‘Palemar is hurt, he blamed me because he loves me’, says Kateel, downplays dissidence

Bengaluru, Jan 20: The suspense over chief minister BS Yediyurappa expanding his council of ministers is set to continue until after he returns from his trip to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Yediyurappa, who heads a 10-member delegation to the Swiss ski resort, left on Sunday. Prior to his departure, he told reporters cabinet expansion will happen only after his return on January 24. “I discussed the issue with [BJP] national president Amit Shah for 30 minutes or so. He has given a positive response and I will expand the cabinet within two days after my return,” Yediyurappa said.

But sources said Shah, during his visit to Hubballi on Saturday, had indicated the exercise is likely to be delayed further as the central leadership will be busy with the assembly elections in Delhi. “Indications are there is no possibility of expanding the cabinet until February 11 when the electoral process for the Delhi elections ends,” said a source.

The development has obviously left ministerial aspirants, especially defectors from Congress and JD(S) who were re-elected on BJP tickets last month, restive. Moreover, while Yediyurappa has promised ministerial berths to all MLAs who switched to the BJP from Congress and JD(S), sources say Shah is only in favour of inducting six defectors (11 of whom won MLA seats on saffron party tickets in the byelections) into the cabinet.

“Shah’s advice to Yediyurappa is to strike a balance between defectors and loyalists. His concern is loyalists should not be left disappointed, while justice should be served to the defectors as well,” said a BJP functionary.

Meanwhile, KS Eshwarappa, senior party functionary and minister for rural development, said the BJP would never let down the defectors. “The party is indebted to them and I am sure they will all be rewarded,” he said.

BC Patil, one of the defectors, said some of them had met Shah in one-on-one meetings in Hubballi. “It was more a courtesy call and the issue of cabinet expansion didn’t come up during the meeting,” he said.

Mangaluru, Jun 14: In a fresh case of vigilante attack, a cattle trader was tied to a buffalo-laden vehicle and thrashed by the miscreants belonging to Bajrang Dal in the city today. 

The victim has been identified as Mohammad Haneef Guddemane (34), a resident of Jokatte village on the outskirts of the city. 

The attack took place in the early morning near Infosys office at Urva, when Haneef was transporting his four buffalos to Kudroli slaughter house. 

The miscreants continued to thrash him until the local police reached spot. Based on the complaint of ‘illegal cattle transportation’ by the Bajrang Dal, the police took the victim to custody and also seized the buffalos. 

The police also took the victim to hospital and subjected him to covid test before producing him before a local judge.

While the Bajrang Dal members lodged complaint of illegal transpiration against the victim, the victim showed all the records of the cattle and lodged a counter complaint against the attackers.

It is learnt that Haneef had purchased 10 cattle from Haveri district and sold six among them. He was transporting remaining four buffalos to Kudroli slaughter house.

Mangaluru, Apr 20: The Dakshina Kannada district administration had declared certain areas in the district as containment zones after COVID-19 positive cases were detected from there.

A seal down has been declared in these zones, completely banning all movement of the people including leaving their houses.

In Ajjavara, Sullia taluk a one-kilometre containment zone has been set up on April 19.

The zone stretches from Ankotimar Road and includes Forest agriculture land and the residences of Savera and Achar.