Uniform Civil Code: Khader asks union govt to discuss with Ulema

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.

Bengaluru, Jan 24: The JD(S) is looking to leverage anti-Citizen (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) sentiment sweeping the country to revive itself and will hold protests in Bengaluru and New Delhi.

The Bengaluru protest is scheduled for Friday. At a meeting of party workers in Bengaluru on Thursday, party patriarch HD Deve Gowda and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy urged the rank and file to participate in the rally to send out a loud and clear message to the BJP.

"The BJP has set out to make Muslims second-grade citizens. India has 40 crore Muslims, can these communal forces eliminate them all?" Gowda said in his address. "We should have the guts to launch a massive protest at Jantar Mantar. We should be prepared to go to jail in the fight against [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi and [Union home minister] Amit Shah."

Gowda said he will lead the rally in Delhi and urged secular parties to unite to take on the BJP. "It is important that regional parties, which share a secular ideology, unite on a common agenda and fight the BJP. Bihar, Kerala and Odisha have said they will not implement CAA. The sentiment is likely to spread to other states," Gowda said.

Kumaraswamy said not only Muslims but many other communities will also bear the brunt of BJP’s "divisive politics". "This pair of Hakka-Bukka [Modi and Shah] is not targeting Muslims alone," he said. "For them, all communities other than upper caste Hindus are inferior Shudras. They will treat even Lingayats, Vokkaligas and Dalits with the same contempt."

The former CM made a special appeal to Lingayats, who generally back the BJP, to stop supporting the saffron party’s caste-oriented politics. "You had appreciated my farm loan waiver scheme and promised support in the elections. But, the results were contrary to that," he said.

The JD(S) passed three resolutions including one to condemn the Centre for enacting CAA. The others were to protest against the Centre’s indifference to the floods in the state and the failed economic policy of the Centre.

Bengaluru, Apr 13: Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday said the COVID-19 situation has thrown the state into a deep financial trouble and there is a need to to find ways to overcome the present crisis, as he announced certain measures aimed at resource mobalisation.

He said the state government was awaiting guidelines from the Centre regarding the implementation of lockdown during the next two weeks, and noted that discussions were on regarding relaxations on the sale of liquor and the decision will be taken after April 14.

Yediyurappa on Monday held a meeting with officials of various departments along with his cabinet colleagues and the chief secretary.

"The possible situation once the lockdown is released, was widely discussed in the meeting. Discussion was also held about the financial situation of the state government and how to mobilise resources. Many suggestions were given and it was decided to implement those suggestions," the Chief Minister said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, "...the COVID-19 situation has thrown our state into deep financial trouble and there is a need to to find ways to overcome present financial crisis."

Yediyurappa said it was decided to speed up the disposal of cases related to regularisation of unauthorised constructions which are pending before the High Court and Supreme Court, during the meeting.

"If the court decides the matter, thousands of people who own unauthorised houses will be relieved," he said, adding that this will also help government in mobilising resources for fund starved development works.

He said in addition to this the government is planning to auction more than 12,000 corner sites lying idle in Bengaluru, and it was also decided to allow auction of corner and vacant sites in respective urban development authorities across the state.

"By auction of corner sites in Bengaluru, we plan to mobalise about Rs 14,000-15,000 crore. BDA is preparing for it, only if we get good market value we will sell or else no," he added.

It was also decided to amend the law governing permission to allow sites in private and co-operative housing societies, the Chief Minister further said, adding that hundreds of societies were waiting for approval from government for releasing the sites.

Yediyurappa said it was decided to use Rs 1,000 crore available in Rajiv Gandhi Health University to upgrade medical college hospitals.

It was also decided to distribute free milk to slums and poor for one more week, the Chief Minister said while appealing to sugar factory owners to clear the pending payment to the tune of Rs 2,834 crore to farmers in 11 districts.

The government has also released Rs 45 crore compensation for the loss of paddy crop in Raichur and Koppal District due to hailstorm based on report submitted by Deputy Commissioners, he added.

Responding to a question, Yediyurappa said, still no guidelines have come from the Centre on lockdown implementation for next two weeks, we are waiting for it.

Once the guidelines come it will help us to speed up the process of lockdown, and also relaxations if any.

Asked what plans does the government have if states are asked to decide on relaxation, he said, already Prime Minister has said that guidelines will be given, if they say on certain matters states can take decision, we will decide on what needs to be done to improve the state's economy.

To a question on relaxation on sale of liquor through Mysore Sales International Ltd (MSIL) outlets, he said, discussions are on, after April 14, we will take decision in this regard.