‘JD(S) ready to vacate CM's position for Sidd, Param or DKS’

Bengaluru, Jan 6: A delegation of Christians, led by Peter Machado, archbishop of Bengaluru, met chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday and sought an amicable solution to the issue of installing a statue of Jesus Christ atop Kapalibetta in Harobele village, Kanakapura taluk.

Yediyurappa is learnt to have assured the delegation of doing the needful and said he would take a decision after the revenue department submits its report. The department is looking into various aspects of the issue, including the sanction of 10 acres of land for the purpose.

“The meeting was cordial and the chief minister lent us a patient hearing. Our only request was to settle the issue in a way that is acceptable to all sections of society,” Machado said. Congress functionary and Kanakapura legislator DK Shivakumar had laid the foundation stone for the 114-foot statue of Christ on Kapalibetta on Christmas Day at an event organised by the Harobele Kapalibetta Development Trust, which plans to install the statue.

The issue took a political hue when BJP functionaries objected, saying the land sanctioned to the trust is part of gomala (reserved for cattle grazing) land and any religious activity there would be illegal. Revenue minister R Ashoka sought a report and department officials said they would submit it in a week’s time.

Bengaluru, Mar 15: Amid growing coronavirus cases, the Karnataka government on Sunday postponed examinations of class 7, 8 and 9 till March 31, 2020.

The revised dates for examinations will be announced after reviewing the situation. The directive was issued by state education minister S Suresh Kumar on Sunday morning.

On Friday, the government had shut all educational institutions, malls, and clubs for a week.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had said no one should travel unless it is an emergency.

"All malls, cinema halls, pubs, wedding ceremonies and other large gatherings in the Karnataka have been banned for another one week," Chief Minister Yediyurappa had said.

Notably, the number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 93, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today.

So far, two deaths due to the COVID-19 have been reported in the country. In the wake of spurt in cases of coronavirus across the country, the Central Government on Saturday decided to treat the deadly virus as a "notified disaster".

Coronavirus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in December last year, has so far spread to more than 100 countries, infecting over 1,30,000 people. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared coronavirus a pandemic.

Karwar, Mar 19: Four drug peddlers were arrested on Thursday and 2.68 Kg of brown sugar worth Rs 2 Crore was seized from them while they were smuggling the banned drug by road from Yellapura to Ankola.

Police identified the arrested persons as Narayan (35), Chandrahas Gunaga (29), Veerabhadra Hegade (43) and Praveen Bhat (30).

Police have registered a case and investigations are ongoing.