Karnataka

Music

The performance will kickstart the musician’s world tour, which will continue till 2020.

On the occasion of Ilaiyaraaja’s 75th birthday, the musician will be performing at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). This will be the first-ever concert to be held at the airport premises. The concert will be held at the Concert Arena, which is located adjacent to the newly constructed South Access Road. According to reports, the musician will be performing songs in a number of languages, including Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. An audience of over 16,000 people is expected to attend. The legendary composer made a visit to the city on Thursday to announce the concert date and launch ticket sales. He said that he would be performing songs in a number of languages, without giving his fans a glimpse into his song list. He will be embarking on a world tour, starting with the concert in Bengaluru. Following this, he will also be performing in London, Paris, Oslo, Dublin, a number of cities in the United States and the Middle East. In India, he will also perform in Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and his hometown Theni, Tamil Nadu. The world tour will continue until 2020. Earlier in July, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) operators of KIA proposed the building of a Concert Arena on the airport premises. “BIAL plans to develop a world-class Concert Arena on a 6.3-acre land parcel at the Airport campus to cater to the growing demand for entertainment events in Bengaluru. Once complete, this arena would be the first of its kind to be built at an Airport in India. It is proposed to be a cost-effective, semi-permanent structure,” a BIAL spokesperson reportedly said. This is the first arena to be built on the same premises as an airport in India. Officials hope to host a wide array of events at the arena, ranging from concerts to exhibitions, conventions, award shows and more.

Body 2:

Crime

According to the police, the man allegedly lured the boy away from his home, and sexually assaulted and murdered him

TNM Staff

Image for representation

Eleven months after a four-year-old boy went missing from his residence in Bengaluru, the accused has been nabbed by the police. The accused has been identified as Narada, a native of Bihar, who had moved to Bengaluru 25 years ago and settled down in Hosakote. Narada has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting and murdering the boy. According to reports, the boy had gone missing from his home on the evening of January 1. Residents in the neighbourhood had joined the parents to search for the boy. Narada, too, joined the search party, pretending to search for the boy. Two days later, on January 3, a decomposed body was found near a eucalyptus grove, which is 300 meters away from the victim’s house in Hosakote. The Anugondanahalli police registered a case and started the investigation. As Narada himself was at the forefront of the search, there were no suspicions against him. It wasn’t until Ravi D Channannanavar, Superintendent of Police (Bengaluru Rural) directed the jurisdictional police to increase efforts to solve the case that they were able to identify the culprit. The police told the Times of India that the autopsy report had confirmed that the boy was sexually assaulted. “We suspected someone high on drugs may have committed the offence. We questioned two young male labourers and one of them told us that Narada used to invite them to have sex. We immediately picked up Narada. He first denied his role, but later confessed to the crime,” an investigating officer is quoted as telling the Times of India. As per reports, Narada used to lend money to the young labourers for purchasing ganja and would let them off from repaying the money if they allegedly agreed to have sex with him. Upon investigation by the police, Narada confessed to the crime and stated that it was an “accident.” According to his confession to the police, Narada claimed that he was looking for a partner on January 1 when he found the boy playing near his house. He allegedly took him to the eucalyptus grove and sexually assaulted him, following which, he claimed, the boy died. He has been remanded to judicial custody after the police produced him before a court on Thursday.

Body 2:

Courts

The top court rejected the ED’s plea and noted that the ED 'copy-pasted' from their petition against Congress leader P Chidambaram.

TNM Staff

In relief to former Karnataka Minister and Congress strongman DK Shivakumar, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate challenging his bail granted by the Delhi High Court. According to reports, the top court had noted that the ED had 'copy-pasted' from their petition against P Chidambaram, the ex-Home Minister, who is currently in Tihar jail. The petition had apparently referred DK Shivakumar as a former Union Home Minister, instead of calling him an MLA. Coming down heavily on the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the central probe agency, the apex court remarked, “This is not the way people of the country should be treated,” and asked him to read their dissenting judgment in Sabarimala issue. “Mr Mehta, you should read the dissent in Sabarimala review. It is for people like you to educate and instruct the officials that our judgments are not to be played with,” Bar and Bench quoted Justice RF Nariman as saying. Justice Nariman tells SG Tushar Mehta for ED: This is not the way people of the country should eb treated. Mr. Mehta, you should read the dissent in Sabarimala review... It is for people like you to educate and instruct the officials that our judgments are not to be played with. — Bar & Bench (@barandbench) November 15, 2019 The bench also issued notices to the ED based on a petition filed by DK Shivakumar which sought quashing of charges filed by the Income Tax Department. It was based on the I-T Department's chargesheet that that the ED has registered a case. DK Shivakumar, who had spent 50 days in jail, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on October 23 after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. His previous applications for bail were rejected by the trial court. While his police custody ended on September 19, he was remanded to judicial custody till October 1 by the Rouse Avenue court. He was reportedly lodged in the same jail compound as former Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The ED had been probing accusations of money laundering registered against DK Shivakumar since August 2017, when a cash amount of Rs 8.86 crore was found at his New Delhi residence. Allegations against DKS include that he, along with his associates, transferred unaccounted money through hawala transactions to the Congress top brass.

Body 2:

Death

The 27-year-old contract worker was working overtime and was not given any safety equipment while working next to the furnace.

TNM Staff

A 27-year-old contract worker at Karnataka’s Raichur Thermal Power Station fell into the furnace and died late on Thursday night. Deepak Naik, who hailed from Odisha, was working overtime on Thursday when the incident occurred. At around 11.30 pm on Thursday, Deepak was working in the boiler room at the power station. Deepak’s job was to pick out stones and particles from the conveyor belt, which transported the coal to the furnace in the boiler room. Deepak was using a claw attached to a metal rod to pick out stones and other particles from the conveyor belt. However, the claw got stuck to the rubber mat on the conveyor belt and Deepak tried to pull it out. However, while he was doing that, the rod got stuck to Deepak’s belt and he got pulled onto the conveyor belt due to the speed at which the belt was moving. Deepak was dragged onto the belt and with no supervisor around to help him out, Deepak fell into the furnace and died due to burn injuries. Speaking to TNM, Ramesh, the investigating officer at Raichur’s Shakti Nagar Police Station says that Deepak’s supervisor Ajith Kumar and the engineer in-charge – Venkatesh, were both absent from the area when the incident occurred. “Deepak Naik was working overtime. He was asked to work late but none of his supervisors were there. He was not given any safety equipment. There was no one around when he screamed for help. By the time the other employees could reach Deepak, he had already fallen into the furnace,” Ramesh said. Deepak was supposed to have been given a helmet, gloves, boots and a jumpsuit to protect himself from the heat. Had Deepak been given the jumpsuit, the rod would not have gotten stuck to his belt and he would not have been pulled by the belt, police say. “The rod is a dangerous piece of equipment to have. The claw attached to it gets stuck to the conveyor belt a lot. Ideally, this work should not have been delegated to a person but should have been mechanised. When employees are working, the supervisor must be present, especially in the boiler room, which is the riskiest place in the power plant. If there were people to drag Deepak out of the belt, he could have been saved,” officer Ramesh said. Deepak’s body was fished out of the furnace immediately and rushed to Raichur district hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The Shakti Nagar Police have booked engineer in-charge Venkatesh, Deepak’s supervisor Amith Kumar and Prince Thermal India Pvt Ltd, the contracting company, which employed Deepak under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 304 (criminal negligence) of the IPC. The police were yet to make any arrests in the case at the time of writing.

