The Congress on Saturday alleged that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tried to bribe journalists by sending ₹1 lakh cash gifts to them on Diwali and demanded the registration of a graft case as well as his resignation.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee demanded a judicial inquiry into what it called "Chief Minister's Office (CMO) 'sweet box bribe' to journalists".
According to sources in the CMO, Bommai has said he was unaware that "cash" was given to journalists.
Addressing the media in New Delhi, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "The Bommai government's bribegate is now out in the open and this time the responsibility lies at the doorstep of the chief minister himself."
"This time, Bommai has surreptitiously, overtly and in a conspiratorial fashion tried to bribe the entire journalistic fraternity by sending 1 lakh cash to every journalist in Karnataka. Hats off to our journalist friends who openly exposed the bribegate," said Surjewala, who has been looking after the party's affairs in the state.
This is not the first time that the 40% "corrupt Bommai government" has attempted to do so, he alleged. The BJP government in Karnataka has become infamous for the "PayCM" campaign that the people of Karnataka have launched, Surjewala claimed.
He alleged that under the BJP government in the state, there has been bribery in recruitment, postings and contracts. "Latest is the CM trying to bribe journalists. Where has the money come from? Was this ₹1 lakh withdrawn from the public exchequer and then put in a packet to be sent to journalists on Diwali or has it come from your personal kitty," Surjewala asked. If the CM is involved in bribery who will protect the state, he asked.
"CM Bommai has been caught red-handed in the bribery to journalists scam. A case of corruption under prevention of corruption act for offering bribes has to be registered against Bommai and he has to resign immediately," Surjewala said.
Supreme Court to hear plea for replacing party symbols on EVMs with age, educational qualification of candidates
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday (October 31) a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission to remove party symbols from ballots and electronic voting machines and replace them with age, educational qualification and photograph of candidates.
The plea said such a move will help electors vote and support intelligent, diligent and honest candidates and "control the dictatorship of political party bosses in ticket distribution".
The petition is likely to come up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice U U Lalit and Justices S R Bhat and Bela M Trivedi, according to the cause list of October 31 uploaded on the apex court website.
The plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay has also sought directions to declare that the use of party symbol on EVM is illegal, unconstitutional, and violative of the Constitution.
Further, it also said the best solution to weed out corruption and criminalisation in politics is to replace political party symbols on ballot and EVM with name, age, educational qualification and photograph of the candidates.
The plea added that ballot and EVM without a political party symbol have many benefits as it will help electors to vote and support intelligent, diligent, and honest candidates.
Referring to a study done by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-governmental organisation working in electoral reforms, the plea said that out of 539 MPs, 233 (43 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Delhi Lt. Governor asks AAP government to reconsider ‘Red light on, Gaadi off’ campaign
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to reconsider the 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign, questioning the effectiveness of such an "ad-hoc" measure as the national capital reels under high air pollution level, according to sources.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi had earlier attacked the L-G, alleging that delay in approving the proposal had forced it to postpone the October 28 launch of the campaign but sources in the L-G office claimed that city Environment Minister Gopal Rai had lied as the file sent by the CM mentioned the date of launch as October 31.
The month-long 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign aims at encouraging drivers to turn off the ignition of their vehicles while waiting at traffic signals.
"The L-G has sent the file to Chief Minister Kejriwal with the advice to reconsider the proposal," a source said. The L-G also had objected to the "inhuman" and "exploitative use" of Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) at extremely polluted traffic intersections and sites.
The basic premise of the campaign, which seeks to risk the health of few individuals on the assumption of protecting the health of many, is faulty and does not appear to have any parallel in any other civilised metropolitan city, the L-G office sources said.
The L-G has also highlighted that the “outcome" of the previous campaigns is not reflected in the proposal and there is no impact assessment report provided to support the effectiveness of the earlier campaigns in improving air quality in the city.
Internet and social media platforms now toolkits of terror groups: Jaishankar
Terrorism is still one of the “gravest threats” to humanity said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, highlighting terror threats from the use of emerging technologies on the second day of the UN Security Council’s Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) held in Delhi on Saturday.
The meet began, like the first day in Mumbai, with a moment of silence for victims of terrorism, and officials and Ministers from various countries, made interventions on the use of the internet, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) including drones, crypto currency and other online means of financing terrorism.
“In recent years, terrorist groups, their ideological fellow-travelers, particularly in open and liberal societies and ‘lone wolf’ attackers have significantly enhanced their capabilities by gaining access to these technologies,” said Jaishankar. “Internet and social media platforms have turned into potent instruments in the toolkit of terrorist and militant groups for spreading propaganda, radicalisation and conspiracy theories aimed at destabilising societies,” he added.
Drawing parallels between the 2008 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the 2005 7/7 London suicide bombings, British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly said the terror strikes had claimed victims from across the world, and called on the international community to “starve” terror groups of financing. He said the advent of technology had dramatically changed the nature of attacks and of recruitment by terror groups.
Islamabad police bars hotels from accommodating participants of Imran Khan’s long march
In an unusual move, Islamabad police barred hotels and guest houses in the federal capital from providing accommodation to the participants of the long march led by former Pakistan Premier Imran Khan to force the government to announce a date for early general elections.
Islamabad police barred hotels and guest houses in the federal capital from providing accommodation to the participants of the march. The directive came with an official notification issued by the police. It said hotels and guest houses will be checked daily. Non-compliers will have to face strict action.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan waves to his supporters at a rally in Lahore on October 29 2022. | Photo Credit: AP
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has also directed television channels not to live telecast PTI leaders’ speeches and the long march.
The PEMRA said it was observed during a speech that “statements against state institutions were aired live” in violation of the code of conduct and court orders. It warned that legal action, leading to suspensions and revocation of licences, would be initiated in case of non-compliance.
The long march dubbed as 'Haqeeqi Azadi March' began from the Liberty Chowk area in Lahore on late Oct. 28 afternoon and the participants moved slowly as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party held power shows at Ichhra, Mozang, Data Sahib and Azadi Chowk areas of Lahore.
Khan has said no one can stop the PTI’s long march, adding his supporters must wait for his next decision when he reaches Islamabad.
According to him, the purpose of the protest was to achieve real freedom by forcing the government to announce snap elections. He promised to remain peaceful, and stay away from the high-security Red Zone housing state buildings and embassies but many doubt his pronouncements due to his history of U-turns.
Khan has sought permission to hold the rally in Islamabad which was not granted as yet as the capital administration has sought an explanation from PTI leaders over violations of terms and conditions during its previous public gathering on May 25 in Islamabad.
The government also asked the party to specify the places for their gathering and also inform the administration of the time of calling off the protest, the tentative number of participants and what will be the exact route through which participants of the long march will enter Islamabad.
The government has taken elaborate security measures to deal with the situation as there is fear that violence may erupt if the marchers were forcibly stopped to enter the city.
Police and paramilitary forces would be around to handle the situation. Regular troops would be available if the situation got out of control.
In brief
The Russian Army accused the U.K. of being “involved” in explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipes, alleging the same British military specialists had helped Ukraine plan a drone attack on Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet. Russia did not provide any evidence but considered the U.K. as one of the most unfriendly countries, with relations sinking to almost non-existent since the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine. Russia also alleged that the Western countries have not allowed it to take part in international investigations of the explosions. Instead, it has for weeks alluded that its special services have a different version of what caused the September explosions, while some Western countries have called it sabotage and pointed at Russia.
Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
