ED raids Siddartha institutions linked to Karnataka HM Parameshwara
BENGALURU: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday reportedly raided the premises of educational institutions belonging to Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, creating ripples in political circles. The opposition BJP linked it to actress Ranya Rao's gold smuggling case, while senior Congress leaders strongly condemned the ED action, terming it a politically motivated move.
'ED, which was investigating Ranya Rao's case for the last 2-3 months, might have had some credible information,' BJP spokesperson Prakash Shesharaghavachar told the media, linking it to the case of gold smuggling by Ranya Rao, who is in custody.
ED officials simultaneously raided Siddhartha medical colleges and hospitals at Tumakuru and Nelamangala, on Bengaluru outskirts, and the engineering college at Tumakuru. The searches started around 9 am and continued till evening. The officials verified documents related to alleged 'hawala' transactions, it is said. ED, however, is yet to make an official statement on the raids and seizures.
DCM DK Shivakumar defended Parameshwara, saying, 'I am sure that the home minister is not involved in any such case as he is a decent, simple man. Like anyone who met him, the others (involved in Ranya Rao's case) might have also met him. In no way Parameshwara is involved in it.'
AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala came down heavily against Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, terming the raids vendetta politics aimed at Congress leaders.
'The ED raids on the Educational Institutions of Karnataka's Home Minister, Dr. G. Parameshwara, one of the tallest SC Leaders, is a frustrated reaction of BJP & Modi Govt to giving of ownership rights to 1 Lakh SC-ST families yesterday at Hospet. The constant assault on Constitution and leaders of SC-ST-OBC communities across India has become a habitual pattern. The revenge seeking against Dr G Parameshwara is part of this sinister design,' he posted on X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
23 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Trump says Tulsi Gabbard was 'wrong' about Iran; Israeli strikes could be 'very hard to stop'
President Donald Trump has said that his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was 'wrong' when she previously said that the U.S. believed Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, and he suggested that it would be 'very hard to stop' Israel's strikes on Iran in order to negotiate a possible ceasefire. Mr. Trump has recently taken a more aggressive public stance toward Tehran as he's sought more time to weigh whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility. Buried under a mountain, the facility is believed to be out of the reach of all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Follow Israel-Iran conflict LIVE on June 21 After landing in New Jersey for an evening fundraiser for his super political action committee on Friday, Mr. Trump was asked about Ms. Gabbard's comments to Congress in March that U.S. spy agencies believed that Iran wasn't working on nuclear warheads. The President responded, 'Well then, my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?' Informed that it had been Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Trump said, 'She's wrong.' In a subsequent post on X, Ms. Gabbard said her testimony was taken out of context 'as a way to manufacture division'. 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly,' she wrote. 'President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Still, disavowing Ms. Gabbard's previous assessment came a day after the White House said Mr. Trump would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military would get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. It said seeking additional time was 'based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future'. But on Friday, Mr. Trump himself seemed to cast doubts on the possibility of talks leading to a pause in fighting between Israel and Iran. He said that, while he might support a ceasefire, Israel's strikes on Iran could be 'very hard to stop.' Asked about Iran suggesting that, if the U.S. was serious about furthering negotiations, it could call on Israel to stop its strikes, Mr. Trump responded, 'I think it's very hard to make that request right now.' 'If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing," Mr. Trump said. 'But we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens.' The President later added, 'It's very hard to stop when you look at it.' "Israel's doing well in terms of war. And, I think, you would say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop," Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump campaigned on decrying 'endless wars' and has vowed to be an international peacemaker. That's led some, even among conservatives, to point to Mr. Trump's past criticism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq beginning in 2003 as being at odds with his more aggressive stance toward Iran now. Mr. Trump suggested the two situations were very different, though. 'There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,' Mr. Trump said of his past criticism of the administration of President George W Bush. He added of Iran's current nuclear programme, 'It looked like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous amount of material.' Mr. Trump also cast doubts on Iran's developing nuclear capabilities for civilian pursuits, like power generation. 'You're sitting on one of the largest oil piles anywhere in the world,' he said. 'It's a little bit hard to see why you'd need that.'
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Telangana HC pulls up govt over delay in opening Alampur govt hospital
Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Friday came down heavily on the state govt for the 18-month delay in operationalising a 100-bed govt hospital in Alampur, Jogulamba Gadwal district , despite the facility being fully constructed and equipped. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara was hearing a PIL filed by Ramchandra Reddy, a social activist and politician from the district. The court expressed concern over the prolonged inaction and directed the govt and relevant departments to file a detailed counter-affidavit within two weeks, explaining the reasons for the delay. The petitioner informed the court that the hospital was built with ₹21 crore sanctioned in 2021, and construction was completed by Oct 2023. However, despite being fully equipped, the hospital has not been made operational. He added that the unused building is now lying vacant and vulnerable to misuse by anti-social elements. Highlighting the demographic and social context, the petitioner noted that Alampur is an SC reserved constituency, home to a large population from Dalit and Backward Classes communities. The absence of a functioning public hospital, he argued, violates residents' fundamental right to health , as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Due to the non-functional hospital, locals are reportedly forced to travel long distances-to Kurnool, Gadwal, or even Hyderabad-for basic medical care. Taking note of these submissions, Justice Sujoy Paul observed that despite constructing a 100-bed hospital, the state had neither appointed staff nor operationalised services, leaving costly equipment idle and unutilised. The case will be taken up for further hearing after the state submits its explanation.
Hans India
34 minutes ago
- Hans India
Modi slams RJD for 'insulting' Ambedkar
Siwan (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the RJD for allegedly insulting Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar and asserted that the people of Bihar would not tolerate any disrespect to the Dalit icon. At a rally in Siwan district, which marked his fifth visit this year to the state and second in less than a month, Modi hailed the "big role" played by Bihar in India's emergence as the "third largest economy" of the world. In a nearly 45-minute-long speech that followed the launch of projects worth more than Rs 5,900 crore and the flagging off of a Vande Bharat train, the Prime Minister cautioned the people against "attempts to recapture economic resources of Bihar" by the RJD-led opposition in the assembly polls due later this year. "Ambedkar was against dynasty rule. But they (RJD and its allies) do not like it. So, they have his portrait placed at their feet. On my way, I saw posters demanding an apology for this insult to Babasaheb," said Modi. "But there has been no apology. This is because they hold Dalits in contempt. In contrast, Modi has Babasaheb in his heart and would like to keep his portrait close to his chest," he added. Modi, who did not mention RJD chief Lalu Prasad by name, referred to the instance of a portrait of Ambedkar being placed close to the feet of the ailing septuagenarian, for which he (Prasad) has been drawing flak from the BJP-led NDA. "The reason is that the RJD-Congress people have little respect for people belonging to the deprived castes, the Dalits, the OBCs and the EBCs. They consider themselves above Babasaheb Ambedkar. But they must remember that the disrespect to Babasaheb Ambedkar will not be forgiven by the people of Bihar," the PM said. Modi also asserted that the world was greatly impressed with India's progress and underscored Bihar's big role in the country's emergence as the world's "third largest economy". "You all know I have returned from abroad only yesterday. During my tour, I met many leaders of the developed world. They all were greatly impressed with the rate of progress in India. They are watching India becoming the third-largest economy in the world.
