104 Karnataka BJP MLAs moved to Gurgaon Resort; 5 of Cong 'missing'

News Network
January 15, 2019

Bengaluru, Jan 15: New political turbulence in Karnataka has travelled from Bengaluru to Delhi as the BJP flew its 104 lawmakers to the capital and then a luxury resort in neighbouring Gurgaon, alleging that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was trying to split its ranks.

"The Janata Dal Secular (JDS) wants to break BJP lawmakers. We are united. We will stay in Delhi for one or two days," said BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, denying the Congress' counter-allegations that the opposition party is the one trying to form an "alternative government".

Nippani Shashikala Jolle, one of the Karnataka BJP legislators lodged at the ITC Grand Bharat, backed Mr Yeddyurappa's claim. "There are 104 BJP MLAs and we're together. We were called here (Gurugram) to strategise for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. There are no talks of forming a government, but if there's anything, our leaders will tell you," she said.

The Congress says a group of "missing" lawmakers is proof that the BJP has launched "Operation Lotus". The term was first used in 2008, when the BJP was accused of inciting several opposition legislators to defect to ensure the stability of its government headed by Mr Yeddyurappa.

Another BJP lawmaker, Poornima Srinivas, claimed that the alliance government was going to collapse on its own soon. "The JD(S) and the Congress both lacked the numbers needed to form the government, and so they formed an alliance. But there are fights between them now. We needn't intervene to bring about a premature end to their reign," she said.

In the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the JDS-Congress combine has 118 lawmakers, more than the majority mark of 113. The BJP has 104 lawmakers and is far short of the required numbers.

But the Congress alleges that it is trying to muster up the numbers, which is the reason five of its lawmakers have gone missing. Mr Kumaraswamy claims they are in a Mumbai hotel and in touch with him. "All of them (Congress MLAs) are continuously in contact with me. They went to Mumbai after informing me. My government isn't under any threat," the Chief Minister said indignantly.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who took charge as chief minister in May after his Janata Dal Secular and the Congress formed an alliance, added: "I know who all the BJP is trying to contact and what they're offering. I can handle it."

His deputy G Parameshwara of the Congress echoed him: "Some of our MLAs have gone, they can go for temples, holiday, family outings, we don't know. All our MLAs are intact."

Among the "missing" lawmakers is Ramesh Jarakiholi, who was dropped recently by Mr Kumaraswamy in a cabinet shuffle. The others are Anand Singh, B Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav and BC Patil. JDS leader HD Deve Gowda said his son Kumaraswamy was running a stable government and would do so for a full five years, despite "gossip for the past seven months".

Even as the controversy raged on, Mr Kumaraswamy made a significant political appointment in the state administration. According to news agency ANI, V Muniyappa -- the Congress MLA from Sidlaghatta -- has been appointed as the political secretary to the chief minister.

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News Network
February 28,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 28: “Those who struggle to come up can understand people’s problems better. Yediyurappa is one such leader who has reached this position after a struggle,’’ said former chief minister Siddaramaiah, in praise of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who celebrated his 78th birthday on Thursday in Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah was the only non-BJP leader on the dais, who not only attended the event, but was present throughout. He released a coffee table book, ‘A Leader who Saw Tomorrow’, on Yediyurappa’s life and achievements, compiled by The New Indian Express.

Dwelling on the political spectrum and human relationships, Siddaramaiah said, “Our ideologies are different, but that is limited to politics. Politics should not come between personal relationships.’’ Recalling his association with Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah said that in 1983, he and Yediyurappa had entered the Assembly for the first time.

“Yediyurappa did not become chief minister just like that. It took years of struggle and hard work. We both have many similarities — neither of us came from political backgrounds. We came up through struggle and those who come from such backgrounds understand people,’’ he said.

Siddaramaiah said that it was Yediyurappa who first became chief minister, and he had reached the post only five years later. “I am five years younger than him, maybe that is the reason,’’ he said on a lighter note. Yediyurappa has become chief minister four times, but I have been chief minister only once, he added. He also spoke about how Yediyurappa had played an important role in bringing the BJP to power in the state, the party’s first government in South India. “Very few leaders know the pulse of the state and Yediyurappa is one among them,’’ he said.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 5,2020

Mangaluru, July 5: Two children died after getting trapped under the debris of a landslide which occurred at Banglagudde in Kaikamba on the outskirts of Mangaluru today.

The deceased are identified as Safwan (16) and Sahala (10).

The rescue teams including personnel from NDRF, fire service and police brought out the body after four hours of rescue operation.

According to sources, landslides occurred at 12:30 pm and of the five members, three ran out of the house. The two kids got trapped in the debris.

The heavy rain in the last two days has softened the soil of the hillock. An Auto-rickshaw, lorry and a bike too have buried under the soil.

It was said that caving in of the hillock continued even when the rescue operation was in progress, thus making the rescue operation difficult.

District-in-Charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary who visited the spot said two houses have been completely damaged and inmates of 14 houses that are facing the problem in the vicinity will be shifted to safer locations.

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News Network
January 27,2020

New Delhi, Jan 27: Non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have to provide proofs of their religious beliefs while applying for Indian citizenship under the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA), officials said on Monday.

The applicants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi faiths will also have to furnish documents to prove that they entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

Those who will seek Indian citizenship under the CAA will have to provide proofs of their religious beliefs and this will be mentioned in the rules to be issued under the CAA, a government official said.

According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship.

The central government is also likely to give a relatively smaller window of just three months to those who want to apply for Indian citizenship in Assam under the CAA, another official said.

Some Assam-specific provisions are expected to be incorporated in the rules to be issued for the implementation of the CAA.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had made a request about a fortnight ago to keep a limited period window for applying under the CAA and also incorporate some other Assam-specific provisions in the CAA rules.

The move comes in view of continuing protests against the CAA in Assam that have been going on since the legislation was passed by Parliament in December last year.

There has been a growing feeling among the indigenous people of Assam that the newly enacted legislation will hurt their interests politically, culturally as well as socially.

The Assam Accord provides for detection and deportation of all illegal immigrants who have entered the country after 1971 and are living in the state, irrespective of their religion.

The protesters in Assam say that the CAA violates the provisions of the Assam Accord.

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