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Investigate ‘Operation Lotus’ that pulled down coalition govt: Siddaramaiah hits back at BJP

News Network
August 19, 2019

Bengaluru, Aug 19: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's decision to order a CBI investigation into the allegations of phone-tapping during the coalition government of the Congress and HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal Secular, has drawn a sharp retort from Siddaramaiah. The government, the senior Congress leader said, should order an investigation into the alleged "Operation Lotus" that the JDS-Congress coalition claims pulled down its government.

"On the telephone tapping issue. Several leaders, including Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, have said it should be probed and truth should come out, so I have decided to order a CBI probe. Tomorrow itself I will order the probe," Mr Yediyurappa told reporters.

The troubled coalition government, which had a wafer-thin majority, collapsed last month after 15 MLAs from the two parties resigned and two Independents switched sides.

The coalition has alleged that the BJP had engineered the defections with money power - much like an earlier occasion when they wanted the government led by BS Yediyurappa to remain in power.

Today, Siddaramaiah tweeted: "I welcome the decision of @BSYBJP to hand over the phone tapping case to CBI. But, in the past, @BJP4India has used CBI as its puppet to unleash its venomous political vendetta. Hope @BJP4Karnataka leaders does not have similar intentions this time."

There have been allegations that Siddaramaiah, who controlled the state's intelligence wing, was in the know about the phone tapping. But Mr Siddaramaiah has denied the allegation by AH Vishwanath -- disqualified MLA of Mr Kumaraswamy's party.

Last week, AH Vishwanath -- the former JDS state chief who turned rebel -- accused the HD Kumarswamy government of tapping phones and spying on more than 300 leaders, including him.

According to reports, phones of those close to Siddaramaiah -- who was the then coalition coordination committee chief -- had come under the watch of the government.

His allegation gave mileage to the controversy that had been swirling around the state for weeks.

Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge and home minister in the alliance government MB Patil, have sought an investigation. The other key leader and former minister, DK Shivakumar, has rejected the allegations.

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News Network
August 9,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 9: A youth was killed and three others injured as a pillar of an old temple on the outskirts of Bengaluru fell on them as they and five others dug under it in search of treasure, police said on Saturday.

"One treasure hunter got crushed under a pillar, three suffered injuries and have been hospitalised while five are on the run," a police official said.

The incident occurred at a centuries-old Anjaneya temple in Hindiganala village near Hoskote, around 50 km away from the city, on Thursday night.

Suresh, 23, got crushed to death while Manjunath, 23, Srinivas, 22, and Sebastian Raja Rathna, 22, were injured.

Following the unexpected accident, the injured treasure hunters called a 108 ambulance, leading to the entire incident coming to light.

The ambulance staff helped the youth stuck under the temple pillars and took them to hospital.

Police have registered a case under various sections of the Ancient Monuments Act, the Karnataka Treasure Trove Act, and the Indian Penal Code.

According to the official, local youth the village as well as a nearby village were involved in the hunt.

Police are on the lookout for the five treasure hunters on the run.

However, the police official said that it was an old ruined temple and there was nothing there.

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News Network
June 22,2020

Bengaluru, June 22: Even as the covid-19 positive cases are steadily increasing in Karnataka, an expert has claimed that community transmission has begun in Bengaluru and cases could keep rising over the next two months.

“If you look at the natural course of this virus across countries around the world, it is about six months. Now we’re in the fourth month. This will go on for another two months. It also sounds like this is the beginning of the peak. There is also a possibility of the number of cases going up from now on. Even across India, cases are increasing,” says Dr CN Manjunath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research and State Task Force member.

Besides the increase in number of cases, the virus is advancing silently, stealthily. A lot of people who are testing positive are asymptomatic. In areas like Padarayanapura, Nanjangud and many places in north Karnataka, there have been positive cases who have not had any contact with infected individuals. Some cases recorded in Bengaluru over the last two to three days have not had any contact with Covid-positive people.

Dr Manjunath adds: “We are in community transmission. This will happen because nature is ahead of everything. We have to take all possible precautionary measures at our command. This has to happen. Only then some kind of herd immunity will be developed.”

“We are expanding the guidelines of testing to include a large number of people to be tested. Now, according to the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines, only symptomatic Influenza like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), or a person coming in contact with an infected person are being tested.

But since we have crossed 100 days in Karnataka from the first reported case and we’re getting cases with no travel history or contact with a Covid-positive person, we have to start random testing across the sub-group population. Only then will we understand the burden of the disease and what precautions need to be taken,” he says.

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News Network
June 5,2020

Madikeri, Jun 5: Karnataka Minister for Revenue R Ashok said a Rs 10 crore grant would be released shortly for construction of a permanent building for 'Relief Centre' in Kodagu district which is vulnerable to floods because of its hilly landscape.

According to an official release here on Friday, the Minister symbolically handed over the newly built houses to flood victims in Jambur in Somwarpet on Thursday evening.

He said that whenever the 'Relief Centre' is vacant it will be used for government meetings.

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