Body 2:

Review

'Ayushman Bhava' has several scenes that remind one of 'Aaptamitra', 'Aaptarakshaka' and 'Sakalakalavallabha'.

Aravind Shwetha

P Vasu's films are mostly commercial flicks with family sentiment, action, suspense, comedy, betrayal, revenge and redemption appearing as key themes. While Aaptamitra, Aaptarakshaka and Drishya put him in a different league in Sandalwood, over the years, it seems as though he is reluctant to get out of his comfort zone. His second outing with Shivarajkumar, Ayushman Bhava, too is very formulaic. Gopi (Ananth Nag) is a free-spirited and caring person who believes in keeping his loved ones close. The family eats, sleeps and sings together. Krishna (Shivarajkumar) enters the house as Gopi’s caretaker and wins over everyone with his wit and charm. But, every night, a shrieking loud cry coming from the outhouse keeps him awake. While he tries to get into the outhouse to find the truth, he fails. But after a few bizarre encounters, he manages to discover a secret and this leads us into the plot of Ayushman Bhava. The film opens with a train mishap and is hurriedly moved forward by three years. The first half is about Krishna, a psychiatrist, entering Gopi’s house and the second half is about how he helps Rachita Ram's character. Sounds familiar? Well, we don’t blame you. Ayushman Bhava has several scenes that remind one of Aaptamitra, Aaptarakshaka and Sakalakalavallabha. In fact, the first half can be easily labelled as a sequel to Aaptamitra and Aaptarakshaka combined. Not just the storyline but the sets, props, scares, and background score are predictable. In fact, there was no need to bring in the spooky element in the film at all. Looks like that was brought in just to establish that it is a P Vasu film. The much-hyped CGI tiger chase scene in the forest too looks fake and is unnecessary. The first half is set mostly indoors and it's only in the second half that one can see the magic unveil on screen through PKH Das’s camera. This part, set in Kerala, gives much-needed relief to the eyes. With each film, Shivarajkumar seems to be reinventing himself. However, the showstopper of the film is undoubtedly Rachita Ram. For the first time in her career, she has opted to play something different and has scored well. She plays a music lover who aspires to become a professional musician. The role has thrown her a big challenge and she has aced it. Ananth Nag gets a full-fledged role and it is always a pleasure to see the actor bring out several emotions with ease. Others in the cast include Rangayana Raghu, Suhasini, Nidhi Subbaiah, Shivaji Prabhu, Sadhu Kokila and the occasional familiar faces from the daily soap operas. This is composer Guru Kiran’s 100th film. For a musical love story, he does establish a lot with the score, but since the generation has already moved on to Harikrishna and Arjun Janya, Guru Kiran’s background music sounds pale in comparison. Overall, Ayushman Bhava is a typical P Vasu film and the team seems to have succumbed to the director’s way of working. The film was supposed to be titled after Shivarajkumar’s debut film Anand, but going by the storyline, the name would not have made any difference at all. If age-old formulaic movies are what you love, Ayushman Bhava may just work for you. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

Body 2:

Civic Issues

Walkers and environmentalists who have been lobbying to make the park car-free warn that the air inside the park will get as polluted as the rest of the city.

TNM Staff

Just days after Bengalureans gathered to oppose the construction of a seven storey building inside Cubbon Park, the Horticulture Department has floated a tender to collect parking fees from five sites in the lung space. The Horticulture Department expects to earn around Rs 60 lakh annually from the five parking zones inside the green zone, but park users claim that this goes against their plan of making Cubbon Park vehicle-free similar to Lalbagh. One of the key reasons for opposing the multi-storey structure was that the new building will bring close to 300 additional cars to the park. Umesh Kumar, a lawyer and president of the Cubbon Park Walkers Association said, “Why do they want to float tenders for two years when they know very well we’re trying to ban all vehicles from the park? What is the point if people come here to walk and exercise but breathe polluted air?” He added, “Already all our city’s lung spaces are shrinking and the city is getting more polluted day by day. Why is the Horticulture Department interested in making money rather than preserving the park?” He also said that he would move the High Court to oppose the decision to open parking sites as it would harm the park further. Read: The fight to protect Bengaluru's precious Cubbon park and its heritage If built, the multi-storey structure will not only be the first new building to come up inside the park premises since 2001 thanks to the same HC-enforced ban, but a heritage structure will also be lost. Another protest similar to that held on November 1 is planned for Sunday. Due to concerted efforts from the Walkers Association and environmental activists, currently a blanket ban on vehicles in Cubbon Park is enforced on all national holidays, Sundays and fourth Saturdays (being a government holiday). Former IFS officer and environmental activist AN Yellappa Reddy said ideally there should be no vehicles inside the park. “It’s a park, not a parking area. Hundreds of vehicles are coming inside now and raising the temperature by 2-3 degree C in the day time, this impacts the entire ecosystem. The second point is that when you come to the park, there is a lot of ‘idle running’ of the engine, which means there is a lot of unburnt hydrocarbons released in the atmosphere. This with the atmospheric NOx and bright sunlight will create a lot of ozone in the atmosphere. This ground-level ozone is a secondary pollutant and is very harmful to the flowering, fruiting processes. This is not only harmful to the plants but also to butterflies and other animals,” he explained. Additionally, he said abrupt braking and starting of cars will also increase 2.5 PM particles in the air inside the park due to the wear and tear of engines and tyres. “So those who walk there won’t be breathing any good air. People go there as they want some good quality air but if you allow this there won’t be much difference from the rest of the city,” he added. But the Horticulture Department rejected claims that the decision to float tenders was directed at generating more revenue. “Currently we cannot stop vehicle entry into Cubbon Park like at Lalbagh. But we are exploring the possibility. But for practical purposes, as there is good vehicular movement, we want to regularise the whole system and curb haphazard parking. If there is a decision to enforce a blanket ban, we will revoke the tender. The tender includes such conditions, it won’t be any hindrance,” Deputy Director of Cubbon Park Kusuma G told TNM. Kusuma also said there was no pressure on the department to generate revenues.

