Bengaluru, July 6 (IANS) Commenting on the stopping of sale of Bharat rice at an MRP of Rs 29 per kilo by the Centre to the state, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated on Saturday that an agitation would be launched against it.

Speaking to reporters after participating in the function to mark the death anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram at the Vidhana Soudha, he stated, “We will have to start an agitation against stopping of Bharat rice by the central government. If they are unable to provide rice even as they have the stocks of rice, it is because of political ill-will.”

The Bharat rice was introduced for the purpose of election and they have stopped it once the elections are over, CM Siddaramaiah alleged.

“The central government is doing this to bring a bad name to our government. If there are no stocks of rice it is understandable, in this case, they have the rice but are not providing it. “When we approached the central government for rice to be given under the free rice programme ‘Anna Bhagya’, they refused to provide rice, even as they have enough stocks at the Food Corporation of India,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

“It is very evident that the central government is not with the Dalits, poor and backwards. There are poor people among all castes, they refused to provide rice when the state government wanted to give rice to those poor sections of society,” CM Siddaramaiah reiterated.

“We were then forced to purchase rice. The central government has intentionally not provided rice to Karnataka,” he stated.

–IANS

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Bhopal, July 6 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday launched the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign in Bhopal, saying that it will prove to be a milestone towards environment protection.

CM Yadav, accompanied by state BJP head V. D. Sharma, planted a sapling at Jamburi Maidan. The Chief Minister also carried a photograph of his mother while planting the sapling.

CM Yadav said, “This step is a resolution to protect the environment. The resolution of Bhopal residents to plant 12 lakh saplings will prove to be a milestone towards environmental protection, which will inspire other cities.”

Meanwhile, he also appealed to people in the state to participate in the campaign.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign.

The Madhya Pradesh government is equally committed to environmental conservation, aiming to plant approximately 5.5 crore saplings across the state by July 15.

Notably, for the last few years, his predecessor Shivraj Singh Chouhan (now Union Minister) used to plant one sapling every day at Shyamala Hills.

Planting a sapling was a daily routine until he shifted to Delhi after becoming the Union Agriculture Minister.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 6 (IANS) Tension gripped the Sonarpur area in Bengals’s South 24 Parganas district on Saturday after a local BJP activist, his wife and their son were stabbed.

Gobindo Adhikari, his wife Namita Adhikari and their son Gourab Adhikari were critically injured in the attack and rushed to state-run MR Bangur Hospital, from where they were shifted to the S. S. K. M Medical College & Hospital.

Gobindo Adhikari, an active BJP worker in the area, was the party’s polling agent in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

Three people — Archan Bhattacharya, Subhash Debnath and Sumit Debnath — have been arrested in this connection.

A political slugfest has already erupted in the area over the incident.

“Those who have attacked Gobindo, his wife, and his son are active Trinamool Congress workers. BJP was leading from the polling booth where Gobindo was the polling agent in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. He was also threatened then by the goons backed by the ruling party,” said local BJP leader Debnath Chakraborty.

However, local Trinamool Congress councilor Rajib Purohit denied the involvement of his party workers behind the event and said that it happened due to an old rivalry between the two families.

Investigation is on.

–IANS

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Jaipur, July 6 (IANS) After becoming Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time, Om Birla reached Bundi on his first visit to his parliamentary constituency Kota on Saturday.

Speaking to the media, Om Birla said that he learnt different dynamics, including social and political, in Rajasthan’s Kota-Bundi.

“We fought for people on different issues. Now, after years, both the central and state governments are being led by the BJP. So we will try to fulfill expectations of the people. We will create new avenues for employment generation and infrastructure development,” he said.

Further speaking on employment, he said, “People across the world are investing in India and sentiments of private companies are strong. So it’s for sure that the youth shall get employment on a large scale in these companies.

“The country will script a new story under Narendra Modi’s third tenure as Prime Minister.”

Speaking on his election as Speaker, he said that Parliament is a temple of democracy.

“The more the Parliament session runs, the more there will be discussions and debates and democracy will be strengthened,” he said.

Om Birla has come to Bundi for the first time after becoming the Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time.

District in-charge, minister Hiralal Nagar and former minister Prabhu Lal Saini were assigned the task of according a grand welcome to him.

Om Birla is scheduled to participate in different programmes along with roadshows in Hindoli, Bundi and Talera.

–IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, July 6 (IANS) With the Kerala unit of the CPI(M) deciding to take corrective steps after its drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, eyebrows are being raised over the party welcoming into its fold a former BJP and RSS activist with criminal cases against him.

Among those who were present to receive Sharon Chandran into the party at Pathanamthitta, were State Health Minister Veena George, Pathanamthitta District Secretary, KP Udayabhanu and other top district leaders.

Incidentally Chandran was released from jail last month and the charges against him among others include, Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).

Defending the entry of Chandran into the party, Udayabhanu said KAPPA was not a permanent label as in it there is a period, after which it is lifted.

“He was an active worker of the Sangh Parivar and he was used for undesirable activities. When he realised what he was doing was not right, he decided to reform himself and now he has joined our party.

“Anyone who is involved in politics will have various cases and just because of that, one cannot be termed as a criminal,” said Udayabhanu.

Pictures of the grand entry of Chandran into the CPI(M) surfaced on Saturday and those seen in them include George and other leaders.

Chandran has multiple criminal cases against him which includes attacking a woman and is named in the only KAAPA case filed in the jurisdiction of the home police station at Malayolapuzha in Pathanamthitta.

With this becoming news, strong reservations have been expressed by a section of party workers in the district.

This act has taken place even as the central leadership of the party has asked its Kerala leadership to ensure that no party worker indulges in any activities which bring disrepute to the CPI(M).

–IANS

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