

"I am not blaming the Prime Minister because it is not fair to say that he did not try. He tried and conceptually Make in India was a good idea, because the manufacturing went from 15.3 per cent of GDP to 12.6 per cent," he said.

"You can organise consumption and production. Every government since 1990 has done a decent job on consumption. We have, as a country, failed in organising production," the LoP said.

He also accused successive governments, including the Congress-led UPA, of failing to tackle unemployment. "Neither the UPA government nor today's NDA government has given a clear answer to the youth on employment," he said.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and several BJP MPs objected to his remarks on production and economic failures, but Gandhi continued, emphasizing that India needs to shift focus from consumption to production.

"If we don't, we will run huge deficits, increase inequality, and face serious problems," he warned.

The Congress MP also raised concerns over China, alleging that despite PM Modi's denial, Chinese forces had occupied Indian territory.

"Our armed forces are still holding talks with China over their intrusion. The Prime Minister has denied it, but our Chief of Army Staff has said that the Chinese are inside our territory," he claimed.

The LoP further claimed that the Prime Minister "has denied it, and the Army has contradicted the Prime Minister that China is sitting on 4000 sq km of our territory."

"Our Chief of Army Staff has said that the Chinese are inside our territory. This is a fact. The reason China is inside our territory is important. The reason China is sitting inside this country is because 'Make in India' has failed. The reason China is sitting inside this country is because India is refusing to produce, and I'm worried that India is going to give up this revolution to the Chinese once again. If and when we fight a war with China, we will be fighting with Chinese electric motors, Chinese batteries and Chinese optics, and we will be buying Chinese motors, Chinese optics and Chinese batteries," he added.

He was interrupted during his Lok Sabha speech, with the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, "You will have to present the evidence of what you are speaking in the House."

Linking the issue to economic dependence on China, he held up his mobile phone, saying, "Even though we claim to make phones in India, this is not true. We assemble them here. All components are made in China. We are paying a tax to China."

Gandhi warned that if India fails to develop its production systems, the country could face dire consequences.

"If and when we fight a war with China, we will be using Chinese motors, Chinese optics, and Chinese batteries against them," he said.

Rahul Gandhi reiterated the demand for a caste census, arguing that OBCs, Dalits, and tribals remain underrepresented in economic and political power structures.

"We conducted a caste survey in Telangana and found that 90 per cent of the population comprises Dalits, tribals, backward classes, and minorities. Yet, none of the largest corporates in this country are owned by them," he said.

Addressing BJP's OBC leaders, he said, "Remember, OBCs make up 50 per cent of the population, but you have no real power. I know you cannot even open your mouth. That is the truth of this country."

Kiren Rijiju objected, pointing out that the Prime Minister himself is from an OBC community, calling Gandhi's remarks "baseless."

The LoP also raised concerns over electoral transparency, alleging irregularities in Maharashtra's voter rolls.

"Between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, 70 lakh new voters were suddenly added. This is equivalent to the entire population of Himachal Pradesh being added to Maharashtra's voter list," he claimed, expressing doubts that the Election Commission would provide answers.

He also questioned the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the panel that selects the Chief Election Commissioner.

"Why was the CJI removed from the committee?... Now, it will be Amit Shah, the Prime Minister and me -- two against one -- what is the point of me going?" he asserted, adding, "These are facts."

Taking a swipe at the foreign policies of the Centre, Rahul Gandhi said, "When we talk to the United States, we should not send our foreign minister to invite our Prime Minister to their coronation. If we had a strong industrial base, the American President would come here to invite our Prime Minister instead."

This remark prompted strong objections from BJP MPs, with Kiren Rijiju calling it an "unverified and serious claim" that misrepresented India's global standing.

At multiple points during the speech, Speaker Om Birla interrupted Rahul Gandhi, demanding evidence for his claims, particularly regarding Chinese incursions and electoral data.

However, the Congress lawmaker remained defiant, asserting that his statements were based on "facts."

--IANS

sd/mr

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Chairman of Russia's State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin called on Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Parliament on Monday, asserting that India is one of the key partners of Russia in Asia.

Volodin, who arrived in India late last night on an official visit aimed at bolstering bilateral relations, also visited both houses of the Indian Parliament.

"We have special relations. They are developing on the principles of friendship, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states and mutually beneficial cooperation," said Volodin during his meeting with the Vice President.

The Chairman of the State Duma pointed out that the leaders of the States continue to make a "great contribution" to the development of the Russian-Indian dialogue.