Body 2:

Ragging

The fourteen accused allegedly physically assaulted Ameen, locked him in a room and extorted money from him.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Courtesy: Picxy

“My mother is afraid to send me back to college, after what all they did to me,” Ameen says, “She is scared that they might do something worse to me.” This 22-year-old Bachelor of Business Administration student was threatened and assaulted by seniors in his college. Ameen Anzari still he wants to go back to college and study but he is scared to go. In October, the ragging went on for over a period of one week. Emboldened by their actions, his seniors from East Point College of Engineering and Technology in Avalahalli in south Bengaluru went to the extent of physically assaulting Ameen. The fourteen accused allegedly physically assaulted Ameen, locked him in a room and extorted money from him. They issued death threats while demanding money. He sustained injuries all over his body, and his doctors in a Kerala hospital found three blood clots in his brain. He was in the hospital for almost a month due to his injuries and infections. Ameen is still recovering in a relative's house in Bengaluru. The police have nabbed one person in connection with the case in the wee hours of 15 November. Other than accused number one Amir, the police have been unable to arrest any of the others involved in the case. With thirteen of his seniors still on the loose, Ameen’s family is scared for his safety. Ameen who joined the college just a few months ago, in August, wants to complete his course. The Bangalore Mirror reported on Thursday that the victim of ragging has quit his studies and gone back to Kerala. However, Ameen says that though he is under pressure to quit, he had come back to the city earlier this week, to file a police complaint against his harassers. Ameen is now staying with his uncle, Shimi Anzari. Shimi told TNM that the college offered no support to the family, and that they were not addressing the problem. “The entire administration knows about this case, from the Director to the Principal, but no action was taken. The college only gave us the accused students’ contact details. They told us that the accused students have only four percent attendance, and they are not attending classes. Vijay Bhaskar, principal of the Higher Education section of the college which offers BBA, said, “The incidents have taken place away from the college campus, and the matter is now with the police.” When asked if any action has been taken against the students, he requested that TNM meet with him in person next week. The Karnataka Education Act of 1968 says that any individual guilty of a ragging offense must be jailed for up to one year, along with a fine. Ameen says that while the assault took place outside the campus, the first instances of ragging began within the campus. It isn’t just the college’s lacksaidal response that has disheartened the family, but the police’s attitude too has caused dismay. Ameen says the Avalahalli police at first refused to take a case, and finally registered a case only on 11 November. “We had to sit in the police station for three days to ensure an FIR was registered,” Ameen said. The accused persons, Ameer, Rahil, Mubazil, Shahin, Musthafa and 9 other persons were not to be found in their usual hangouts. When asked if he would leave college, he said only two words: "No way."

Body 2:

Politics

25.84% of this wealth was made over six days in August – just a fortnight after he helped the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government

Prajwal Bhat

Theja Ram

Karnataka’s richest politician MTB Nagaraj got richer by Rs 185.7 crore in a span of just 18 months, his latest affidavit shows. MTB Nagaraj was one of the 17 rebel MLAs from Congress and JD(S), whose defection in July led to the fall of the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy, making way for the BJP to clinch power in the state. Curiously, his affidavit for the upcoming bye-election in Hoskote, where he is contesting on a BJP ticket, shows 53 term deposits mainly between August 2 and 7, amounting to over Rs 48 crore. This amount is over 25.84% of the total increase in Nagaraj’s wealth in this 18-month period. According to the latest affidavit, Nagaraj and his wife Shanthakumari are worth Rs 1201.50 crore. This is a 15.5% increase in his wealth compared to the assets he declared in May 2018, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election. A comparison of Nagaraj’s affidavits filed in 2018 and 2019 show that his movable assets increased by Rs 104.53 crore. His wife, Shanthakumari’s movable assets increased by Rs 44.95 crore. On July 27, and between August 2 and 7, there were 53 term deposits made in Canara Bank, most of them upward Rs 90 lakh each. While there are also other term deposits in his account, those are reflected in his earlier affidavits too. So how did MTB Nagaraj accumulate so much money in such a short span of time, his detractors ask. .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-lxwd{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-b6fx{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-0pky{border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-fymr{font-weight:bold;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} MTB Nagaraj Assets 2019 (Rs) 2018 (Rs) Difference (Rs) Shanthakumari Assets 2019 (Rs) 2018 (Rs) Difference (Rs) Cash in hand 43,44,927 6,67,532 36,77,395 Cash in hand 4,50,000 4,89,999 -39,999 Savings account 4,53,32,109 5,39,58,205 -86,26,096 Savings account 27,04,502 62,19,616 -35,15,114 Term Deposit 1,34,56,45,966 1,21,85,13,172 12,71,32,794 Term Deposit 32,40,00,000 20,13,97,420 12,26,02,580 Capital Investment 5,85,42,394 48,00,84,661 -42,15,42,267 Capital Investment 94,69,15,241 93,55,39,055 1,13,76,186 Capital investment 2,84,60,605 2,87,75,817 -3,15,212 Capital Investment 4,49,08,558 4,49,08,558 Nil Personal loans given 2,71,80,65,734 2,33,79,47,741 38,01,17,993 Personal loans given 31,27,38,486 26,00,000 31,01,38,486 Motor vehicles 2,54,13,964 2,14,46,887 39,67,077 Motor vehicles 1,72,82,434 1,72,82,434 Nil Jewellery 2,23,32,813 2,23,32,813 Nil Jewellery 1,72,82,434 1,72,82,434 Nil Any other assets 6,46,429 6,46,429 Nil Any other assets Nil Nil Nil Total movable assets 4,24,97,84,941 3,14,75,54,785 1,04,53,08,946 Total movable assets 1,67,34,57,406 1,22,40,09,258 44,94,48,148 Agricultural land 31,09,73,302 30,86,75,504 22,97,798 Agricultural land 26,40,00,000 24,00,00,000 24,000,000 Non-agricultural land 3,09,86,16,103 2,81,26,45,728 28,59,70,375 Non-agricultural land 94,47,07,500 85,88,25,000 8,58,82,500 Commercial buildings 39,65,30,431 39,65,30,431 Nil Commercial buildings 28,10,00,000 28,10,00,000 Nil Residential buildings 39,14,89,146 42,85,01,646 -3,70,12,500 Residential buildings 40,44,87,000 46,02,87,000 -5,58,00,000 Total immovable assets 4,19,76,08,982 3,94,63,53,309 25,12,55,673 Total immovable assets 1,89,41,94,500 1,84,01,12,000 5,40,82,500 Total assets 8,44,73,93,923 7,09,39,08,094 1,29,65,64,619 Total assets 3,56,76,51,906 3,06,41,21,258 50,35,30,648 *In MTB Nagaraj's affidavit copy, the gross total value of movable assets was mentioned as Rs 4,19,28,63,731. However, when TNM calculated the total value, we got the figure of Rs 4,24,97,84,941 Sources in the BJP, who are opposed to Nagaraj’s candidature, say that MTB Nagaraj was paid close to Rs 50 crore for his defection from the Congress. Nagaraj and another former Congress MLA, Dr K Sudhakar, had resigned from their posts as MLAs on July 10. Between July 10 and 15, Nagaraj had held talks with senior Congress leaders and had said that he would withdraw his resignation, if Sudhakar did too. Just when Congress leaders were expecting Nagaraj to stick by the party, on July 15, he announced that there was no question of him taking back his resignation. He also boarded a private charter plane along with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s assistant Santhosh after making the statement. MTB Nagaraj boarding the private charter plane to Mumbai on July 15 The coalition government fell after Kumaraswamy lost the vote of confidence on July 23. BS Yediyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister on July 26. Three days later, the rebels returned to Bengaluru from their luxury-hotel stay in Mumbai. Four days later, the first string of transactions amounting to Rs 13.91 crore were made in the form of 15 term deposits in MTB Nagaraj’s name. A couple of days later, Rs 18.61 crore was deposited as 21 different term deposits. On August 5, Rs 14.86 crore was deposited as 16 term deposits, and finally on August 7, Rs 92.91 lakh was deposited as a term deposit. Each deposit that was made into these bank accounts was over Rs 90 lakh, but short of Rs 1 crore. .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg .tg-lxwd{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-rva0{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top} Date Amount Number of bank accounts Total 02.08.19 92,77,316 5 4,63,86,583 02.08.19 9276471 5 4,63,82,355 02.08.19 92,74,780 5 4,63,73,900 04.08.19 9275613 7 6,49,29,291 04.08.19 9,34,27,98 10 9,34,27,980 04.08.19 92,64,844 2 1,85,29,688 04.08.19 83,47,292 1 83,47,292 04.08.19 9,27,477 1 9,27,477 05.08.19 92,87,457 16 14,85,99,312 07.08.19 92,91,264 1 92,91,264 Grand total 48,31,95,142

