PM Modi’s message to poll-bound Karnataka: I am improving lives of poor, but Cong is digging my grave!

Dubai-based billionaire businessman Micky Jagtiani, who founded retail giant Landmark Group, has passed away. The chairman and owner of the group was 70 years old.

With a net worth of $5.2 billion, he was ranked 511 on the Forbes' 37th annual world billionaires list earlier this year. 

Jagtiani was originally from India and started the business in 1973 with one store in Bahrain. He then expanded the business across the west Asia, Africa and India. According to Forbes, Jagtiani drove a taxi in London before moving to Bahrain and starting a baby products shop.

Currently, his wife Renuka runs the Landmark Group as chairman and chief executive officer (CEO).

His three children are directors in the group, overseeing different aspects of the business.

The Landmark Group also entered India in 1999 and has a range of retail brands like Lifestyle and Max for clothes and Home Center for furniture and home furnishings.

The Dubai-headquartered group also operates brands Babyshop, Centrepoint, Home Centre, Lifestyle, Splash, Shoemart and Emax.

"Today Dubai lost a man who was a key player in the retail and real estate industry. Micky Jagtiani the founder of land mark group has passed away," tweeted Emirati businessman Majid Saif Al Ghurair.

A court in Punjab’s Sangrur has summoned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100 crores defamation case filed by Hitesh Bhardwaj, the founder of Hindu Suraksha Parishad.

Mallikarjun Kharge is accused of “making defamatory remarks against Bajrang Dal" during the recently concluded Karnataka elections.

The mention of Bajrang Dal by parties in their election rallies during the Karnataka assembly poll was quite frequent after Congress proposed in its manifesto that it would “ban" some organisations like “Bajrang Dal" for “promoting enmity".

Congress Karnataka election manifesto was in the eye of the storm since its release for its proposal to impose a ‘ban’ on individuals and organisations like “Bajrang Dal and PFI" or others “promoting enmity or hatred".

The party was at the receiving end of massive backlash from BJP and right-wing organisations for bracketing Bajrang Dal with the Popular Front of India (PFI) in the manifesto for the May 10 polls.

In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Assembly, Congress scored an emphatic victory with 135 seats, while the ruling BJP and the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19, respectively. 

Bengaluru, May 25: Senior Congress leader and minister G Parameshwara, who is awaiting portfolio allocation, today said that the party is currently focusing on forming a full-fledged government and not on banning organisations such as the RSS or Bajrang Dal. 

The statement of Parameshwara, who was once home minister of Karnataka, came a day after his Cabinet colleague Priyank Kharge said the Congress government would act against peace-disrupting communal and political outfits including the RSS. 

Kharge also said laws passed under the previous BJP regime prohibiting cow slaughter and regulating religious conversions would be “re-examined” and “withdrawn”. Even changes made to school textbooks would be undone, he had said. 

But, Parameshwara pointed out that the Congress government is yet to take full shape. 

“The government should become complete first and portfolios must be allocated. The government should reach a stage where absolute decisions can be taken. Let a full-fledged government come first. Ministers concerned will study the issues and then the Cabinet will decide,” Parameshwara said. 

Parameshwara also said statements by Kharge were his “personal opinions” and that policy decisions require discussions. “No decision can happen on the basis of statements issued by individuals,” Parameshwara said. 

On Kharge’s specific statement on acting against the RSS, Parameshwara said nothing had been discussed. “In our manifesto, we said organisations like Bajrang Dal and PFI will face action, including a ban if needed, in case they disrupt peace. Except that, nothing has been discussed,” he said. 

Parameshwara said any “anti-social and anti-people” law or rule that “disrupts peace” will be re-examined. “We’ve said that we’ll give a pro-people administration. Whatever is required for that will be done, including withdrawing some laws,” he said. 

With pressure mounting on the new Congress government to implement its five ‘guarantees’, Parameshwara asserted that they will be fulfilled. “Orders have been issued after a decision was taken in the first Cabinet meeting itself. Now, departments will work out procedures such as channelising funds. We’ve asked officials to bring details to the next Cabinet meeting,” he said. 
Slamming the BJP and JD(S) for criticising the Congress government, Parameshwara said the two parties are “jealous” after being defeated in the election. “There's no going back on the guarantees. We will implement them,” he said.