Poojary holds Siddu govt responsible for SC's adverse directive

Bengaluru, Feb 27: Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Wednesday said the Union Government will take up the issue of establishing a US consulate in Bengaluru during bilateral talks with the US officials in the future.

Speaking at a seminar on Videsh Sampark here, Mr Muraleedharan said after Delhi and Mumbai, a large number of visa applications come from Bengaluru. “We will take up the issue of establishing a US consulate in Bengaluru during bilateral talks,” he said.

Earlier, the chief secretary of Karnataka TM Vijay Bhaskar urged the centre to consider the state government’s demand of setting up a US Consulate in Bengaluru. At the moment visa applicants have to travel to Chennai for the purpose.

Bengaluru, Feb 2: The monthlong budget session beginning on Monday, which will mark BS Yediyurappa’s maiden budget in his fourth term as chief minister, is expected to be a fiery one.

The opposition JD(S) and Congress have already threatened to stall proceeding until BJP legislator Basangouda Patil Yatnal apologises for his controversial remarks against freedom fighter and centenarian HS Doreswamy. Yatnal had called him a fake and a Pakistani agent.

Disruptions are also likely to pose a threat to speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri’s novel idea of having a two-day discussion on the Constitution of India to commemorate 70 years of the country’s Independence.

Both opposition parties have scheduled legislature party meetings early on Monday and they could coordinate on issues on the floor of the house to put the BJP — especially Yediyurappa — on the backfoot.

Yatnal is not known as a “hardliner”, but his attack on Doreswamy has garnered support from several ministers including CT Ravi, KS Eshwarappa and V Somanna. Yediyurappa may have a hard time defending his party’s line.

The BJP is yet to schedule its legislature party meeting, but MLAs suggest the party will allow the issue to be raised and debated in the legislature. “Both have expressed their point of view. Let there be a discussion on the matter, but not allowing the house to function will only be a waste of the state’s time and money,” said deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan.

Besides the Doreswamy issue, Yediyurappa will also deliver his reply — postponed from February 20 — to the debate on the governor’s address. The issue of student Amulya Leona Narona’s arrest on a charge of sedition, the Bidar sedition case involving a parent of a school student, pro-Pakistan writings on walls in places in north Karnataka, introduction of NPR and the anti-CAA stir is also likely to feature during the lengthy session.

Bengaluru, Apr 29: The Karnataka police department has decided not to deploy its personnel aged above 55 as frontliners in Covid-19 related duty.

According to order issued here on Wednesday by Director General of Police Praveen Sood, it was a precautionary measure as the elderly was more susceptible to the risk of infection.

Apart from this, the order also states that any police personnel suffering from diabetes, hypertension, asthma, kidney, liver-related problems and cardiovascular disease must also be kept away from Coronavirus duty. The policemen can be deployed for station duty.