Body 2:

Crime

People who had put their money on one of the injured horses are suspected to be behind the vandalism.

TNM Staff

Screengrab

In an unfortunate incident, more than two horses fell during the first race of the winter season. This accident triggered off a chain of events leading to violence and vandalism in the age-old Bangalore Turf Club. Speaking to TNM, High Grounds Inspector told TNM, “Today was the first day of the winter season. Due to an injury, one horse fell during the race, this led to two other horses falling. The jockeys also suffered minor injuries.” The injured jockeys include Srinath, Suraj Narredu and Kiran. According to many, Suraj was the favourite to win the race. The police have registered a case of vandalism against unidentified persons and are collecting CCTV footage of the vandalism incident. An eyewitness of the incident said, “The horse which fell down had a lead of approximately 200 m but when it reached the centre of the track, it kind of wobbled and fell. That led to the other horses falling down.” He added, “Moreover, the club authority did not declare the race null and void so a less known horse won the race which meant a lot of punters lost their money which made them angry.” The inspector said this decision apparently triggered the spectators on the ground to vandalise and break things. The eyewitness said the jockeys unanimously agreed that the turf was too soft for the race to take place which led to the horse’s leg getting stuck in the soil. Videos posted on social media showed spectators thrashing glass panels of counters, TVs and window panes amidst loud noise. According to club officials, all the seven races that were set to be held were cancelled. Reports said that the club officials will host a mock race on November 19 and take further decisions to resume the season after holding a stakeholder meeting.

Body 2:

Controversy

The search was reportedly based on an alleged violation of regulations related to foreign funding of NGOs in India.

TNM Staff

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday carried out searches at the offices of Amnesty International India Private Limited and Indians for Amnesty International Trust in Bengaluru and New Delhi. The search was reportedly based on an alleged violation of rules and norms related to foreign funding on NGOs in India. Media reports speculated that recently the Ministry of Home Affairs had sent a list of NGOs which had allegedly violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regulations to the CBI, and Amnesty was part of the list. Reports also suggested that the CBI would file a separate case against Amnesty. Reacting to the searches by the CBI, Amnesty said, “The Central Bureau of Investigation today conducted searches at the offices of Amnesty International India Private Limited and Indians for Amnesty International Trust in Bengaluru and New Delhi. Over the past year, a pattern of harassment has emerged every time Amnesty International India stands up and speaks out against human rights violations in India.” Claiming that the organisation is compliant with all norms, the statement said, “Amnesty International India stands in full compliance with Indian and international law. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold and fight for universal human rights. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and flow from a long and rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance, and dissent.” It added, “As part of the Nobel Prize-winning movement, Amnesty International India holds itself to the highest evidentiary standards. Over four million Indians have supported Amnesty International India’s work in the last six years and around 100,000 Indians have made financial contributions. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold universal human rights and build a global movement of people who take injustice personally.“ In October 2018, the Enforcement Directorate had carried out similar searches at Amnesty's office in Bengaluru. At that time too, it was reported that ED conducted the search due to an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). In 2016, the Bengaluru police registered a sedition case on Amnesty India based on a complaint filed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for organising a programme which sought to project the human suffering of the Kashmir conflict. The police charged Amnesty India under section 124A of the IPC (Sedition—Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law). Cases were also filed on the representatives of Amnesty under sections 142,143, 147, 149 (unlawful assembly and rioting) and Section 153a (promoting enmity between groups).

Body 2:

Politics

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who started the rebellion, allegedly convinced 16 other MLAs to resign and bring down the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy in July this year.

