
Kharge rules out Team Siddu rejig
KALABURAGI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has ruled out any reshuffle in the Siddaramaiah cabinet. Speaking to reporters at his residence here, Kharge said that the party would inform if there is a reshuffle or change of guard at the KPCC.
Kharge said these issues did not figure when chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar met him and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday. 'Our discussions were on the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium and caste survey,' he said.
Kharge said the stampede has worried everybody, including the Congress. 'It should not have happened. I, myself, and Rahul Gandhi have told the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to take all necessary steps in future to prevent such incidents. They briefed us about the incident and the steps taken aftermath including suspension of police officers, ordering magisterial inquiry and judicial inquiry and payment of compensation to the aggrieved,' he said.
Reacting to BJP's demand for the resignation of the chief minister and the Deputy CM, owning moral responsibility for the stampede, Kharge questioned whether UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had resigned when the stampede took place during Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj. 'They expressed anger at me when I raised questions on the stampede at Kumbh Mela,' Kharge said.
Kharge said the caste survey was conducted 10 years ago. 'Various community leaders have urged me and the government to conduct resurvey. We have advised the CM and DCM to conduct resurvey without rejecting the survey report given by Kantaraj Commission. Resurvey would be done to include those castes and sub-castes which were genuine to be included in the OBC but were not included in the previous survey,' said Kharge.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


United News of India
13 minutes ago
- United News of India
MEA revokes denial, grants Priyank Kharge clearance for US visit
Bengaluru, June 21 (UNI) In a sharp turn of events, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has revoked its earlier decision and granted him clearance for an official visit to the United States, five days after his scheduled departure and following public outcry. Taking to social media platform X, Kharge wrote, 'So in a U-turn, the Ministry of External Affairs has now decided to revoke its earlier decision and grant me a clearance for an official visit to the United States.' Kharge said he had applied for permission on May 15 to travel between June 14-27 to represent the Karnataka government at two major global forums and participate in over 25 official meetings with top companies, universities, and institutions to pitch for investments and explore collaborations. The minister highlighted that his initial delegation request was rejected, while subsequent applications — first for officials and later for the KEONICS chairman — were approved, showing a selective clearance process over three separate submissions between May 15 and June 14. Kharge said no official explanation was provided for the denial of his own application. On June 19, he held a press conference highlighting the chronology and alleging political interference. By the same evening, the MEA issued a fresh No Objection Clearance dated June 19, effectively reversing its earlier stance. '36 days after my original application, 15 days after the denial, and five days after my scheduled departure, they 'revoke' their decision,' he noted, questioning the timing and intent behind the clearance. He further asked, 'Why was the clearance denied in the first place? Was it revoked only after the matter became public? What is the point of a clearance after the key events are over?' Criticising the Centre, Kharge said while the Union Government promotes slogans like 'Make in India', 'Digital India', and the 'India AI Mission', it is states like Karnataka that are driving real progress. He alleged that despite leading on innovation and job creation, Karnataka is being obstructed politically. Referring to the Prime Minister's statement, MAGA + MIGA = MEGA', Kharge asked, 'What does that even mean in practice, when the very state driving India's tech and innovation engine is denied the support it needs to lead globally?' Demanding accountability, Kharge concluded: 'These questions warrant an urgent response. Karnataka deserves answers.' UNI BDN PRS

Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Chronology Samajhiye': Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge Slams MEA's U-Turn On US Trip Clearance
/ Jun 21, 2025, 02:31PM IST Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge has called out the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for an apparent "U-turn" over political clearance for his official visit to the United States. According to Kharge, his request—originally submitted on May 15—was denied without explanation and later approved after his scheduled departure. Kharge was set to attend the BIO International Convention in Boston and the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco, aiming to pitch Karnataka to global investors. However, the clearance for his own visit was delayed until June 19, well past the start of the trip (June 14). Kharge shared the 'chronology' of denials and partial approvals for other delegation members in a viral post, questioning whether politics influenced the MEA's delay. He demanded accountability and asked why such crucial representation opportunities were blocked or delayed.#priyankkharge #mea #khargevisacontroversy #chronologysamajhiye #meaclearanceissue #congressvsmodigovt #usvisitdrama #karnatakanews #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews

The Wire
44 minutes ago
- The Wire
Priyank Kharge Asks Why MEA First Denied Him Clearance to Visit the US, Before Granting Permission Later
New Delhi: Congress leader and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday (June 21) said after initially denying him a clearance to visit the US, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has now granted him a clearance. Kharge questioned the reasons for this back and forth by the MEA and demanded an explanation. 'So in a U-turn, the Ministry of External Affairs has now decided to revoke its earlier decision and grant me a clearance for an official visit to the United States. I had sought permission on 15 May to travel between 14–27 June to represent the Government of Karnataka at two major global forums and over 25 official meetings with top companies, universities and institutions for collaborations and pitch for investments,' Kharge wrote on X on Saturday. Kharge added that the application for the visit of minister and officers' delegation to the US made on May 15 was rejected on June 4. Thereafter, another application for officers' delegation without Minister made on June 6 was cleared on June 11. 'My application was denied without any official explanation. On 19 June, I addressed a press conference, laying out the full chronology, questioning the basis of the denial and raising concerns about possible political interference. The matter was widely reported in the media. By the evening of the same day, the MEA revoked its earlier denial and issued a No Objection clearance dated 19 June,' said Kharge. He added that the clearance was received 36 days after his original application, 15 days after the official denial and five days after his scheduled departure. 'The timing raises serious questions: Why was the clearance denied in the first place? Was the previous order revoked to avoid accountability after the matter became public? What is the point of granting clearance after the key events are either over or nearing completion? Will the MEA now avoid explaining the original decision by pointing to the belated approval?' asked Kharge. Kharge was scheduled to attend the BIO International Convention in Boston and the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco, Deccan Herald had earlier reported. 'While the Centre gives us slogans like 'Make in India,' 'Digital India', 'National Quantum Mission' and 'India AI Mission,' the real work to realise these aspirations is happening here in Karnataka. They coin the vision, but when we do the work to bring investments, create jobs and position India as a global leader – they block us,' he added. Kharge said that Karnataka deserves answer on the issue. 'The Prime Minister once said MAGA MIGA = MEGA. But what does that even mean in practice, when the very state driving India's tech and innovation engine is denied the support it needs to lead globally?' said Kharge.