Bengaluru, Apr 10: After Bharatiya Janata Party appointed former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa as its chief in Karnataka state, the Congress has intensified hunt for a powerful counterpart. The KPCC president G Parameshwara, who has completed the five-year term, has been continuing in the post even after being inducted into the State Cabinet as Home Minister.
With the Congress high command busy drawing up strategies for the ongoing Assembly elections in five States, the Karnataka unit may have to wait at least till the declaration of poll results for the new captain to take on the mantle of the party.
While several leaders have been eyeing the key post, the names of a few belonging to the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities are doing the rounds. Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, who is presently campaigning along with party president Sonia Gandhi in Assam, is the front runner for the post. Mr. Shivakumar was the working president of the party when R.V. Deshpande was the KPCC president during 2008-10.
Sources said the high command may support the candidature of Mr. Shivakumar, who is also the fundraiser for the party. A sixth-time MLA, Mr. Shivakumar is also one of the popular leaders among the masses, particularly in the Vokkaliga belt of the old Mysuru region. Moreover, he has the blessing of senior leaders such as S.M. Krishna.
Among the Lingayat leaders, the names of Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil, IT/BT Minister S.R. Patil, and MLA Appaji Nadagouda are doing the rounds, in the backdrop of reports that the high command was keen on having a new party chief from either of the two dominant communities. As the BJP has appointed Lingayat strongman Mr. Yeddyurappa, the Congress may prefer a leader from the Vokkaliga community, said a party insider.
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DK Shivakumar is now front runner for Karnataka Cong chief post
‘Hugged and kissed me’: Another nun accuses Bishop Franco of sexual abuse
News Network
February 21,2020
Thiruvanthapuram, Feb 21: Rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal has been accused of sexual abuse by another nun. Police sources say that there is at least one more nun who has given a statement of sexual assault against the bishop.
This nun is a witness in the rape case registered against Franco Mulakkal. She is the 14th witness in the case and in her statement, she said that the bishop made sexually-colored and lewd remarks to her over the phone.
As per the nun, they were in communication via phone calls, chat and video calls for a period of two years from 2015 to 2017.
In the statement, the nun said that she kept quiet as she was scared of the bishop.
In her witness statement in September 2018, she said that in 2017, the bishop visited the convent she was in and hugged and kissed her.
Police say that the witness was not ready to file a complaint against the bishop. They had alerted the police in the jurisdiction and when the team met her, she refused to file a complaint. Hence a separate case wasn't registered against Bishop Franco
The first nun of Missionaries of Jesus had accused Franco of raping her multiple times at the Kuruvilangadu convent in Kottayam. The FIR in the case was registered in June 2018.
Then after protests, Franco was arrested on September 21, 2018.
The chargesheet in the case was submitted in April 2019. In the chargesheet, Bishop Franco Mullackal has been charged under various sections of the IPC: 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (2k) (rape on a woman incapable of giving consent), 376 (2n) (causing grievous bodily harm during rape), 376 (c) (a) 377 (unnatural offence) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation).
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Karnataka govt waives crematorium fees for COVID-19 victims in Bengaluru
News Network
July 25,2020
Bengaluru, Jul 25: The Karnataka government on Saturday announced a waiver of crematorium fees for those who succumb to the COVID-19 infection in Bengaluru and said the city civic body would bear the cost.
It said that from now on, families of the COVID deceased need not pay any fees fixed by the city civic body- Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)- across 12 electric crematoriums in the city.
"There were reports in the media about difficulties faced in performing the last rites of those who died due to COVID-19 infections. Aimed at resolving those difficulties, certain decisions have been taken," Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.
He told reporters here that BBMP had fixed Rs 250 as the cremation fee, Rs 100 for the ash collection pot and Rs 900 for the bier (bamboo stretcher on which the body is carried), all of which have been waived for COVID deaths.
"So it will be a waiver of Rs 1,250 per cremation. The BBMP will bear this cost," he added.
Ashoka also announced Rs 500 per body incentive for the personnel who conduct the last rites of COVID victims.
"This is in recognition of their services at a time when family members of the deceased are not ready to touch the body and not ready to take the body in some cases," he said.
Noting that the government has identified 23 acres of land at five places around Bengaluru for burial or cremation of COVID victims, Ashoka locals in all these areas are protesting against it.
Appealing to the people for cooperation during these difficult times, he said the government's intention was to ensure respectful burial or cremation for the deceased.
"Obstructing it is not right, it is not Indian tradition," he said.
Pointing out that it takes almost a day's time for a COVID victim's body to be handed over for burial or cremation, he said "scientifically, according to experts and doctors, the virus will not remain alive for more than three hours.
...Also, bodies are either burnt or buried eight feet below. So there will not be any problem for those living in nearby areas and it will not spread infection. Cooperate with humanity," he said.
"These lands identified are for all religions and communities and once the pandemic subsides, can be used for other deaths as well," he said.
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2 more positive cases of COVID-19 in Karnataka, tally now 13
News Network
March 18,2020
Bengaluru, Mar 18: Two more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Karnataka, taking the tally of infected persons in the state to 13, Health Minister B Sriramulu said on Wednesday.
A 56-year-old man, a resident of Bengaluru had returned to India from the US on March 6 while the second person is a 25-yr-old woman with a travel history to Spain.
"2 more COVID-19 cases have been registered in Bengaluru today, taking the total infected cases to 13. 56-year-old male, resident of Bengaluru returned from the USA on 6th March. Another 25-yr-old female has returned from Spain," Sriramulu said in a post on his Twitter account.
A total of 147 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in India so far, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday.
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Don't give chance to any corrupt leaders Congress will lose thier image and status in strong hold Karnataka.
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