TNM Staff

Amidst much fanfare and pomp, disqualified MLA from Karnataka’s Gokak, Ramesh Jarkiholi, on Friday received a warm welcome in Belagavi. Known as the man who conceived the plan to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he first conceptualised the idea during his stay at Eagleton resort on May 17. During his speech at Gokak, a video of which has been released, he revealed the details of how he conceptualised and carried out the plan to bring down the coalition government. Ramesh Jarkiholi’s statement comes even as BJP leaders have consistently insisted that they had no role in toppling the government. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who started the rebellion, allegedly convinced 16 other MLAs to resign and bring down the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy in July this year. Addressing constituents in Gokak, he said, “When we were taken to Bidadi to stay at the resort on May 17, R Shankar and I did not like the atmosphere there. I was not happy about the way MLAs were being treated like pawns in a game by DK Shivakumar.” Calling former Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah “arrogant” and former Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar “corrupt,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he was convinced he had to “teach both these leaders a lesson.” “Siddaramaiah’s arrogance and ego was one of the reasons why I decided to leave. Siddaramaiah thought that he could sack me easily from the cabinet. He appointed me to get back at my brother. He wanted to finish off the Jarkiholis and our political career. He never wanted a leader from the backward caste to grow,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said. How Ramesh claims he conceptualised the plan In an emotional appeal to BJP party workers and his supporters, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he met BS Yediyurappa a few days after the coalition government was formed. Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he met Yediyurappa in Bengaluru and informed him that he wanted to bring in 17 MLAs to topple the coalition. “He was not sure whether I could be trusted because I had remained loyal to Congress for over 20 years. But he believed me and I met Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) and Muralidhar Rao in Hyderabad later, where I told them about my plan,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said. Ramesh maintained that his only condition to orchestrate the rebellion was that BS Yediyurappa be made the Chief Minister. “My efforts to bring in more MLAs failed eight times. Yediyurappa also told me that it may not be wise to continue and that I must stay back with the Congress. But I decided to persist and I succeeded,” Ramesh Jarkiholi added. Ramesh Jarkiholi also said that former Water Resource Minister Dk Shivakumar and Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar tried to finish him off politically. “DK Shivakumar’s corrupt ways was also one of the reasons I was unhappy. He and Lakshmi Hebbalkar tried to end my political career,” he added. The former Gokak MLA said that he felt betrayed by his brother, Lakhan, who may contest on a Congress ticket from Gokak. “I feel betrayed by my own brother. I had told him to wait another term before entering politics. Now he is going against me. Until December 5, he is not my brother but political rival. Let’s see how he can win,” Ramesh said.

Body 2:

Transport

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said that only BMTC buses, ambulances and fire engines will be allowed to ply on the stretches marked as bus priority lane.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru Police, on Friday, notified the bus priority lanes along Outer Ring Road on Friday after the project was launched in the morning. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao also notified certain stretches as one-ways in order to facilitate the bus priority lane programme. Bus priority lane aims at creating importance for the use of public transport, especially Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses. The project kick-started along Outer Ring Road between Silk Board and KR Puram on Friday. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao on Friday said that only BMTC buses, ambulances and fire engines will be allowed to ply on the stretch that is marked as a bus priority lane. “Section 115 of the Indian Motor Vehicle Act that gives power to the state government to restrict the use of vehicles on roads or bridges and IPC Section 188 (disobedience to an order by a public authority) can mean imprisonment for a term of up to six months, or a fine which may be up to Rs 1,000, or both,” Commissioner Bhaskar Rao’s order states. Bhaskar Rao also notified traffic diversions in KR Puram, HAL, HSR Layout and Madiwala police station limits. The order stated that the bus lanes — planned by BMTC, BBMP, traffic police and the Directorate of Urban Land Transport — are meant to reduce traffic congestion and hence, the rules would be implemented strictly. Here is a list of one-ways notified by Bengaluru police: Commuters can now travel only from south to north from Marathahalli Bridge to HDFC Home Loan building. Those intending to travel from north to south along this stretch must take the service road and reach the median near HDFC Home Loan building, which connects to the Kartik Nagar junction and then make a U-turn to ply towards Marathahalli bridge. Commuters plying from Marathahalli bridge to E-Zone night club can only travel in the north-south direction. Commuters must take the service road and go through the Marathahalli bridge and reach Kartik Nagar junction via the service road, make a u-turn and move towards E-Zone club. From E-zone to Jeevika Hospital, commuters can only travel in the north-south direction. Commuters travelling in the opposite direction will have to turn right at Jeevika Hospital and reach the service road to Kartik Nagar bus stop, where the stretch meets the main road. Commuters going from Kadubeesanahalli to Marathahalli Bridge cannot use the Outer ring Road as it has been made into a one way. Commuters will have to take the service road and go up the Kadubeesanahalli bridge and make a U-turn and reach the main road. Those plying from south to north along the Kadubeesanahalli-Devarabeesanahalli Road will have to take the service road and make a u-turn at Devarabeesanahalli junction and reach Kadubeesanahalli via the Outer Ring Road. Commuters can travel only in the south-north directions on the service road between Kadubeesanahalli and Marathahalli bridge. Those going in the opposite directions will have to make a U-turn on Marathahalli bridge and then take the service road to reach Kadubeesanahalli. Commuters can only go from east to west between Silk Board to 14th Main Road, Silk Board junction to Agara and Agara junction to Iblur bus stop. Motorists will be allowed to commute in the north-south direction from Iblur to Ecospace Flyover. Those travelling from Iblur Lake to Ecospace up ramp flyover can only go in the north-south direction.

Body 2:

Dispute

The Supreme Court has junked Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking a stay on Karnataka’s efforts to build a dam across a tributary of the Thenpennai river.

Megha Kaveri

Image for representation - Wikimedia Commons/By TheZionView [CC BY-SA 3.0]

