Indian woman allegedly tortured to death by employer in Saudi Arabia

Bengaluru, Feb 10: After many twists and turns, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge is emerging as the frontrunner for the KPCC president’s post, party sources revealed.

Though the names of DK Shivakumar and MB Patil did the rounds sometime ago, the party high command could not decide on an apt candidate, and had to widen its horizon looking for a leader who can take all factions along, and they seem to have zeroed in on Kharge.

But the senior Dalit leader is also in the reckoning for the more important All-India Congress Committee president’s post after he successfully stitched up an alliance, despite all odds, between the Congress and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. He is understandably reluctant to take up the KPCC post. “The central leadership has given him some time to consider the KPCC offer,” the sources said.

The high command would rather go with Kharge as he is politically a far bigger force than Shivakumar and M B Patil and the party central leadership wants a safe pair of hands to handle the affairs of the state, the sources said. Also, senior leaders Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and M B Patil cannot raise a voice against Kharge if he is elected to the post, they said.

Kharge was the Pradesh Congress chief in 2008 when the BJP was in power under B S Yediyurappa. An old warhorse, Kharge is seen as an able administrator and taskmaster. He had won a record 11 elections on the trot before he was defeated in the Kalaburgi Parliamentary Constituency by his former protege Dr Umesh Jadhav in the last election.

Sources said that the high command will not consider Shivakumar for the top slot till he comes out clean in all the legal cases against him.

It is exactly two months since Dinesh Gundurao resigned as KPCC president after the party managed to win just two out of the 15 Assembly constituencies that went for by-elections. Siddarmaiah too resigned on the same day owning moral responsibility for the loss, but the party has decided to continue with him as the assembly opposition leader, while looking for a replacement for Gundurao. 

The high command sent senior central leaders  Madhusudhan Mistry and Bhakta Charan Das on December 20 to sort out the issue of KPCC president. Though they met the state leaders and held high-level meetings in Delhi, they could not decide on a candidate. Meanwhile, the central leadership has asked Gundurao to continue in the post, till a replacement is found.

‘Congress will protest against scrapping reservation’

Bengaluru: “RSS-BJP is against reservation and have been trying to scrap it for sometime now,’’ said senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday. He stated that the Congress would take up the issue for a determined agitation both inside and outside the parliament. He said they must file a petition against this. His reaction comes after the SC recently took a decision where the top court had maintained that reservation in promotions was not a fundamental right.

Chikkamagaluru, May 9: A young Hindu activist allegedly killed his brother at Beeranahalli in Tarikere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka over a board game dispute.

The accused has been identified as 26-year-old Kiran and the victim is his 29-year-old brother Arun, said police.

According to police, the duo were playing a board game on Thursday and they had placed a bet of Rs 500. 

After Arun won the game, he asked for the money and Kiran refused to yield, which lead to an argument. 

In a fit of rage, an intoxicated Kiran hit his brother and when the latter fell unconscious and dragged him on to the road.

Arun was immediately rushed to McGann Hospital in Shivamogga. However, he died on Thursday night, said police.

A case was registered at the Lakkavalli Police Station.

Bengaluru, Jun 2: Karnataka recorded a biggest single day spike of 388 COVID-19 cases, with returnees from neighboring Maharashtra continuing to add to the state's tally, taking the total number of infections in the state to 3,796, the health department said on Tuesday.

With 367 out of 388 new cases being returnees from other states, mostly from neighboring Maharashtra (357), the Karnataka government said it was mulling over increasing institutional quarantine for those returning from the western state. Meanwhile, achieving a milestone in the battle against the coronavirus,the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences at Hubballi has successfully treated a COVID-19 patient through plasma therapy.

"Maharashtra (returnees) is a major worry for us, already 15,000-20,000 people have come from Maharashtra, still 2000 odd people may come to each district, as we have allowed so many people already, we have decided to allow them also, Revenue Minister R Ahoka said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said ".....cases coming from Bombay and Pune are turning out to be positive, we have to take extra caution, seven days quarantine (institutional) is of no use, we want to increase it specifically for those returning from Maharashtra.

We will take a decision soon and issue order." Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa earlier directed district authorities including the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to camp at taluk centres and work towards curbing the spread of COVID-19. Pointing out that COVID-19 cases were increasing in the state because of returnees from Maharashtra, he asked officials to take all necessary measures to check it, his office said in a release. The previous biggest single-day spike was recorded on May 31 with 299 cases. As of June 2 evening, cumulatively 3,796 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 52 deaths and 1,403 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.

It said out of 2,339 active cases, 2,325 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 14 are in ICU.

According to the bulletin,75 patients have been discharged today.

Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in Hubballi has successfully treated a COVID-19 patient through Plasma Therapy.

"Karnataka achieves yet another milestone in battle against #COVID19.

KIMS Hubli has successfully treated a Covid19 patient through Plasma Therapy & is the first institute in the state to accomplish this. Congrats to KIMS doctors & staff for this feat!" the Minister tweeted.

Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Udupi accounted for 150 cases, followed by Kalaburagi 100, Belagavi 51, Raichur 16, Bengaluru urban 12, Bidar 10, nine each from Bagalkote and Hassan, Davangere seven, Yadgiri five, four each from Mandya and Vijayapura, Bengaluru rural three, two each from Chikkaballapura, Dharwad and Tumakuru, and one each from Kolar and Haveri.

Udupi district tops the list of positive cases with 410 infections, followed by Kalaburagi 405 and Bengaluru urban 397.

Among discharges too Bengaluru urban tops the list with 237 discharges, followed by Kalaburagi 128 and Davangere 121.

A total of 3,19,628 samples have been tested so far, out of which 14,812 were tested on Tuesday alone.

According to the bulletin, 3,10,967 samples have reported as negative, 13,915 on Tuesday alone.