Former CM Siddaramaiah unhurt, 5 SUVs damaged in serial crash

Bengaluru, May 5: Life is limping back to a new normalcy in most parts of Karnataka with easing of Covid-19 induced restrictions yesterday as the State headed into the third phase of lockdown started since March 24.

According to the guidelines issued by the Centre, industrial activities, construction works, essential, non-essential shops, delivery of essential goods through e- commerce, courier and postal services, banking and agriculture activities, plying of four-wheelers and two-wheelers and inter-state movement of goods vehicles is permitted in all the zones, whereas buses are allowed to ply only in green and orange zone districts.

This apart, sale of liquor was also allowed at the designated shops. Police said vehicular movement is allowed only from 7am to 7pm for ordinary citizens.

Clarifying about the movement of people, Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao tweeted, "From Monday you don't need a pass to move in Bengaluru between 7am and 7pm. After 7 pm and up to 7am the following morning, even if you have a pass you are not allowed to move except medical and essential service. Checkpoints will remain and your ID may be asked. Please be responsible." After the restrictions were lifted, heavy vehicular movement was witnessed in parts of Bengaluru leading to traffic jam in some areas.

Chikpet, which is the main trade area in Bengaluru, saw some activities.

With restrictions on public transport continuing, this unusually crowded place had very less footfall. "Movement of public is limited due to ban on public transport, such as city buses and Metro Rail.

"The trade activities are taking place between retailers," trade activist and joint secretary of Jain International Trade Organisation Sajjanraj Mehta said .

Select liquor shops in the city and other parts of the state pulled up shutters after being closed for about six weeks due to the lockdown with tipplers thronging them in huge numbers at many places.

Some traders in the city complained that they received notices regarding the Tax Deduction at Source for the month of April "thought here were no trading activities."

Meanwhile, Chief minister B S Yediyurappa announced on Monday that free bus service for migrant labourers, which is operating smoothly, has been extended till Thursday.

Varanasi, Jan 20: An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons for a controversial hoarding near the Varanasi railway station. It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is the MP of Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.

The hoarding near the Englishiya Line crossing read, "Hindu dharma mein ghar vapasi karo... CAA, NRC se chhutkara pao (Get rid of CAA, NRC by converting to Hinduism)".

Inspector Ashutosh Ojha said that the FIR under section 295 A and 505 of IPC has been lodged.

"Investigation has been launched in the case and those involved in putting up the hoarding would be identified soon," he added.

According to sources, a lesser known outfit, Hindu Samaj Party, had placed the hoarding on the busy road.

The outfit's state Vice President Roshan Pandey had made a video viral on social media with his message in which he claimed to have put up the hoarding in response to the protest being staged at Shaheen Bagh, New Delhi.

The hoarding, which also has photographs of some Muslim women wearing saffron pagdi, was removed by the police late Saturday evening.

It came up at a time when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Smriti Irani and other leaders were in Varanasi to address a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.

Pandey, along with his supporters, had also tried to stage a sit-in at Lanka to give a call for marching to Shaheen Bagh in Delhi but was prevented by the police.

They were taken in custody and were later released following initial interrogation, said inspector Lanka, Bharat Bhushan.

Bengaluru, Feb 20: Leaving the organisers of an event to protest against the CAA, NRC and NRP here red-faced, a young woman on Thursday reportedly raised "Pakistan Zindabad" slogan in the presence of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who denounced her action and asserted "we are for India".

The woman, identified as Amulya, allegedly asked people to shout with her "Pakistan Zindabad" after the organisers of the event under the banner of "Save Constitution" invited her to address the gathering soon after Owaisi came on the stage.

Soon Owaisi rushed to snatch the mike from her hands and was joined by others who tried to remove her from the state.

But the woman was adamant and raised the slogan again repeatedly. Later, the police stepped in and removed her from the dais.

Owaisi then addressed the gathering, saying he did not agree with the woman.

"Neither me nor my party has any link with her. We denounce her. The organisers should not have invited her here. If I knew this, I would not have come here. We are for India and we no way support our enemy nation Pakistan. Our entire drive is to save India," the AIMIM MP said.

JD(S) corporator Imran Pasha claimed she was planted by some rival group to disrupt the event.

The woman, he said, was not in the list of speakers and demanded that the police investigate the matter seriously.

Sources say Amulya hails from Chikkamagaluru and her parents have always been in the forefront of taking on government and its policies for well over a decade. 

As per local TV reports, the student was taken to Upparpet police station, but later shifted to an undisclosed destination for more questioning.