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‘Amit Shah phobia’ makes disgruntled Karnataka ministers fall in line

coastaldigest.com web desk
August 28, 2019

Bengaluru, Aug 28: Within a day signs of rebellion emerged within BJP in Karnataka over allocation of portfolios and ignoring seniors while picking three deputy chief ministers, all the disgruntled leaders fell in following a stern warning by Amit Shah, the invincible supremo of the saffron party.

Senior BJP leaders C T Ravi, Jagadish Shettar, R Ashok, K S Eshwarappa and B Sriramulu, were apparently upset over their juniors being elevated to higher posts. While Ravi was unhappy with the portfolio, the other four were disappointed for not getting the title of Deputy CM. Two Ministers - Ravi and Ashok - had reportedly returned their official cars in protest. Many are also yet to take charge in the ministries assigned to them.

Even though Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa spent time with most of them on Tuesday in an attempt to pacify them, it is said that it was the fear of Amit Shah’s looming “disciplinary measures” that made the disappointed ministers soften up with little choice left.

“It is the party’s Central leadership that has decided on the portfolios and Deputy CMs, and they are in no mood to change the decisions. The (State) leaders have no option but to take what they have got, perform and grow in the party, and move on — something they have also realised now,” a senior party strategist said.

Following Amit Shah’s warning Shettar took over as Industries Minister on Tuesday morning itself. Ashok, who has been assigned the Revenue Department, though yet to officially take charge, participated in a marathon meeting on flood damage in his ministerial capacity with the chief minister in the evening.

Ravi, who had reportedly offered to resign, tweeted that loyalty to the party was his biggest strength and weakness, and that he would never ditch it. Earlier in the day, he accompanied the Chief Minister during his inspection of flood-hit areas in Mudigere.

Sriramulu, whose supporters held protests over his not being made a Deputy Chief Minister, tweeted distancing himself from sporadic protests. “I condemn the protests against my party and I appeal to my supporters not to hold them. The party comes first for all BJP workers and I stand by all the decisions of my party,” he tweeted. Prior to that Sriramulu had met Yediyurappa at his residence and expressed his dissatisfaction over not being made a Deputy CM, especially as he had been promised the title during the 2018 Assembly election campaign.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 28,2020

Bengaluru, July 28: Former prime minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda today threatened to launch a state-wide agitation in against the amendments made to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.

Gowda’s opposition to the new law comes even as Congress leader Siddaramaiah is also doggedly pursuing it.

Demanding that the state government immediately rollback the ordinance empowering these amendments, the octogenarian leader said he personally would take to streets if the government failed to budge.

The B S Yediyurappa government has liberalised the land reforms law by removing restrictions on non-agriculturists from purchasing and owning farm lands.

The government has also amended the APMC Act and has tweaked labour laws, which are all “against the interest of the state and must be rolled back,” Gowda said.

Speaking to reporters here, Gowda stated that he had already written thrice to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in this regard. "The ordinances have to be taken back. The amendments to Karnataka Land Reforms Act, by repealing sections 79-A, B and C, is an anti-farmer move. The APMC Act amendment, too, is against the interest of the state. The government has failed to speak about the impact of these amendments," said Gowda, who is now a Rajya Sabha member.

Elaborating on the amendment to the Land Reform Act, the JD(S) patriarch opined that by throwing open agricultural land ownership to anybody at all, the government was only helping real estate developers while pushing farmers into a “vulnerable” situation.

Amidst all this, there are now reports of funds misappropriation in Covid-19 relief measures and in procurement of medical equipment, he said, adding that it seemed like only the corrupt became stronger over time.

Further, Gowda lambasted both national parties for creating political unrest, referring to the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan and the recent developments in Madhya Pradesh. However, he added that he would not wish to dwell on it much, while emphasising that his focus was primarily on strengthening his own party at this point in time.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 10: Working President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Eashwar Khandre on Friday said that his party has extended its support to the demand made by the former chief minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy, that a House Committee should be formed to probe into Mangaluru violence.

Emphasising the need for a judicial probe into the incident, Khandre said, "Congress has always said that the truth should prevail and that there should be a judicial inquiry and investigation by a sitting Supreme Court judge or a High Court judge into the incident."

"We support his (HD Kumaraswamy) statement that a House Committee should be set up to probe into the incident of Mangaluru violence. Two innocent people lost their lives during the anti-CAA protest, it is very unfortunate," he added.

Two people were killed in Mangaluru in the alleged police firing after protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent on December 19.

The Act grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before 31, 2014.

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News Network
April 16,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 16: With two more people testing positive for COVID-19 in Karnataka, the state's corona cases count has reached 279, including 80 discharged and 12 deaths, said the government on Wednesday.

A total of 19 corona cases were confirmed in the state on Wednesday. 17 cases were reported earlier in the day, of which 15 are male patients and two are female. Of the 17 cases, nine are workers of a pharmaceutical company in Mysuru, the government stated.

Meanwhile, a 65-year-old from Chikkaballapur, who had tested positive for COVID-19, lost his life this afternoon.

"He was referred to a Bengaluru hospital with complaints of H1N1 positive, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with obstructive sleep apnea and a past history of diabetes and hypertension," the government said.

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