Don't make it inevitable for police to use force: Karnataka Home Minister warns people

Newsroom, Jan 26: An Indian Muslim youth who had applied for a job in Dubai has been left aghast after his prospective employer, who happens to be an Indian, mailed back chiding him for looking for work and suggested that he should make a living (sic) by joining anti-CAA protestors in Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi.

Shaheen Bagh is the epicentre of ongoing mass demonstrations against contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.

Abdulla S.S, a 23-year-old youth from Kerala, who had applied for a mechanical engineer’s position in Dubai said he is still reeling from the shock of the email he got from UAE-based Indian expat Jayant Gokhale in response to his job application last week.

Hostile response 

“Just a thought. Why u need a job? Go to Delhi and sit in Shaheen Bagh for protest. Every day you will get Rs 1000. Free food i.e Biryani, Unlimited amount of Tea and Milk, some time sweets also,” Gokhale said in the email which has since gone viral.

Scores have shared the email on social media seeking action against Gokhale who runs a consultancy in Dubai. Many said the email is offensive on two counts. First, it ridicules and discriminates a job seeker on the basis of his religious identity and, second, it undermines the credibility of Shaheen Bagh protestors by suggesting that they are being paid to sit in.

Abdullah said he’s sad and appalled. “I shared Mr Gokhale’s email with some friends. Who would have thought it would go viral. I don’t want any controversy. All I want is a job,” he was quoted as saying.

Gokhale apologises

“I am suffering from ill-health and undergoing dialysis. My email is being blown out of proportion. I didn’t mean what I wrote,” Gokhale was quoted as saying by a Gulf based newspaper. 

“My message to candidate was not intended to hurt anyone in any manner or discriminate. I have already sent apology message to the concerned person [Abdullah],” he said in the email reproduced here ad verbum. “I very much value UAE’s outlook, policies and culture. I do not in anyway like to go against values of UAE. In fact I am very thankful to UAE for looking after my health,” he added.

Benglauru, May 25: Nearly one thousand people in the capital city of Karnataka have lost several crores of rupees to online fraudsters during the two months of covid-19 lockdown.

According to official sources, 962 cases of online frauds have been registered in various police stations across Bengaluru March 23 to May 19. 

On an average, 18 cases were reported every day. However, this number isn’t unusually high compared to normal times, according to police. The highest number of cases was registered in west division (227). 

What baffles the cops is the brazenness with which fraudsters attacked. Many fraudsters duped people in the name of providing jobs, insurance money, Employees’ Provident Fund, renewal of credit/debit cards. 
Many people lost money while procuring groceries, alcohol, masks and hand sanitisers delivered at the doorstep. Olx and Facebook scams thrived during the prolonged lockdown. 

Police said malicious links were shared on mobile phones asking recipients to download the Aarogya Setu app and seeking banking information, all targeted at stealing phone data. 

An officer said many were glued to their phones, and cybercriminals took advantage of this, sometimes pretending to be bank representatives wanting to issue/ renew credit/debit cards.

Bengaluru, Jul 13: Referring to political happenings in Rajasthan, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President and former Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday expressed confidence, saying Sachin Pilot is a 'sincere Congressman' and he will not quit the party.

"No, he (Pilot) will not leave. I have full confidence that he will not leave. He is a very sincere Congressman like his father (Rajesh Pilot). He has built the party for the past six-seven years. He is the President (Rajasthan state unit), he has done his best for the party," Shivakumar added.

Talking to media here on Monday, he said, "there may be some issues, I'm not saying no, but everything will be sorted out." A crucial meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will be held at Jaipur on Monday, amid deepening political crisis in Rajasthan, and the party has issued a whip to all party legislators to attend without fail.