Frontline warrior Dr Shaukat Ali dies of COVID-19 after hospitals refuse admission

Bengaluru, Jan 10: Demanding the setting up of a House Committee to probe the Mangaluru violence, former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday released multiple videos of the clashes that broke out during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest that claimed two lives on December 19.

Janata Dal-Secular leader further demanded suspension of Police Commissioner PS Harsha and insisted that House Committee consisting of members of all the parties should be formed to probe into Mangaluru violence and said that magisterial inquiry ordered by the state government cannot be trusted.

"Constitute a House committee and produce the fact. The main culprit is the commissioner of Mangaluru, remove the officer as he is the main culprit. I am going to take this issue on the floor of the House." Kumaraswamy said during a press conference here.

Two people were killed in Mangaluru in the alleged police firing after protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent.

The Act grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before 31, 2014.

Mangaluru, May 10: A delegation of Muslm community leaders called on Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Sindhu B Roopesh and discussed her about quarantine facilities for Indians returning from Gulf amidst covid-19 lockdown.

First evacuation flight from Dubai to Mangaluru will operate on May 12. Demand is mounting on the Centre to operate more flights from Gulf countries including UAE and Saudi Arabia.

International passengers will not be direct sent home after they land at any Indian airport. They will be divided into two categories. After screening at the airports, symptomatic will be sent directly to the covid-19 hospitals and asymptomatic and healthy will be sent for mandatory quarantine in designated hotel rooms and guest houses.

District administration has clarified that those who are under quarantine in hotels and guest houses will not be allowed to have outside food. Nor they will be allowed to contact anyone.

The delegation brought to the notice of DC that there will be many fasting Muslims among Gulf returnees and they need Suhoor and Iftar facility during Ramadan. The DC positively responded and assured that such facility will be arranged in the hotel rooms.

The delegation also asked about the claim of the officials of ministry of external affairs that delay in arranging quarantine facility in Karnataka delayed the evacuation flights from Gulf countries to the state. The DC said that the district administration has already made necessary arrangements for those who are coming to Dakshina Kannada.

Led by Mangaluru MLA U T Khader, the delegation comprised of JD(S) MLC B M Farookh, S M Rasheed Haji, Shafi Saadi, Mumtaz Ali, Kanchur Monu, B A Mohiuddin Bava, Ibrahim Kodichal, Rasheed Haji of Ullal Dargah and others.

Bengaluru, Jun 22: Senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad and BJP’s MTB Nagaraj, one of the defectors who helped the saffron party come to power in Karnataka, were unanimously elected to the Legislative Council along with five others on Monday. 

All seven were declared as “duly elected” by Legislative Assembly Secretary MK Vishalakshi, the returning officer for the biennial election to the Legislative Council. 

Hariprasad and Naseer Ahmed of the Congress, Nagaraj, R Shankar, Prathap Simha Nayak and Sunil Vallyapur of the BJP and Govinda Raju of the JD(S) are now MLCs. 

While Ahmed was an incumbent who will get another term, the six others will replace Jayamma, MC Venugopal, NS Bore Raju, HM Revanna and TA Sharavana and DU Mallikarjuna whose term ends June 30. 

While an election was scheduled June 29, it was not necessary as only seven candidates were in the fray for the seven seats on Monday, which was the last date for withdrawal of nominations. The nominations of A Yadavanahalli PC Krishnegowda and Mandikkal Nagaraja were rejected. 

With their rejection as MLCs, Nagaraj and Shankar - who jumped ship to the BJP last year - will now look to become ministers in Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s Cabinet. Both Nagaraj and Shankar were ministers when they resigned and defected from the Congress-JD(S) coalition. While Nagaraj lost the December 2019 bypolls, Shankar did not contest. 

Nagaraj, Shankar and Vallyapure were Yediyurappa’s picks for the Council, whereas Nayak is said to have been backed by BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel. 

There were many aspirants in the Congress for the Council berths, but Hariprasad and Ahmed were picked, given their experience. Hariprasad is widely believed to counter Siddaramaiah, who leads the party in the Assembly. 

Raju of the JD(S) runs a poultry business in Kolar and the choice of a fresh face is seen as the party leadership steering clear of any trouble as there were many asking for the ticket.