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AG's opinion sought on action against journalists

DHNS
June 24, 2017

Bengaluru, Jun 24: The recommendations of the privileges committee of the Legislative Assembly, sentencing journalists Ravi Belagere and Anil Raj to one-year imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 for breach of privilege, has been forwarded to Advocate General Madhusudhan Naik for an opinion.ravi22

“The recommendations have been referred to Advocate General (AG) for further procedure.The reports with recommendations have also been sent to the DG and IGP R K Dutta and Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, Praveen Sood.

“The police can’t immediately arrest the two as warrants have not been issued against them. Based on the AG’s opinion, the Bengaluru city police will take an appropriate step,” Director General and Inspector General of Police R K Dutta said.

“Write against a politician, you will be in jail,” said ‘Hai Bangalore’ editor Ravi Belagere in his Facebook post on Friday. Belagere, who is in Dandeli, could not be contacted over phone.

In his Facebook post, he states: “message being sent is to stop making comments. Still I am confident and think that democracy is alive in India. Great men, writers, men of chaste history have suffered this. I am personally not disturbed by these judgements as I have been battling. I am 100% sure of the successful fight (sic).” Belagere has urged his Facebook friends to support him. “Lets teach them,” he wrote.

The Legislative Assembly, earlier this week, adopted recommendations made by the privileges committee of the House sentencing Belagere and ‘Yelahanka Voice’ editor Anil Raj to one-year imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 for breach of privilege.

In 2014, MLAs K B Koliwad (now Speaker) and B M Nagaraju had petitioned the privileges committee taking offence to “defamatory articles” against them in ‘Hai Bangalore.’

The privileges committee report states that derogatory words were used against Koliwad in an article published in ‘Hai Bangalore’ in the edition dated September 11, 2014.

Further, the report states that the article cast aspersions on the ability of Koliwad to discharge duties as a minister (he was an aspirant for a Cabinet berth).

“Further, the article cast aspersions on the health of Koliwad and made baseless allegation against his family,“ the report states. The panel, after conducting proceedings, made its recommendation. Anil Raj was not available for comment.

Amnesty International opposes action

Amnesty International India has demanded that the recommendations of the privileges committee be withdrawn. “Journalists must have the freedom to write critical articles, and politicians must be able to tolerate criticism,” said Asmita Basu, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India, reports DHNS from New Delhi.

“If individuals feel that their reputations have been affected, they can take recourse to civil defamation remedies in court,” a statement from the Amnesty International.

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Agencies
March 14,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 14: Bus-stands and railway stations in this IT city wore a deserted look on Saturday and malls, cinemas, pubs and night clubs remained shut as part of the lockdown announced by the state government following the country's first coronavirus fatality reported from Karnataka on March 12.

Six people in Karnataka have contracted the virus including the 76-year-old man who died due to this disease from Kalaburagi in the state.

A day after chief minister B S Yediyurappa announced the shutdown for a week, the usual rush at the Central bus-stand was missing.

"Since yesterday there is slackness. Today again we are witnessing the same," a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation official told PTI.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, which runs inter-city and inter-state buses, too has seen a decline in its revenue.

"For the past five to six days we are seeing a drop of Rs 32 lakh to Rs 35 lakh in our daily revenue of Rs eight crore," Bengaluru divisional controller B T Prabhakar Reddy said.

On March 13, Yediyurappa issued instructions to stop all kinds of exhibitions, summer camps, conferences, fairs, marriage, sports and engagement events and birthday parties state-wide for a week from Saturday.

Business at pubs and aars have taken a hit due to the virus threat.

"Our businesses have suffered somewhere between 40 per cent and 70 per cent.

It is very difficult to cope with the situation," said Manu Chandra, Bengaluru chapter head of National Restaurant Association of India.

In Chitradurga district, the annual Rathayatra was cancelled whereas in Bengaluru, a temple displayed a board that it will not distribute any 'teertha' (holy water) or 'prasad' (offering) to devotees in view of the coronavirus scare.

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News Network
February 27,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 27: Karnataka Chief Minister and veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa turned 78 on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of leaders greeting him.

Modi hailed Yediyurappa as a "hardworking" chief minister and wished him long life and good health, while several state leaders flocked to his residence and greeted the Lingayat strongman.

"Birthday greetings to Karnataka's hardworking CM @BSYBJP Ji. He is passionately working for the state's progress, especially on farmer welfare and rural development. I pray for his long life and good health," the Prime Minister tweeted.

A large-scale "non-partisan" birthday bash will be held here later in the evening.

The felicitation function will see Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former chief minister S M Krishna besides Siddaramaiah of Congress and H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) sharing the stage.

Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda, also a former chief minister, Pralhad Joshi and Suresh Angadi will be in attendance.

BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh and state party chief Nalin Kumar Kateel are among those who will be gracing the event.

While Santosh will release a felicitation volume in Kannada with 78 articles from a cross-section of people, including politicians, writers, bureaucrats, and spiritual leaders; Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy will unveil a coffee table book and documentary respectively.

Yediyurappa, on the eve of his birthday on Wednesday, had said whatever he has achieved is a result of the people's "blessings and faith" and requested well-wishers not to bring bouquets, flowers, shawls, sweets, turbans or any souvenirs to greet him.

The birthday function organised by "Yediyurappa Abhinandana Samiti" (Yediyurappa Felicitation Committee) is being seen in some quarters as an attempt by Yediyurappa and his loyalists to send a message to the party leadership that he was still "strong".

The BJP's current dispensation under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has retired several senior party leaders who crossed the age of 75.

However, an exception was said to have been made in Yediyurappa's case after the BJP won 25 of 28 seats in the Lok Sabha election under his leadership.

In the 2018 elections, he spearheaded the campaign of the BJP which emerged as the single largest party but fell short of the majority mark following which Congress and JD(S) came to power stitching a post-poll pact.

However, the coalition collapsed in July last year, paving the way for return of Yediyurappa as Chief Minister for the fourth time.

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News Network
July 29,2020

Bengaluru Jul 29: There will be a centralised system in place in Karnataka to classify asymptomatic, symptomatic and mild symptomatic persons and recommend treatment based on the severity of the cases, said Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Tuesday here.

"Various existing apps related to COVID-19 will be brought under one platform to get real-time information which will assist in strategising allocation of hospitals/beds to the needy. This will probably remove the delay in bed allocation and treatment which is being faced now. The patients will get all information in one phone call," Dr Sudhakar said.

Sudhakar spoke with a team of experts from the government and Infosys.

Referring to a company by name Step 1, which is providing such services in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, the Minister said that a similar system will be implemented in the state as well.

"This company is having a team of doctors and nurses which is guiding the people whether they need hospital treatment or home isolation after they are tested positive for COVID-19. More than 70 per cent of the positive cases are being asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and are advised to go for home isolation," the minister said.

"The load on the hospitals is reduced and severe cases can be administered proper treatment. Infosys co-ordinates with the government to provide technical support for this system," Dr Sudhakar added.

Earlier during the day, the minister held a video conference with the heads of private medical colleges to review COVID preparedness.
The government has already passed guidelines to allocate 50 per cent of hospital beds for COVID patients.

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