The Supreme Court on Thursday junked Tamil Nadu’s plea to grant a stay on Karnataka’s efforts to build a dam across a tributary of the Thenpennai river. What’s more, the Tamil Nadu government’s reluctance to expressly request the central government to constitute an interstate river water dispute tribunal might have cost it the case. Thenpennai river or South Pennar river originates in Karnataka and flows through Krishnagiri, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu before merging with the Bay of Bengal. What is the dispute? Markandeya river is a tributary of Thenpennai river which joins the main river after travelling for around 30 kilometres inside Tamil Nadu, near Krishnagiri reservoir. The rights of the riparian states in using Thenpennai water is put down in an agreement entered into between the State of Madras and Mysore, the predecessor states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in the year 1892. The agreement specifies how to use, control and distribute the waters of the inter-state river. This agreement was modified in 1933. The Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board has been constructing a dam of 500 Mcft storage capacity across the Markandeya river in order to meet the drinking water requirements of Malur, Kolar and Bangarpet towns and 45 villages along the river’s route. About the project The Markandeya dam project, near Yargol village in Bangarpet taluk, was approved in 2007 at an estimated cost of Rs 240 crore. Of the Rs 240 crore, Rs 160 crore is to be pitched in by the government of Karnataka and Rs 79.92 crore is to be granted by the Central government. The government of Karnataka began the construction in 2013 and is 75-80% complete, as per the affidavit filed by the counsel of the government of Karnataka. The contention between TN and Karnataka Among the contentions that the government of Tamil Nadu put forward was that the construction of a dam across Markandeya river would severely impact the flow of water into Tamil Nadu, thereby adversely affecting the livelihood of farmers living in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts. The counsel for Tamil Nadu also stated that as per the clauses of the 1892 agreement, Karnataka is not supposed to take up any new irrigation works without previous consent from Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the government of Karnataka contended that it has not violated the terms of both agreements — 1892 and 1933 — and that as per the 1933 agreement, there is no requirement to get consent from Tamil Nadu if a dam is being constructed for the supply of drinking water. “... but the consent of the Madras Government will not be required under the agreement of 1892 for the construction of any anicut (dam) if there is to be no irrigation under it.” The counsel for Karnataka also stated that 75% of the river basin and the catchment area lies in Tamil Nadu and hence the dam across Markandeya river will not affect Tamil Nadu. Centre, meanwhile, stated in court that both the state governments had not requested for the setting up of a water dispute tribunal to sort out the issue. The SC order The Supreme Court stated that there is no reason for the court to order a stay on the project since it is around 75% complete and construction has been going on for a few years, with the sanction and permission from all concerned authorities. The court also said that Tamil Nadu, even in its petition, has not sought a direction to set up an Interstate river water dispute tribunal. “We repeatedly asked Mr Naphade, learned Senior Advocate to show any communication where the plaintiff (government of Tamil Nadu) had invoked the power of the Central Government and sought constitution of an Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal to consider the present controversy. Mr Naphade accepted that there was no such express communication but submitted that the request ought to be inferred from various communications addressed by the plaintiff (government of Tamil Nadu) to the Central Government,” reads the order. In effect, the court meant that the project has been going on since its approval stage in 2007 and since it began construction in 2013 and no efforts have been taken by either of the states involved — Tamil Nadu and Karnataka — to request the Centre to set up a separate tribunal. And because of this, the court can now do nothing but to allow construction of the dam across Markandeya river. However, Tamil Nadu can request the central government to intervene and set up an interstate river water dispute tribunal within four weeks of the order for further action. Also read: Last weavers of Karnataka’s Salikeri: The two sisters keeping the craft alive

Body 2:

Civic

Though the scheme was introduced last year, it was discontinued due to the poor quality of food.

Prajwal Bhat

Pourakarmikas, the sanitation workers, in Mysuru who are instrumental in keeping the city's streets clean will now be provided free breakfast every day. On Friday, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) launched a free breakfast scheme for all pourakarmikas working in the city. The scheme was launched at Madegowda Circle and Mysuru Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath had breakfast with the pourakarmikas working in Ward 11. Though the scheme was introduced last year, it was stopped in December following complaints from pourakarmikas about the quality of food. "Initially, when the scheme was introduced, food prepared in Indira Canteens were provided for pourakarmikas. But after complaints were made about the quality and hygiene of the food provided, it was discontinued," Mayor Pushpalatha explains. A call for a fresh tender was issued and mass caterer Rao Raghuveer Singh Seva Samiti was awarded the contract for a period of one year. The expenses for the year will be Rs 1.83 crore, Pushpalatha added. On Friday, pourakarmikas were served upma, kesaribath and a sweet. The menu will change daily and pourakarmikas will be served dishes such as uppittu, ricebath, four idlis, bisibele bath, curd rice, tomato bath and lemon rice. The breakfast scheme will cover all 2,500 pourakarmikas working in the city, and will be available between 8 am and 10 am at designated points in each ward in the city. "This is important because pourakarmikas begin their work as early as 6 am and if breakfast is not provided, they sometimes turn to eating in roadside outlets. It is not always possible to prepare breakfast at their home. There are times pourakarmikas would skip meals as well," says Jayanth, the Chief Health Officer in the MCC. Pourakarmikas are tasked with keeping the city's streets clean. Mysuru was named the third cleanest city in India in the Swachh Survekshan 2019 after topping the charts for the two consecutive years in 2014 and 2015.

Body 2:

Politics

BJP leaders had denied even in the floor of the assembly that they had anything to do with the poaching.

Theja Ram

“No one from the BJP has spoken to the MLAs in Mumbai. We have no role in the rebellion. They are disgruntled leaders.” – These were the words spoken by BS Yediyurappa, the incumbent Chief Minister of Karnataka, ahead of the vote of confidence in the Karnataka Assembly on July 23. Ever since the Congress and JD(S) leaders resigned en masse in early July, the BJP and its leaders, especially BS Yediyurappa have consistently denied playing a role in toppling the Congress-JD(S) coalition. However, these words are being proved wrong by disqualified Congress and JD(S) leaders, who are openly taking about how the plan to topple the coalition was formulated and executed. Former legislator from Gokak, Ramesh Jarkiholi on Friday told his constituents that he conceptualised the plan to bring down the coalition government. Ramesh Jarkiholi also said that he had met with Yediyurappa, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP Karnataka in-charge Muralidhar Rao, and plans were approved to execute Operation Kamala. Read: Plan to topple coalition formed during Eagleton stay: K’taka rebel Ramesh Jarkiholi Operation Kamala is a moniker for the Karnataka BJP’s plan of poaching leaders from the ruling party to bring down the government in a bid to clinch power. Along with Ramesh Jarkiholi, former JD(S) state President AH Vishwanath too has spoken about how the BS Yediyurappa contacted him with an offer to join the BJP and quit the JD(S). He told TNM that BJP MP from Chamarajanagar, V Srinivas Prasad contacted him with an offer. AH Vishwanath is a long-term friend of V Srinivas Prasad. Both leaders share a camaraderie over their mutual dislike for former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Both Vishwanath and Srinivas Prasad had quit the Congress after accusing Siddaramaiah of trying to sabotage their political careers. While Srinivas Prasad had joined the BJP, Vishwanath had jumped to the JD(S). “It was V Srinivas Prasad and Yediyurappa who contacted several MLAs with offers. I would not have accepted the offer if any other leader had asked me. It was only because Prasad asked me, that I decided to join the BJP. I did what Siddaramaiah did when he left JD(S) and joined Congress. Siddaramaiah took seven MLAs with him. We were tired of the caste politics in JD(S) and Congress,” AH Vishwanath said. During the political drama that unfolded in the Karnataka Assembly ahead of the vote of confidence, Yediyurappa, Hubballi MLA Jagadish Shettar, the incumbent Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy and most of the BJP leaders had strongly denied any role in orchestrating the coup in the Assembly.

Body 2:

Public Health

The water bell scheme has already been implemented in parts of Kerala and will soon begin at Telangana schools.

