PNB-Modi fraud rocks Karnataka assembly on last day of session

Agencies
February 23, 2018

Bengaluru, Feb 23: Pandemonium over the issue of the colossal Punjab National Bank fraud case involving billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi today marked the last day of the Karnataka assembly session, ahead of the coming assembly polls. Amid heated exchanges with BJP members, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserted that Congress would retain the treasury benches in the next assembly and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "the facilitator of corruption in the country." 

Trouble arose in the otherwise smooth proceedings when senior Congress member K N Rajanna mentioned about the Nirav Modi issue while intervening during the Chief Minister's reply to the discussion on the state budget for 2018-19. Rajanna,while referring to farm loan waivers in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, spoke of loans given to Nirav Modi and liquor baron Vijay Mallya, "who are now absconding." 

BJP took strong objection to it and accused the  MLA of attempting to divert the issue. BJP MLAs alleged that it was during UPA rule that loans were given to  Nirav Modi and Mallya, while Congress too levelled similar charges against the NDA government and the Prime Minister,resulting in a war of words between both sides. Despite BJP's objections, as Rajanna tried to continue with his intervention by mentioning the names of Nirav Modi and Mallya, opposition leaders Jagadish Shettar requested the Chair to restrain him from speaking and direct the Chief Minister to continue with his reply. 

"Is Congress incapable in Parliament of raising the issue? What is Mallikarjuna Kharge (Congress leader in the Lok  Sabha) doing?" Shettar asked. BJP members then trooped into the well of the House,   shouting slogans like "goondagiri government". Amidst the sloganeering, the Chief Minister tried to   convince BJP members, stating that Rajanna as an MLA also has the right to speak and raise issues in the House. 

As BJP continued the protest, he termed them "shameless" and alleged that the opposition with "malicious intent" did not want him to reply on the budget. To this, BJP shouted slogans like "down down 10 per cent   government", "down down arrogant government". Deputy Speaker  Shivashankar Reddy then adjourned the house for about 10 minutes. When it resumed,BJP members continued protesting from the well, with Shettar accusing the government of playing politics and not being interested in addressing issues of the state. 

Hitting back, Siddaramaiah said the BJP's protest was not right and was against the parliamentary system. "You are practising goondagiri. "As this is the last day of the last session, I'm  quiet or else I would have got you expelled. I would have seen  to it that you are put outside. You should be ashamed of your  conduct," he told BJP members. Even as the BJP protest and sloganeering were on, the Chief Minister continued his speech, during which he claimed credit for announcing farm loan waiver and hit out at the Modi  government for not coming to the rescue of farmers. He also claimed that his government has maintained  fiscal responsibility 'very well' and shown fiscal prudence and that the economy of the state was stable. BJP then shouted slogans that  the Congress government "is number one in taking loans, corruption and suicides." 

To this Siddaramaiah retorted that BJP was indulging in "goondagiri". "They indulged in corruption 90 per cent and they are the Gangotri of corruption", he alleged. Holding the Prime Minister responsible for the Nirav Modi case and his 'absconding', he said "Modi (Narendra Modi) is the facilitator of corruption in this country." After his reply,many bills, including vote on account and appropriation  bills, were passed by voice vote amid the din. 

Earlier, Siddaramaiah claimed that the public mood was in favour of Congress and they would again occupy the treasury benches, while BJP would continue in the opposition in the 15th assembly after election. "I told this even to the Prime Minister after receiving him at Mysuru recently. I told him about Congress retaining power, to which he responded laughingly," he said. Shettar said the Chief Minister was in an "illusion" about retaining power and asserted that the BJP would come to power. He took exception to Siddaramaiah mentioning about his conversation with the Prime Minister as the latter was not present in the House to defend himself regarding the incident.

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News Network
May 16,2020

Udupi, May 16: Close on the heels of six Covid-19 cases being detected in a little over 24 hours, Udupi recorded its first death of a Covid-19 patient. The victim is a 54-year-old man from Mumbai, who died due to a heart attack on Thursday. His reports came back on Saturday, and confirmed that he had Covid-19. The Udupi district administration has arranged to carry out his last rites as per government designated guidelines for Covid-19 victims.

A medical bulletin issued by the superintendent of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, stated that the patient was admitted due to a heart-related issue on May 13.

Some members on the team that treated the patient have been quarantined. The hospital’s emergency department will operate as usual, and the outpatient department will operate as usual from 8.30am to 1pm, following government guidelines, the bulletin said. Deputy commissioner G Jagadeesha said that since the patient was from Mumbai, the authorities collected his swab sample for testing, as a precautionary measure.

The man suffered from chest pain, and was initially taken to the taluk hospital at Kundapur from where he was shifted to Kasturba Hospital, due to the seriousness of his condition. The doctors operated on him on May 13, and he suffered a severe heart attack on May 14 and died, the DC said. “Three hospital staff without PPE kits, who attended to the patient, have been quarantined,” the DC said, adding that the operating doctors and nurses had worn PPE kits.

In addition, 5 others who travelled with the person from Mumbai and 57 people with him at the Kundapur isolation centre, have been designated as primary contacts, and 38 others as secondary contacts, and quarantined. The staff at Kundapur taluk hospital too had taken precautions in handling the patient, the DC said. Udupi presently has six active cases, including a 1-year-old child and 5 others, all of whom returned from Dubai on May 12.

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News Network
June 18,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 18: Two employees at a plant of Toyota Kirloskar Motor in Karnataka's Bidadi have tested positive for COVID-19, the automobile company said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the auto major, the two employees had attended work on June 7 and 16 respectively.

"As a first step and through appropriate contact tracing, TKM has started identifying all those employees who may have had primary or secondary contact with the infected employees for necessary treatment and quarantine wherever necessary and is in contact with the local government authorities," the statement said.

Toyota Kirloskar Motors had restarted operations after weeks of nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus on May 26. It said that all necessary precautions were to maintain social distancing and all Central and state government directives were being followed.

"However, despite all such measures, two employees at TKM's Bidadi plant tested positive for COVID-19 on June 16th, 2020. Operations at TKM plant has already been temporarily suspended so that required disinfection can be carried out at the plant," the statement said.

"TKM has extended all necessary support to the infected employees for medical treatment as well as quarantine procedures. The company is in touch with the families of the infected employees so as to support them to handle this situation carefully without further complications," it added.

 

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News Network
March 31,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 31: The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Karnataka rose to 98 on Tuesday, according to the state government.

This includes 3 deaths and 6 patients who were cured and discharged, leaving the active cases to 89.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj S Bommai said that his government has succeeded in tracking more than 24 people in Bengaluru, who attended the Tablighi Jamat event in Delhi held earlier this month.

"Over 24 people, who attended Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, tracked in Bengaluru. We have quarantined 54 people. 8 people also in Bidar. 1 person found positive in Bidar and we have quarantined him. There are people who attended jamaat from almost all districts of the state," Bommai told news agency here.

Delhi's Nizamuddin area emerged as a hotspot after a religious meeting was held at Markaz by the Tableeghi Jamaat earlier this month, and several COVID-19 positive cases have been found among those who attended the gathering.

At least 24 people staying at Markaz building in Nizamuddin area of the national capital have tested positive for coronavirus, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday.

"All of them are being screened. We are not certain of the number but it is estimated that 1500-1700 people had assembled at the Markaz building. 1033 people have been evacuated so far - 334 of them have been sent to the hospital and 700 sent to quarantine center. A total of 24 positive cases have been found so far," he said while speaking to reporters here.

The minister also slammed the organizers of the religious event saying that they have committed a grave crime.

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