"For our part, we must legislatively ensure the decisions taken by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Our relations are growing stronger, and we must ensure that the dynamics that exist at the executive level are also present in our work. It is important to develop interaction within the parliamentary dimension so that we contribute to the development of relations through our work,” Volodin underscored.

He stated that India remains one of the key partners of Russia in Asia.

"Over the past five years, bilateral trade has increased fivefold and continues to grow: from January to November 2024, it increased by 15 per cent. Due to this, our citizens and our countries benefit," the Chairman of the State Duma said.

The Vice President's office stated that discussions touched upon diverse facets of the multi-dimensional bilateral relationship between India and Russia.

"Both leaders underlined the significance of enhancing parliamentary ties which provide a solid foundation for the overall Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two nations," VP Dhankhar said in a post on X.

He noted the high level of India-Russia relations, as well as the significant role of parliamentarians in the process of maintaining them.

The Vice President recalled that over the past seven months, Prime Minister Modi has visited Russia twice which "reflects the importance of strategic partnership".

"Our relations are entering new trajectories; the level of interaction is increasing. Both our countries coordinate their positions on platforms such as the UN, BRICS, G20, SCO to address global issues," the Russian Embassy in India quoted the Vice President of India as saying during the meeting.

Volodin congratulated the people of India on the Republic Day and also invited members of the Rajya Sabha to visit Russia.

The Russian delegation accompanying the Duma Chairman includes Deputy Speaker Alexander Babakov, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) leader Leonid Slutsky, Novye Lyudi (New People) faction leader Alexey Nechayev, Economic Policy Committee Chairman Maxim Topilin, Agrarian Committee Chairman Vladimir Kashin, and Culture Committee Chairwoman Olga Kazakova.

--IANS

int/as

Jaipur, Feb 3 (IANS) The Bhajan Lal Sharma-led Rajasthan government is making a significant effort to create yet another world record for Surya Namaskar on Monday, a day ahead of Surya Saptami.

On Monday, students, parents, and teachers from government and private schools across the state participated in a collective Surya Namaskar session.

The event saw State Education Minister Madan Dilawar joining students at SMS Investment Ground in Jaipur to perform the yoga sequence.

Speaking at the event, Minister Dilawar said that this year, February 4 has been declared as a government holiday, as Surya Saptami is celebrated on that day.

As a result, the statewide Surya Namaskar programme was organised on Monday, involving students, teachers, and parents from across Rajasthan.

The Education Department is analysing the participation data, and an official record submission will be made later on Monday.

Minister Dilawar also said that Surya Namaskar is not just a one-time event in Rajasthan but a regular practice in schools.

The Education Department has issued an order mandating that students perform three rounds of Surya Namaskar daily during morning prayers.

This initiative, which has been in place throughout the academic year, will continue as a permanent practice in schools.

The Education Department is attempting to surpass the previous world record, set last year when 1.33 crore students from 78,974 schools participated in Surya Namaskar.

To achieve this, the department had urged not only students and teachers but also parents to take part in this year's event.

The overwhelming response saw thousands joining the collective yoga session across the state. According to Dilawar, Surya Namaskar was conducted simultaneously across all government and private educational institutions at the same time.

Each participant completed three rounds of the practice.

The event was documented through photography and videography, and the official participation data will be uploaded on the Shala Darpan and Private School Portals by Monday evening.

Once compiled, an application for world record recognition will be submitted.

--IANS

arc/khz

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Hours before the close of the election campaign on Monday, AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday alleged a conspiracy to manipulate EVMs in the February 5 Assembly election, claiming that the rivals are planning to erase about 10 per cent of his party’s votes.

Calling upon AAP supporters to vote in large numbers, Kejriwal said, in a video, “Every single party supporter should step out and vote on February 5.”

Kejriwal also announced the launch of a website on which the AAP would upload six key informations about each polling booth so that the EVMs are not tampered with after voting.

“We have turned wiser after our experience in Haryana and Maharashtra elections,” he said.

To counter attempts of wrongdoing on the counting day, the six informations to be uploaded on AAP website would include name of the polling booth, name of booth presiding officer, the ID number of control unit, the last count of votes cast till night on the booth, the percentage of battery charge in the last EVM machine used at a booth and the name of the polling agent.

He said the only way to defeat the design of EVM manipulation is to raise our party’s voter turnout by 15 per cent so that even if they try to erase our votes by 10 per cent, we may still win by 5 per cent.

