Protests by BJP force cancellation of Karnataka govt seminar

Agencies
January 22, 2019

Bengaluru, Jan 22: Protests by BJP and some pro-Kannada organisations, citing the three-day mourning announced for the death of Siddaganga Math head Shivakumara Swamiji, forced the cancellation of a Karnataka government seminar on Tuesday.

The seminar titled 'Conversations of the Constitution', which was organised by the state social welfare department and a television channel, was called off after the first session, Karnataka Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge said.

Former vice president Hamid Ansari, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, BJP MP Rakesh Sinha, retired Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde, student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, social activist Medha Patkar, film actor Prakash Raj and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi were among the prominent speakers.

A highly revered seer known for his stellar contributions in the field of education and social service, Shivakumara Swamiji died at 111 on Monday.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumarasamy had announced one-day government holiday on Tuesday and a three-day state mourning as a mark of respect for the Siddaganga Math head.

"The state government is organising this event in the name of Constitution when it has declared three-day mourning. It should have cancelled the event," Karnataka BJP spokesperson Go Madhusudan told reporters outside a hotel where the seminar was organised.

The BJP leader said he had spoken to Kharge, asking him to call off the event as it was unfair, but the government remained adamant.

Madhusudan claimed he had been invited to the event by one of the organisers, but he chose to boycott it.

"Shamelessness of @INCKarnataka reaches new heights.While State is mourning the loss of Shri Shivakumara Swamiji, Congress Minister @PriyankKharge has organised a luxury event inviting Tukde gang head Kanhaiya & Owaisi to speak on democracy. May God do well to you," BJP's Karnataka unit said in a tweet.

In a statement released here, BJP SC Morcha national general secretary Chi Na Ramu and state general secretary Ravi Kumar also slammed the state government for holding the event.

The statement said organising an event like 'Conversations of the Constitution' by inviting Owaisi was "laughable".

When Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress pointed out that Sinha, BJP Rajya Sabha member, was also a panelist, he clarified that he had withdrawn from the event.

"I withdrew from the event, didn't join opening session...I openly insisted the programme should be cancelled as a mark of respect to Swamiji. Don't disguise your discourtesy using my name," Sinha said in a tweet.

Kharge said the decision to cancel the seminar was taken because it had hurt the sentiments of a section of people.

The social welfare minister told reporters that there was no direction to stop all government work.

"Mourning means doing some good work that can give peace to the departed soul. There are clear directions that no entertainment programmes are organised. The apolitical programme was based on a serious topic of the Constitution," he said.

Comments

shiju
 - 
Thursday, 24 Jan 2019

BJP is really a trouble maker.   They never respected this Swamiji and hence dont pay homage to him. 

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News Network
June 15,2020

Mangaluru, Jun 15: The case of two elderly Dubai returnees who are being treated for Covid-19 at the Wenlock Covid-19 Hospital has left doctors perplexed.

The two aged 76 and 81 men had arrived from Dubai on May 18 and 12 respectively and are at the hospital since one month. 

To everyone's surprise, six of their tests have come out positive though they have not shown any symptoms of SARS-CoV-2.

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News Network
March 8,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 8: The economic slowdown in the country had a cascading effect on Karnataka, as its growth rate for outgoing fiscal 2019-20 is projected to be 6.8 per cent against 7.8 per cent in the last fiscal (2018-19), a senior official said on Saturday.

"The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is estimated to be 1 per cent less at 6.8 per cent for this fiscal from 7.8 per cent in the last fiscal due to slowdown in manufacturing (industry) and services sectors," an official of the state finance department told media.

Though the agriculture sector has revived from 1.6 per dent in the drought-hit last fiscal (2018-19) to register 3.9 per cent this fiscal, growth rates of industries and services will be 4.8 per cent and 7.9 per cent for 2019-20 against 5.6 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively in 2018-19.

"The GSDP is projected to grow at 6.3 per cent in the ensuing fiscal of 2020-21 due to continued slowdown in the national economy," the official hinted.

According to the state's economic survey for 2019-20, the farm sector grew more than double to 3.9 per cent from 1.6 per cent a year ago due to increase in the production of foodgrains, dairy products and fish catch.

Foodgrain production across the state rose to 136 lakh tonnes from 128 lakh tonnes a year ago, the survey revealed.

"In line with the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate decline, Karnataka's GSDP has declined from a high of 13.3 per cent in 2016-17 to a low of 6.8 per cent in 2019-20.

"The GSDP has declined from a double-digit growth of 10.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 7.8 per cent in 2018-19 and 6.8 per cent in 2019-20," the survey pointed out.

The survey has adopted the all-India growth rate for the services sector growth in the state, which reflects the impact of slowdown in the key sector.

At current prices, the southern state's GSDP is expected to be Rs 16,99,115 crore (budget estimates) with a 10 per cent growth rate in the next fiscal (2020-21).

"Real estate, professional services and ownership of dwellings contributed 35.31 per cent to the GSDP in 2019-20, followed by manufacturing with 15.32 per cent, trade and repair services 9.51 per cent and crops 7.44 per cent," said the survey findings.

Per capital income in the state at current prices is estimated to be Rs 2,31,246 in 2019-20, an increase of 8.8 per cent from Rs 2,12,477 in 2018-19.

"The per capita income in the state is 58.4 per cent more than that of all-India rate at Rs 1,35,050 in this fiscal," the survey added.

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News Network
April 21,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 21: Karnataka cabinet on Monday decided to continue the COVID-19 lockdown measures currently in force in the state till May 3 without any relaxation, Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister J C Madhuswamy said.

However, leaving a window open, it authorised chief minister B S Yediyurappa and the COVID-19 Task Force to meet in three or four days to review and take further decision about any relaxation, he told reporters.

"Today cabinet has decided it (the norms) will be extended up to May 3... there will be no relaxation and the situation that that exists as of today will continue," he said.

Pending the cabinet decision, chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar had on Sunday issued fresh orders directing the continuation of the stringent lockdown measures issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs till the midnight of April 21.

Meanwhile, five new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of infections in the state to 395, the Health department said on Monday.

"Five new positive cases have been reported from last evening to this noon... Till date 395 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 16 deaths and 111 discharges," the department said in its mid-day situation update.

All the five fresh cases are from Kalaburagi and contacts of patients who have already tested positive.

Four of them are men of age 17, 13, 50 and 19, and one woman aged 30.

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