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BJP’s firebrand national spokesperson trivializes RTI activist Baliga’s murder; snubs victim’s sister

coastaldigest.com news network
April 29, 2018

Mangaluru, Apr 29: Meenakshi Lekhi, the national spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, who held chief minister Siddaramaiah government for all the murders in Karnataka, was taken aback when Harsha Baliga, the sister of RTI activist Vinayak Panduranga Baliga, who was murdered by saffron forces, broke her silence at a programme in the city yesterday.

•Slain RTI activist Vinayak Panduranga Baliga was also a BJP worker
•NaMo Birgade founder Naresh Shenoy is the prime accused in the murder

51-year-old Baliga was hacked to death near his house in Kodialbail on March 21, 2016 by a gang of miscreants belonging to saffron outfit. Naresh Shenoy, a prominent businessman in the city and founder of NaMo brigade is the prime accused in the brutal murder. Ironically Baliga was also a BJP worker.

Ms Lekhi, who is also a Member of Parliament from New Delhi constituency and lawyer of Supreme Court of India, apparently tried to shut the aggrieved woman’s mouth, saying the murder case of Baliga was too local to be discussed. The incident took place at an interaction programme ‘Karunada Mahila Jagrathi Samvada’, organized at an auditorium in PVS Circle.

After Lekhi spoke about women empowerment, safety, reservation, murders in the state and other issues, the Harsha Baliga, who was one among the audience, stood up and posed a question about her brother’s murder.

“I told her (Lekhi), that my brother Vinayak, a grassroots level BJP worker, was murdered for no fault of his. Yet party leaders did not give him justice, but supported the accused. Now they have given ticket to a person who was allegedly part of the murder plan. Why such double standards. The death of my brother has brought mental trauma on women like us, who entirely depended on him. Will you take appropriate action against them?” she questioned.

Harsha said Lekhi categorically denied to answer and said that it’s ‘too local an issue’ and also asked her to give the query in writing. “For an hour she (Lekhi) spoke about daughters of India and their problems, but why did she turn down a question asked by a distressed woman like me,” Harsha told reporters later.

Nalin Kumar, MP, who too was present at the venue, in order to avoid a possible embarrassment, quietly walked away from the stage when Baliga’s sister started her questions.

Comments

MR
 - 
Monday, 30 Apr 2018

Why Baliga  a hindu and BJP  worker eliminated by a hindu Naresh Shenoy a prime accused. Now they have given to a person who was part of elimination plan. Can one of you post the name of the guy who got the ticket? 

Please dont vote for the guy who planned the elimination of Vinayk

Give justice to Vinayk Baliga

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News Network
January 15,2020

Mangalore, Jan 15: In one of the biggest seizure of gold in the new decade, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths here have seized five kg of gold valued at Rs two Crore from the Air Cargo Complex at International Airport here recently.

Acting on a tip-off the officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Bangalore and Mangalore in a co-ordinated effort unraveled a unique modus of smuggling of gold through Air Cargo Complex, at old airport, Bajpe Mangalore two days back, According to release issued here on Tuesday evening.

The smuggled gold was concealed in five metal sprockets which were imported by M/s Swaroop Mineral Pvt Ltd of Udupi in the name of “mining conveyor drive chain”.

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coastaldigest.com news network
August 3,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 3: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa tweeted late Sunday night that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. 

In a brief post on Twitter, Mr Yediyurappa said that he was fine but had been hospitalised on the advice of doctors. While his daughter Padmavathi has also tested positive for the virus, the Chief Minister's son, Vijayendra, has tested negative.

The Chief Minister's media team has said he has been admitted to Manipal Hospital. Mr Yediyurappa, 77, also requested those who had come in contact with him to be wary of Covid symptoms and self-isolate.

"I have tested positive for coronavirus. Whilst I am fine, I am being hospitalised as a precaution on recommendation of doctors. I request those who have come in contact with me recently to be observant and exercise self-quarantine," the Chief Minister's tweet read.

The testing of the Chief Minister was done as part of the routine weekly tests he undergoes along with his staff. The results of Mr Yediyurappa's gunmen and security staff, around 50 of them, are expected today.

Staff members at Mr Yediyurappa's home office, Krishna, had tested positive early last month. 

At that time Mr Yediyurappa said: "I am going to discharge my duties from home from today for the next few days in view of some of the staff in the office-cum-residence Krishna testing positive".

Mr Yediyurappa had also met Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala in Bengaluru on Friday. State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also present at the meeting.

The Chief Minister is the second high-profile political leader to confirm testing positive for COVID-19 today; hours earlier Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted similar news.

Mr Shah, 55, too said he was "fine" and that he had been hospitalised on the "advice of doctors".

The minister also asked all those who had been in contact with him over the last few days to "please isolate yourself and get your tests done".

The Home Minister was at a cabinet meet last week, at which top colleagues, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were present.

All Covid norms, including social distancing, were followed at that meeting, sources said.

Last month Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tested positive for the virus as well. He has been in hospital since then and tweeted today to say that he was well and, minutes after Mr Yediyurappa tweeted his Covid positive status, he posted a get-well-soon message.

"I pray to God for your speedy recovery, Yediyurappaji," Mr Chouhan wrote.

Mr Chouhan had tweeted a message for Mr Shah too. "Home Minister Amit Shah, may God help you recover soon, so you can serve the nation with full energy. Our best wishes are with you," his tweet read.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also tweeted, saying: "I wish BS Yediyurappa a speedy recovery and to return with good health to continue his work for the people".

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit also tested positive today, Chennai's Kauvery Hospital, where he has been admitted, said. He is asymptomatic and clinically stable.

On Sunday morning the virus claimed the life of a UP minister - Kamal Rani Varun, 62, died at Lucknow's Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences.

Over the last 24 hours, 54,735 cases were reported, taking the total number of cases to 17,50,723, data from the Health Ministry showed.

The continuing spike in cases over the past weeks comes as India gradually re-opens its economy after more than four months of the world's strictest lockdown. Unlock3, the third phase of easing of restrictions, came into effect on Saturday.

It took just 185 days for India to cross the 17-lakh mark after the first case was reported in Kerala in January; it took 110 days to record the first 1 lakh cases. More than 60 per cent of total cases in the country and over 50 per cent of total deaths have been recorded in July.

Also Read: Karnataka CM is in clinically stable condition: Manipal Hospital

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Agencies
February 7,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 7: Making a scathing attack on the Central government, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac on Friday said the BJP-led NDA government was "strangulating" the southern state by denying funds.

Presenting the 2020-21 budget of the Pinarayi Vijayan led-LDF government, he alleged the centre has been "helping" corporates rather that the common man.

"The Centre has been strangulating Kerala by denying funds for the state and has been moving on a self-destructive path by corporate-friendly policies and privatisation. The GST implementation has not been beneficial for the state," he said.

"The government proposes 2.5 lakh water connections in the upcoming financial year. We will also construct one lakh houses under Life Mission," the finance minister said.

The budget has allocated Rs 90 crore for Pravasi Welfare Fund and the government proposes power projects with a capacity of 500 MW.

"The government proposes Kochi development plan with a fund of Rs 6,000 crore. The city will get an unified travel card and Metro project will be extended," Issac said.

The state government has increased all welfare pension funds by Rs 100, allotted Rs 40 crore to paddy farmers and Rs 10 crore for startups in the state.

The local self-governments have been allotted Rs five crore for waste management, Rs 20 crore has been set apart for 1,000 food stalls under hunger-free Kerala, where meals will be made available at Rs 25. 

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