Earlier on Sunday, the Congress raised doubts about the possible use of unfair means in the February 5 Delhi Assembly election and constituted an eight-member Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) to monitor “the conduct of free and fair elections by the Election Commission of India.”

Kejriwal’s allegation on possible EVM manipulation is the latest in a series of charges levelled against the Election Commission of India.

Apart from accusing the EC of not stopping alleged election code violations by rival candidates, the AAP National Convenor has also accused Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar of being biased in favour of the BJP as he was looking for a post-retirement posting after February 28.

In a separate video issued earlier, Kejriwal addressed voters availing the facility of voting from home and called upon them not to get their fingers inked even after accepting any cash, if any, offered by the teams visiting their residences.

--IANS

rch/uk

Hyderabad, Feb 3 (IANS) The Election Commission of India on Monday issued notification for elections to three seats each of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Legislative Councils scheduled on February 27.

This set in motion the process for filing of nominations for the elections from graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies.

The term of office of three members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council (two Graduates' and one Teachers' constituency) and three members of the Telangana Legislative Council (one Graduates' and two Teachers' constituencies) is expiring on March 29, 2025.

Nominations can be filed till February 10 while the scrutiny of nominations will be taken up the next day. February 13 will be the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures. Polling will be held on February 27 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 3.

The model code of conduct has already into force in the concerned constituencies.

In Andhra Pradesh, elections will be held for East-West Godavari and Krishna-Guntur Graduates’ constituencies and Srikakulam-Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam Teachers’ constituency.

Illa Venkateswara Rao of Progressive Democratic Front (East-West Godavari), K. S. Lakshamana Rao of Progressive Democratic Front (Krishna-Guntur) and Pakalapati Raghu Varma, an independent (Srikakulam-Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam) are retiring on March 29.

In Telangana, polling will be held for Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Graduates’ constituency and Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Teachers’ constituencies.

While the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Graduates' constituency is held by the Congress, the teachers' constituencies are represented by Independents.

The Congress has announced V. Narender Reddy as its candidate for the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Graduates' constituency, which is currently represented by senior Congress leader and former minister T. Jeevan Reddy.

The BJP, which is eyeing an increased presence in the Telangana Legislative Council, has already announced candidates for three constituencies.

It has named industrialist C. Anji Reddy for the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Graduates' constituency, currently represented by senior Congress leader Jeevan Reddy.

The BJP has decided to field educationist Malka Komaraiah for the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Teachers' constituency.

Puli Sarottham Reddy will contest on a BJP ticket from Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Teachers' constituency.

--IANS

ms/vd

Bengaluru, Feb 3 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday reacted strongly to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comments that the state has gone bankrupt under the Congress-led government, contending that it has not borrowed as much as the Central government and is efficiently managing its affairs.

Responding to a question from reporters on the matter, Shivakumar said: "The Union Finance Minister should first acknowledge how many lakhs of crores the Central government has borrowed. We have not taken such massive loans, and we are effectively managing the state’s finances. The Honourable Prime Minister had claimed that Karnataka would go bankrupt when we announced our guarantee schemes. Now, they are relying on the same guarantees to win elections."

"We implemented these guarantees considering factors such as inflation putting pressure on women, rising gas prices, and increasing costs of essential commodities, which have made life difficult for ordinary people. The BJP has now started adopting similar schemes everywhere," he added.

"The claim that Karnataka has gone bankrupt is a separate issue. The central ministers and the Union Finance Minister should release a detailed report on the contributions made to Karnataka in the Union Budget," he said.

Asked about the lack of mention regarding funds for the Upper Bhadra project, Shivakumar remarked: "It's shameful. If a commitment is made, it should be honoured. I request them to keep their word before making any comments."

Regarding JD-S MLAs expressing interest in meeting him, Shivakumar clarified that he had not spoken to any of them. "JD-S party workers are making decisions based on their political future. How long can they wait? They want the support of a national party, which is why they are seeking to join Congress," he maintained.

"We have enough numbers, and I am not actively trying to bring JD-S MLAs into our fold. None of the MLAs have shown serious interest, and I have not spoken to anyone. All such reports are false," he asserted.

On Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka’s statement that, as per the power-sharing agreement, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure is set to end in the last week of November, Shivakumar responded humorously: "Ashoka seems to be quite skilled in astrology. I should take some time to visit him along with our MLAs."

--IANS

mka/vd

Bhubaneswar, Feb 3 (IANS) The organisational elections in the main opposition party in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will be completed by the first week of April, a party leader said on Monday.

