People can move Lokayukta against Central govt staff seeking bribe

Bengaluru, Jan 10: Barely 24 hours after the standoff between BJP workers and students of Jyoti Nivas College (JNC) in Bengaluru over CAA became breaking news, it took political hues with the saffron party and the Congress locking horns over the issue.

Taking the battle to the anti-CAA camp on Thursday, the BJP aggressively defended its party workers, who on Wednesday erected a pro-CAA banner on the college compound wall and allegedly forced students to sign on it as a mark of support.

With one of the workers who had locked horns with JNC students by his side, deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan, at his official residence, questioned students’ right to protest party cadre erecting a pro-CAA banner on their college compound wall.

“How can you tell people not to create awareness about a law that has been passed in this country? Who gave students the right to question political workers? If there was anything wrong, let them report to the police,” retorted the minister, who also holds the higher education department portfolio.

On the other hand, the Congress, cashing in on simmering anger over the assault on JNU students in Delhi, used the JNC standoff to project the ruling party as prime culprits in stifling the voice of students. BTM Layout MLA and seasoned politician R Ramalinga Reddy even warned the BJP against “allowing JNC to become another JNU”.

Reddy met with the JNC administration and extended his support against any “threats” to students. It is being alleged that Reddy was the first to “leak” the video of Wednesday’s row to the media. The college falls in his assembly constituency.

Taking a cue from his colleague’s stand, former CM and opposition leader Siddaramaiah also leaned into the matter and sent a strong message “backing” students in the standoff. “BJP goons are threatening students of Jyotinivas College to support CAA. MrYediyurappa, I am strictly warning you to control hooligans from your party. Don't subvert knowledge & institutions for your selfish motives. We won't let Ktaka to be victim of your Hitler rule!” said Siddaramaiah in a tweet.

Kasaragod, Apr 29: Kasaragod's General Hospital on Tuesday discharged the last of its 89 COVID-19 patients, who were admitted since the outbreak of the disease last month.

The patient discharged on Tuesday is a native of Anankur in Kerala. He was under treatment for 27 days following his return from Dubai. He was given a warm send-off at 12 noon by the doctors and hospital staff.

Of the 175 positive cases in Kasaragod district, only 12 are under treatment in other hospitals in the district now. Of them, seven had come from the Gulf and the remaining five were those in contact with them.

During a press meet, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while referring the Kasaragod General Hospital's success story, congratulated the doctors, nurses and medical staff for the achievement.

According to Health Department, in spite of treating the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the state with meagre infrastructural facilities and even without the support of a medical college in the district, there have been no deaths.

According to the district administration, Kasaragod has conducted 4,112 tests so far, out of which 3,104 tested negative and the results of 833 are awaited.

The team of doctors, nurses and other staff numbering 250 is led by Dr Rajaram K Kandiyil, Superintendent of the Kasaragod General Hospital.

Bengaluru, Jun 9: A 24-year-old who wanted to experience the feeling of death lost his life after consuming pesticide — he recorded it all on TikTok — in Koratagere taluk of Tumakuru district on Saturday evening.

Chided by his mother for not earning money, Dhananjaya, a resident of Gouraganahalli, on Saturday evening bought pesticide from a shop and shot a 15-second TikTok video, saying, “I want to experience the feeling of what death would be like. I will try to kill myself.”

Locals rushed Dhananjaya to a nearby hospital where he breathed his last the next morning. Koratagere police registered a case of unnatural death.

According to police, Dhananjaya had in the past rammed his Bajaj Pulsar bike into a tree to ‘experience’ death but had survived with minor injuries. Villagers and family members had advised him to not to take such risks. But he continued to do so as he was obsessed with death and posted his opinion regularly on TikTok, where he had 431 followers.

He tied the knot four months ago and was running an autorickshaw on rent. However, his earnings reduced to zero during the lockdown and he wasn’t mentally stable, claimed villagers.

Investigators said Dhananjaya wanted to scare his mother with his suicide threat and wanted to ‘experience’ death. He consumed poison near a farm but later panicked thinking he would die. However, he was not in a position to ride back home. He called his friend, who visited the spot and shifted him to hospital on Saturday night, police said.