‘Police dept efficiently handled CAA agitations in Mangaluru’: Outgoing top cop

Bengaluru, Jan 31: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday got the green signal from the BJP central leadership for the much-awaited cabinet expansion in the state and he is mostly likely to induct 11 ministers. Yediyurappa said the date of swearing-in will be decided in a day or two, although he indicated that it would most likely be held on February 3.

Currently, there are 18 ministers, including the chief minister, in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are vacant. "Many of our suggestions have been accepted by Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda. If there are differences, we will discuss in Bengaluru and finalise it," Yediyurappa told reporters after meeting Shah in the Parliament Complex here.

Except for one or two, most of the disqualified JDS-Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets will be made ministers, he said, adding there won't be any additional deputy chief ministers. However, sources said, a total of 11 ministers would be inducted into the cabinet.

"We discussed yesterday and now also. Shah has agreed to almost everything," Yediyurappa said, adding he is returning back "happy" after getting the nod for the cabinet expansion. "I am going happy," he said.

Yediyurappa had been anxiously waiting for the party high command's approval to expand his ministry amid intense lobbying by the aspirants. Opposition parties have been critical of the BJP and Yediyurappa over the delay in the cabinet expansion, alleging he was weak and that his administration had collapsed.

Hubli, Feb 24: Pro-Pakistan slogans were found written on the walls and doors of Higher Primary School in Budarsingi village here on Monday, said Raman Gouda Hatti, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), DCRB, Dharwad.

"The headmaster of the school noticed the slogans written on the walls and doors by chalk and he informed us. We will investigate the matter based on the complaint," said DSP Hatti.

The slogans were written in the Kannada language. Those behind the incident have not been identified so far.

The villagers staged a protest demanding action against those behind the act.

Congress leader HK Patil condemned the incident and asked for culprits to be identified and punished soon.

"Anti-social elements are involved in these acts. The government has failed to identify these people and punish them. The culprits behind this act need to be identified and punished. This incident is unfortunate and the intelligence department should work to stop these kinds of incidents," said Patil.

Bengaluru, Mar 25: In what is suspected to be the second COVID-19 death in Karnataka, a 70-year-old woman from Gouribidanuru, who was under house quarantine for the last one week has died at Rajiv Gandhi Hospital for Chest Diseases.

The woman, who had recently returned from the Mecca pilgrimage developed fever on Tuesday afternoon. She was rushed to hospital, where she died on Wednesday morning.

Health and Family Welfare officials said that the throat swab sample of the woman had been sent to the laboratory for testing and the result was expected to come by afternoon.

Since last week, at least three cases of COVID-19 positive had been reported in Gouribidanuru in Chikkaballpura district, about 80 kms from Bengaluru.

Most of the suspects and confirmed cases had returned from Makkah pilgrimage. Even the deceased woman was one of them and had been advised house quarantine.

On Tuesday morning, she developed fever and was shifted to Gouribidanur hospital and later to Chikkaballapura hospital. By evening, she was moved to Rajiv Gandhi hospital, where she died on Wednesday morning.

The Chikkaballapura district administration has proclaimed prohibitory orders in the locality. They have also taken the woman's family members for testing.