TNM Staff

Following in Kerala’s footsteps, the Karnataka government has decided to ensure that government schools ring the bell three times a day as a reminder for children to drink water. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar announced on Thursday that a ‘water bell’ would ring in all government schools at 10.35 am, noon and 2 pm every day to remind students to drink water. Each break will last for 10 minutes and it would be made mandatory for students to drink water at the time. In Karnataka, one private school in Dakshina Kannada district’s Uppinangady has already started implementing the programme, where three 10-minute water breaks are given to students. “The Kerala government initiative is a good one and I have instructed officials with the Department of Public Instruction to look into implementing this programme at the earliest. There are a lot of health problems that can occur due to dehydration. If we can prevent it, then we must do so,” Suresh Kumar said. Speaking to TNM, Director of the Department of Public Instruction, KG Jagadeesha said that the government has approved the water bell scheme and that the department is figuring out the logistics. “We have not yet issued a circular about the water bells to government schools. In Kerala, we learnt that the children were asked to bring water bottles from home. We have to see how it can work here. In many places, the children may not be able to afford water bottles,” Jagadeesha said. The director further stated that currently, RO water is available outside the classroom in all government schools for the children. “The Kerala model has alerted everyone that even though water is available some children, mostly the girl children, refrain from drinking water. This can affect their health. We are trying to come up with alternatives on whether the government will provide the water bottles or if any other plan has to be implemented on how the water will be distributed during these breaks,” Jagadeesha said. The government of Kerala implemented the water bell scheme in Wayanad, Kannur, Thrissur and Kasargod districts. Following this, the Telangana government also announced that it would implement the water bell scheme.

Body 2:

Commerce

As Monkey Bar prepares to shut down, chef Manu Chandra says it has become tough to run bona fide restaurants in Bengaluru due to the public entertainment license issue.

Theja Ram

After Humming Tree and BFlat, one of Bengaluru’s popular pubs – Monkey Bar is shutting its doors on November 24. In a statement, Manu Chandra, chef and Chief Partner at Monkey Bar, said that the pub had to shut down as it was unable to procure a public entertainment license. For Manu Chandra and the Monkey Bar team, the closure of the Indiranagar branch is personal, with the restaurant and bar having first set up shop in Bengaluru in 2012 before it expanded with branches in other parts of the country. For now, it's the end of the road for Monkey Bar in the city it first called home. Speaking to TNM, Manu Chandra said that Monkey Bar could not get the license as the building owners had not procured an Occupational Certificate from the civic body – Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. BBMP is supposed to issue Occupational Certificates only if the said building follows the fire safety norms and the building bye-laws. However, several bar owners have alleged that this process is not followed through properly. Read: B’luru pubs protest live music ban, residents say buildings themselves are illegal A few months ago, the Bengaluru police began enforcing rules laid down under Licensing and Controlling Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005, which requires establishments to get licenses for entertainment programmes. This means pubs and restaurants cannot play live music without a license, however this license also was later applied to playing pre-recorded music. From 2018, the Bengaluru police asked all pubs and restaurants in the city to submit a variety of documents to procure an entertainment license, after Supreme Court upheld the licensing rules. However, most of Bengaluru's core areas have violated building bye-laws in one way or another, but the civic body had allowed these constructions. As a majority of buildings in the city (including government buildings) were built in contravention of one bye-law or the other, the Karnataka government had proposed to normalise them under the Akrama Sakarama scheme. Since the issue of Akrama Sakarama is sub-judice, no action has been taken yet. Restaurant and bar owners say that imposing such rules for a license is problematic to local businesses."The closure is because we are unable to get a Public Entertainment License owing to the demand of an OC. The license meant for “live bands” has come to cover pre-recorded music too. The Police Commissioner has the full authority to rationalise this order, but that has not happened. The list of documents required to procure a license to play background music are untenable, especially given a majority of them are in the purview of building owners and not the tenants. Now the tenants are being penalised after having invested heavily in these spaces," Manu Chandra told TNM. Impossible to run bona fide restaurants The Supreme Court upheld the Licensing and Controlling Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005 in January 2018 following a dispute that dragged on for several years. In addition to this, a group of Indiranagar residents moved the Karnataka High Court against the illegalities in the operation of pubs in the area. Earlier in September, several popular bars in Indiranagar including Humming Tree, BFlat and BTDT had shut as they were not given the license. In some cases, the bars did not have an OC and others did not get the license as the building owners had not complied with fire safety norms. These three bars were known for their live music performances, especially Humming Tree and BFlat, as they provided a platform for budding musicians to perform. “The Bangalore landscape has changed to an extent where it is almost impossible to run a bona fide restaurant and bar business today. We are always supportive of the authorities and the interests of everyone in a city and try and work closely with the laws as they exist. Retroactive decision making, post all clearances and investment and effort, is a huge setback and ends up punishing so many legitimate businesses. Rules that ought to have been rationalised years ago, get used as mechanisms for making things impossible to those running their business and that is very wrong. Monkey Bar became a Bangalore cult brand, a story that spread across the country from this city. We will be back, hopefully soon.” Manu Chandra said.

Body 2:

Civic Issues

Residents, including children, organised a march on the Haraluru Main Road, holding up placards highlighting bad roads and the large number of potholes in the area.

Prajwal Bhat

Hundreds of residents from areas like Haraluru, Silver County Road, Kudlu, Somasundrapalya, Mangamanapalya and HSR Layout Sector 2 in Bengaluru took to the streets on Saturday morning in protest against the lack of infrastructure and amenities in the area. Residents, including children, organised a march on the Haraluru Main Road, holding up placards highlighting bad roads and the large number of potholes in the area. "A walk or drive through our locality will show the conditions we live in. Our elected representatives and officials have failed us. If they had done their job properly and had taken proactive steps to address our concerns long-standing concerns. We would not have been on the streets along with our children to raise our voices and demand our rights for a better locality and better living conditions," a letter by residents led by Ramakrishna Reddy, President of the Haraluru Somasundrapalya Residents Association says. In a detailed letter addressed to Bengaluru (Central) MP PC Mohan, Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali, BBMP Corporator Asha Suresh, as well as civic officials working in Mahadevapura and Bellandur, the residents highlighted various issues related to road works, lake rejuvenation, garbage disposal, storm-water drains, safety and administration. Their key demands included the widening of Haraluru Main Road, traffic signals on Birla Junction, flyover or underpass for Haraluru Road, functional streetlights in all internal roads, cleaning streets using mechanical sweepers, a ban on unauthorised digging of roads, ban on water tankers, and a skywalk on Sarjapura Road near Springfield apartment. Residents also demanded diversion of sewage flowing into the Haraluru lake by constructing a separate sewage line, installation of CCTV cameras, cleaning and the de-silting of stormwater drains, among several other improvements. Residents raised the lack of accountability among officials since these neighbourhoods fall under three different constituencies — Mahadevapura, Anekal and Bommanahalli. They also called for regular ward committee meetings and monthly meetings with officials and elected representatives. The protest was organised by a collective of resident welfare associations and citizen groups in the area. The protests come just weeks after a similar protest by residents of Bengaluru's Mahadevapura for better roads and development of the IT hub in Bengaluru.