BJD leader Pradip Kumar Amat on Monday revealed this following the meeting of the party's coordination committee at Sankha Bhawan here.

The meeting was attended by senior leaders of the party to discuss various issues related to the organisational polls.

Speaking to media persons, Amat said that as per the directions of BJD President Naveen Patnaik, the Coordination committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Debi Prasad Mishra on Monday.

He also added that the members of different advisory committees of the party, including Prasanna Acharya, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Pramila Mallik, and 13 members of the coordination committee attended the meeting.

Other BJD leaders also participated in the meeting through virtual mode.

The State Returning Officer, Pratap Keshari Deb narrated all the issues pertaining to organisational elections in detail during the meeting.

He said the process for organisational polls has begun following consultations with constituency-wise and district-wise leaders of the party.

"In the first week of February, District Returning Officers will be appointed. Later, Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) and other functionaries will be given appointment. The entire process of election of members to all the executive committees and state councils will be completed within the first week of April or before the traditional Odia New Year," Amat said.

He added that the newly elected members of the executive committees and state councils will later elect the party president.

The senior BJD leader also rubbished the rumours regarding the differences between the senior and junior leaders of the party.

He asserted that the party has no issues of rebellion in BJD.

The party had earlier dissolved all the State level frontal organisations such as Biju Mahila Janata Dal, Biju Yuva Janata Dal, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal, Biju Shramika Samukhya, Legal Cell, Apravasi Cell in view of the forthcoming Organisational election of BJD.

The elections to various party organisational bodies will be conducted in four phases.

--IANS

gyan/khz

Bengaluru, Feb 3 (IANS) Criticising the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for claiming that the Karnataka government is facing bankruptcy, State Home Minister G. Parameshwara questioned what contributions she has made to the state.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, "Nirmala Sitharaman is the country's Finance Minister, and we all respect her. However, despite being a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, she has completely failed to protect the state's interests."

He also asked, "This is not just a recent issue -- it has been the case before as well. What contributions has she made to our state? She has not implemented even a single scheme that we can credit her for. If she had done so, I would have appreciated her."

"It is not acceptable to simply make statements about Karnataka's financial condition. In the Union Budget, previously she read out that Rs 5,000 crore would be allocated to the Upper Bhadra Project, declaring it a national project. But where is the actual funding? What answer does she have for this?" he asked.

"We have implemented five guarantee schemes in the interest of the poor, not for any other reason. Women in rural areas are utilising the Rs 2,000 assistance for meaningful purposes. One woman even purchased a new computer for her daughter. There are many such examples. Claiming that Karnataka is out of funds and bankrupt is incorrect. The real question is -- what has the Union Finance Minister done for Karnataka?" Home Minister Parameshwara asked.

"Nirmala Sitharaman is a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka and also serves as the Finance Minister. It is shameful that Karnataka has received less Budgetary allocation this time compared to the previous year. How should we justify this? If she provides grants, we will appreciate her regardless of party affiliation. But shouldn't she at least sanction a single major project for Karnataka?" he said.

"The state needs funding for irrigation and development projects. Is providing just Rs 5,000 crore for Bengaluru sufficient? Bengaluru is a city of national importance. Making baseless statements is not acceptable," he added.

Responding to Karnataka's ranking dropping to 10th place in the NITI Aayog report, Parameshwara said, "Every year, NITI Aayog uses different criteria to measure performance. We don't know on what basis or parameters they have arrived at this ranking."

Regarding the Special Investigation Team (SIT) summoning BJP MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan in connection with the Police Sub-Inspector recruitment scam, he said, "I am not aware of the reasons for his questioning. The investigation is still ongoing. The SIT will summon individuals based on the evidence they gather."

When asked about Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar openly inviting MLAs from other parties to join Congress, the State Home Minister said, "If the state party President makes a statement, it holds meaning. There is no opposition to welcoming those who accept our party's ideology and principles. The decision on whom to admit into the party rests entirely with the President. That is why a President is appointed."

On the issue of lack of funds due to the implementation of guarantee schemes and MLA B.R. Patil's refusal to withdraw his resignation as Karnataka CM's advisor, Parameshwara said, "That matter is up to the Chief Minister. The CM will speak with B.R. Patil. We are not aware of their discussions."

He also said, "Earlier, there were frequent concerns about a lack of funds. However, after the CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting, Rs 10 crore has been allocated to all MLAs. Since then, no such issues have arisen."

--IANS

mka/khz