1. H.D. Kumaraswamy accuses Karnataka CM’s son Yathindra of seeking cash for postings
The battle of wits between the ruling Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders intensified on November 16. Accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son and former Congress legislator Yathindra of acting like a ‘Super Chief Minister’, H.D. Kumaraswamy sought the resignation of Mr. Siddaramaiah over a video clip in which his son is purportedly heard seeking changes to a list of names, claimed to be related to postings.
After Mr. Kumaraswamy released the video, the CM claimed that the list pertains to CSR activities to be undertaken at schools in Varuna and was unrelated to postings. His Cabinet colleagues also jumped to his defence, accusing Mr. Kumaraswamy of speaking out of desperation. The former CM’s accusation comes days after Congress accused him of ‘power theft’ to light up his J.P. Nagar residence in Bengaluru for Deepavali, following which Bescom filed an FIR.
2. Two years on, no sign of third party audit of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout in Bengaluru
The third-party audit of works executed under the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) project, taken up in February 2021, is yet to see the light of the day, further delaying the progress of the layout. In 2018, the project cost to develop a layout spanning 4,040 acres was estimated at ₹2,600 crore. In 2019-2020, the contractors demanded an additional ₹650 crore for end-to-end completion of the layout.
Following this, the then BDA Chairman S.R. Vishwanath had directed the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) to form a technical committee to assess the “suspicious” escalation of the cost of the project. While the committee report recommended that there is a need for more funds, Mr. Vishwanath, not convinced by its argument, ordered for a third-party audit.
3. Devotees may visit Ayodhya Ram temple from January 23, says Sri Vishwaprasanna Tirtha
Udupi Pejawar mutt seer and trustee of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust Sri Vishwaprasanna Tirtha has said devotees may visit the Sri Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh a day after the consecration of Lord Sri Rama’s idol, that is from January 23.
He said that the idol would be installed in the temple at the Abhijith muhurta in the presence of PM Narendra Modi on January 22. While no one would be allowed to the temple on the inaugural day for security and other reasons, devotees may watch the ceremony live on large screens at Ram temples in their respective villages, towns or cities.
