Was it necessary for you at this age, chief minister?asks Meti

December 15, 2016

Bengaluru, Dec 15: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have pulled up H Y Meti, who quit as Excise minister, after his sexually explicit video became public on Wednesday.

siddumet copySoon after TV news channels started airing the video, 71-year-old Meti rushed to the chief minister's official residence “Cauvery” and offered to resign as minister.

He also tried to defend himself saying that it was a conspiracy and he had not done anything wrong, sources in the government said.

An angry Siddaramaiah, the sources said, asked him to shut up. “You have betrayed me. Was it necessary for you at this age?...You should be ashamed of yourself...We used to blame the BJP leaders on such unseemly activities. Now, we have lost the moral right to speak,” the sources quoted the chief minister having told Meti.

Different versions

There are different versions doing the rounds on where Meti's purported sexual escapade took place. According to one version it took place at Meti's residence in his hometown Bagalkot. The other version is that it happened in his ante-chambers in the Vidhana Soudha here.

The woman in the CD made a U-turn on Tuesday stating that it was indeed she in the video. On?Sunday, she had said that she had nothing to do with the video. She has also sought police protection stating that she is getting threat calls.

Meti, a fourth-time MLA from Bagalkot, is one of the close followers of Siddaramaiah. Like Siddaramaiah, Meti too belongs to the Kuruba community. He had served as Forest minister in the H?D?Deve Gowda government between 1994 and 1996 before he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bagalkot constituency in 1996. Siddaramaiah inducted him into his Cabinet in June this year.

An embarassment

The Meti episode has come as an embarrassment to the government as it comes close on the heels of Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait being caught watching obscene photos on his mobile phone during government-organised Tipu Jayanti in Raichur.

Several ministers in the Siddaramaiah's Cabinet had come to Meti's support stating he should be given the “benefit of doubt” because of his age.

No parallel'

Siddaramaiah, however, said a parallel cannot be drawn between the two incidents. He said Sait was cleared of all charges by the CID. The chief minister also denied that he had prior knowledge of the Meti CD. “I would have taken action immediately, if I had known,” he said.

On RTI activist Rajashekar Mulali telling journalists in New?Delhi on Wednesday that he would release CDs of two more ministers involved in sex scandals, Siddaramaiah said, “Let him release...we will see”.

Third minister to resign

H?Y?Meti is the third minister in the council of ministers headed by Siddaramaiah to resign owing to controversies.

Santosh Lad, who is currently the Labour minister, was the first to resign. He was forced to quit in November 2013 following charges of his reported involvement in illegal mining. However, Siddaramaiah re-inducted him into the ministry in a reshuffle in June this year.

K J George was forced to resign as the Bengaluru Development Minister in July this year in connection with the suicide case of police officer M K Ganapathi. In an interview given to a TV news channel before committing suicide, Ganapathi had reportedly held George responsible for his death. George was re-inducted into the Cabinet within a few months, after the CID gave him a clean chit in the case.

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Mohammed musthafa
 - 
Thursday, 15 Dec 2016

He has a horse power at this age

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Media Release
June 9,2020

Mangaluru: Continuing the relief work they started in the wake of the Corona Lockdown, ‘Team B-Human’ a local social organization is reaching out to the migrant workers who are stuck here in the region, unable to return to the homes.

Team of volunteers of the organization reached out to the migrant workers and distributed essential items including clothes and footwear of men, women, and kids.

Earlier, the organization had reached out to thousands of migrant workers and needy families and had helped them with food kits, Ramadan Kits along with medical assistance to many.

Several migrant workers recently moved back to their respective states, villages with their families, while others, unable to move back for various reasons are stuck here facing several difficulties and plights. The relief work by ‘Team B Human’ has helped several families of migrant workers in these distressing times.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 23: Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had warned those who chose to defy the lockdown order clamped in nine districts, to prevent the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus in the state. 

Speaking to newsmen, he said, "We have ordered for a lockdown in nine districts in the state to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and issued guidelines to follow it."

The nine COVID-19-affected districts are Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada (Mangaluru), Dharwad, Belagavi, Kalaburgi and Chikkablapur.

According to Mr. Bommai, the State government will put in place further measures next week depending on how the situation will unfold in the State and the neighbouring States.

"Government offices will be operational in the State, including in the nine COVID 19-affected districts. As per the current schedule, the legislature sessions will also continue. Pourakarmikas will be working at 50% strength," he added.

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Agencies
February 12,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 12: Karnataka Sanghatanegala Okkoota, a congregation of various pro-Kannada organisations, has called for a state-wide bandh in Karnataka on Thursday (13 February 2020) demanding reservation in jobs for Kannadigas in both government and private sectors.

The Karnataka bandh, which will begin from 6 am to 6 pm, is likely to impact life in Bengaluru as well as in other parts of the state. Interestingly, Ola and Uber drivers have also extended support to the bandh. 

In Bengaluru, some other drivers’ associations, including Jai Bharatha Vehicle Owners and Drivers Association and Adarsha Auto and Taxi Union have also supported the bandh.

It is not yet clear as to whether the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) staff and workers associations will back Thursday’s bandh.

Several other organisations like the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and Lorry Owners Association have supported the February 13 bandh.

In view of the bandh call, schools, colleges and hospitals across Karnataka are likely to remain closed on Thursday.

The Sarojini Mahishi report, which in 1984 suggested that Kannadigas should be given some reservation in jobs in private companies, public sector undertakings and multinational companies, is yet to be implemented.

It is to be noted that Sarojini Mahishi, a four-time MP and Janatha party leader, was appointed by the Ramakrishna Hegde government to head the panel in 1983. The committee submitted an interim report in June 1984. However, a final report was tabled in December 1986 with 58 recommendations, of which the Karnataka government had accepted 45.

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