Body 2:

Politics

The bye-elections have been necessitated in 17 assembly seats following the resignation of MLAs from the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).

IANS

Representational image

The opposition Congress on Saturday named six more candidates for contesting the 15 Assembly by-elections across Karnataka on December 5."Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved the names of the candidates for contesting the Karnataka assembly by-elections," Congress General Secretary Mukul Wasnik in a statement in New Delhi. The candidates are GB Mangasuli (Athani), BA Kage (Kagwad), Lakha Jarkiholi (Gokak), Venkatrao Ghorpade (Vijayanagara), Rizwan Arshad (Shivajinagara) and KB Chandrashekar (KR Pet). The party had announced candidates for eight other Assembly segments on October 31. They are: Bhimmanna Naik (Yellapur), BH Bannikod (Hirekerur), KB Koliwad (Rannebennur), M Anjanappa (Chikkaballapur), M Narayanswamy (KR Pura), M. Shivaraj (Mahalakshmi Layout), Padmavathi Suresh (Hoskote) and H.P Manjunath (Hunsur). The Congress is yet to announce candidate for the Yeshwanthapura seat in Bengaluru north. The by-elections have been necessitated in 17 Assembly segments following the resignation of their legislators belonging to the Congress (14) and Janata Dal-Secular (3) in July. Elections have been withheld in two seats because of pending court cases Bypolls in Muski (Raichur district) and R.R. Nagar (Bengaluru southwest) have been withheld due to litigation in the Karnataka High Court over their results in the May 2018 Aassembly elections. The counting of votes will take place on December 9. The announcement from Congress comes after the JD(S) and BJP both released their first list of candidates on Thursday. The announcements came just a day after the Supreme Court decided that the rebel MLAs who resigned from the Congress-JD(S) ruling coalition can contest the bye-polls. Incidentally, all the rebel MLAs except Roshan Baig joined the BJP in presence of Chief Minister and former state president BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday. The BJP has allotted 13 seats to 13 of these rebels and is yet to announce its candidates in 2 seats.

Body 2:

Politics

Meanwhile, the Congress in Karnataka wrote to the EC to file a police complaint against the BJP candidate of Hunsur Assembly segment, where 30,000 sarees were seized.

TNM Staff

Representational image

Election Commission officials have seized Rs 95 lakh in cash, 66 litre of liquor valued at Rs 83,000 and 30,000 sarees for violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) in Karnataka's 15 Assembly segments where by-elections are scheduled for December 5, an official said on Saturday."Our flying squads and surveillance teams with the help of the local police have seized Rs 95 lakh in cash, 66 litre of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL), 30,000 sarees and other materials from political parties, their candidates and agents since November 11 when the poll code was reinforced ahead of the bypolls," the official said in a statement. In the last 24 hours, Rs 8 lakh in cash and liquor worth Rs 13,335 were seized from some of the constituencies. The poll panel has deployed 248 flying squads, 479 surveillance teams and MCC teams to strictly enforce he poll code in all the 15 Assembly segments, including five in Bengaluru, seven in the state's northwest region and two in the old Mysore region. In Mysuru, the District Electoral Officer (DEO) seized about 30,000 sarees in 425 plastic bags, intended for distribution to women voters, along with pamphlets containing pictures of former BJP legislator CP Yogeshwar and other ruling party leaders from a godown that was raided in the city's Hebbal industrial area. Taking exception to the development, the Congress has written to the EC to initiate appropriate action. In a letter written to the EC, the Congress has said, “We also request you to kindly direct the respective police to file an FIR against CP Yogeshwar and BJP candidate of Hunsur Assembly Constituency. It is very clearly violating people's Representative Act 1951, under Section 123(1) read with IPC 171(B), 171(E), 171(F). Therefore an FIR against the said persons should be filed and a strict vigilance must be kept till the elections are over in and around Hunsur Assembly Constituency.” It further alleged, “The present government is also threatening the poll officers and not allowing them to work freely. It is a very serious concern about free and fair elections in Karnataka. Please take more interest and strict action in conducting bye elections in Karnataka.” Other than this the EC flying squads have registered 29 FIRs against poll code violators in the last six days. Though by-elections have been necessitated in 17 Assembly segments following the resignation of their legislators belonging to the Congress (14) and Janata Dal-Secular (3) in July, they are being held in 15 segments as bypolls in two seats have been withheld due to pending court cases. The bye-elections will be held in Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapura, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijayanagara, Chickballapura, K.R. Pura, Yeshwanthpura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagara, Hosakote, K.R. Pete and Hunsur Assembly segments. Bypolls in Muski (Raichur district) and R.R. Nagar (Bengaluru southwest) have been withheld due to litigation in the Karnataka High Court over their results in the May 2018 Assembly elections. The counting of votes will take place on December 9."In all, 169 people were detained under the preventive sections of the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code), 882 arms were deposited, 37 non-bailable warrants were executed and 255 cases booked," the official said. (With IANS inputs)

Body 2:

Ilaiyaraaja to perform concert at Bengaluru airport arena on Saturday

Bengaluru man, who led search for missing 4-year-old, arrested for murdering him

'This is no way to treat citizens': SC dismisses ED’s plea against DK Shivakumar’s bail

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Spectators vandalise Bengaluru Turf Club after horse racing accident

CBI conducts search on Amnesty India in Bengaluru, Delhi, NGO denies wrongdoing

Plan to topple coalition formed during Eagleton stay: K’taka rebel Ramesh Jarkiholi

Bus priority lane kicks off in Bengaluru: List of new one-ways, traffic diversions

SC allows K’taka to build dam across Thenpennai river tributary: An explainer

Mysuru sanitation workers to receive free breakfast daily after new caterer signs on

Not a secret anymore: Karnataka disqualified MLAs talk openly on how BJP poached them

Karnataka government schools to ring bell to remind students to drink water

After Humming Tree and BFlat, Bengaluru's Monkey Bar to shut its doors

Residents of Bengaluru’s Haraluru stage protests against poor infrastructure

Congress names six more candidates for Karnataka bye-polls

Rs 95 lakh cash, liquor and sarees seized in Karnataka poll code violation