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Senior Journalist, movie actor Suresh Chandra succumbs to COVID-19 in Bengaluru

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Senior Journalist, movie actor Suresh Chandra succumbs to COVID-19 in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Senior Journalist and movie actor Suresh Chandra passed away on Friday afternoon here after days after testing positive for deadly Coronavirus.

Suresh was admitted to a private hospital in the city after testing positive for the virus where he breathed his last days after being admitted.

Suresh has worked predominantly in Kannada movie industry. Suresh has worked in popular movies like Kalidaasa Kannada Meshtru, Appayya. Suresh’s previous film to hit the theatres was Kalidaasa Kannada Meshtru in the year 2019.

Will continue as CM for next two years, says Yediyurappa

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Will continue as CM for next two years, says Yediyurappa

Hassan (K’taka): BJP national general secretary Arun Singh’s statement ruling out his replacement has given him “more strength”, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Friday and asserted that he will work for the development of the state during the remaining two years of the term.

The 78-year-old Lingayat strongman also said his responsibility has increased because of the trust shown in him by the BJP high command.

“Arun Singh who is Karnataka in-charge has said that there is no question (of leadership change).. it doesn’t arise and that Yediyurappa will remain (CM) for the next two years and complete the term– where does that question arise,” Yediyurappa said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with officials and public representatives from the district, he said, “it has been clarified that Yediyurappa will continue for the remaining two years and with the cooperation of everyone I will focus on development and tour across the state, and will make honest efforts to do a good job.”

Amid speculation about leadership change in Karnataka, Singh, who is BJP’s national general secretary in-charge of the state, on Thursday had ruled out replacing the Chief Minister and asserted that Yediyurappa will continue in the top post.

Yediyurappa in response to a question said that Singh’s statement has given him “more strength”.

“Hundred per cent, when our Karnataka in-charge has said there is no change for the remaining two years and good work is happening under my leadership, my responsibility has increased.I will put more effort and honestly work for the next two years, and try to live up to the trust shown in me by PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah (Home Minister),” he added.

Speculation has been rife for some time now that efforts were on, by a section of the ruling BJP to exert pressure for unseating Yediyurappa.

Some BJP legislators are said to be pushing for convening a legislature party meeting, citing some decisions taken by the government, its functioning, handling of the COVID crisis and alleged instances of corruption, among others.

Amid speculation, Yediyurappa had recently said he will continue in the top post as long as the BJP high command has confidence in him, and he had no confusion about it.

Earlier too there has been intense speculation in some quarters that the BJP high command is mulling leadership change in Karnataka in the days to come considering Yediyurappa’s advancing age.

Though the BJP had officially rejected outright such speculation in the past, it refuses to die down, with some within the party like senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal giving credence to it with his statements, setting repeated deadlines for Yediyurappa’s exit.

Sachin Pilot refutes Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s claim of him joining BJP

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Sachin Pilot refutes Rita Bahuguna Joshi's claim of him joining BJP
Sachin Pilot

Jaipur: Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Friday refuted claims made by BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi that she had spoken to him about joining the saffron camp.

“Rita Bahuguna Joshi claimed that she had spoken to Sachin. She might have spoken to Sachin Tendulkar. She does not have the courage to speak to me,” Pilot told reporters during a protest organised by the Congress in Jaipur against fuel price hike.

Joshi told a TV channel that she had spoken to Pilot about joining the BJP.

Pilot’s statement came amid reports of his discontentment with the Congress leadership.

The Congress leader had openly revolted against the leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in July last year, and after a month-long political crisis, the party high command assured him of resolving the issues raised by him and formed a committee.

The Pilot camp, however, says that the issues are unresolved and nothing was done by the committee.

In the protest outside a petrol pump in the Sanganer area, Pilot targeted the central government over inflation and hike in fuel prices.

“Economic slowdown, inflation and unemployment have hit the country hard during the coronavirus pandemic. People have lost jobs and labourers are not getting wages,” he said.

“It is very sad that lakhs of people died, dead bodies were thrown in rivers and every family struggled with the coronavirus, and in such a situation, the government is not taking any step to control inflation and instead, increasing fuel prices,” Pilot added.

He said the prime minister had to roll back his decision on vaccination and announce free inoculation for all under pressure from the Congress.

The Congress and other opposition parties will be successful in mounting pressure on the Centre over inflation and fuel price hikes, Pilot said.

Earlier, the Congress leader reached Dausa’s Bhandana village to pay tributes to his father and former Union minister Rajesh Pilot on his death anniversary.

Local leaders of the party were there with him in Dausa.

Gehlot and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra paid tributes to Rajesh Pilot on Twitter.

Passenger vehicle sales in India dip 66 per cent in May as COVID disruptions take toll: SIAM

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NEW DELHI: Passenger vehicle wholesales in India declined by 66 per cent to 88,045 units in May as compared to April this year as lockdowns across various states impacted dispatches to dealers, auto industry body SIAM said on Friday.

Passenger vehicle wholesales in April stood at 2,61,633 units.

As per the latest data by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), two-wheeler dispatches to dealers dropped by 65 per cent to 3,52,717 units, compared to 9,95,097 units in April.

Motorcycle sales declined 56 per cent last month to 2,95,257 units, as against 6,67,841 units in April.

Similarly, scooter sales were down 83 per cent to 50,294 units, from 3,00,462 units in April this year.

Three-wheeler sales declined by 91 per cent to 1,251 units, as compared to 13,728 units in April.

Vehicle sales across categories witnessed a dip of 65 per cent to 4,42,013 units last month, as against 12,70,458 units in April this year.

Commenting on the sales data, SIAM Director General Rajesh Menon said that many states were under lockdown due to COVID-19 cases for most part of May thus impacting overall sales and production during the month.

“Many members (auto cos) had also shut down their manufacturing plants to divert oxygen from industrial use for medical purposes,” he added.

Power tariff hike a burden on consumers amid Covid: Citizens

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Electricity

BENGALURU: Industries as well as citizens have expressed their displeasure over the revision in power tariff announced by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) saying that it will be a burden on consumers amid a  pandemic. 

The average increase of 30 paise per unit will burden consumers and will reflect on the production cost and raw material sales like iron, steel, and castings which are primary for all industries, said Perikal M Sundar, president, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bengaluru.

“The decision during the second wave and lockdown period is a big blow, apart from steep increase in steel and fuel prices…,” he said.He pointed out that even as Karnataka has surplus power and was selling it to other states, there were still transmission losses of 3-5%. FKCCI has requested CM B S Yediyurappa to direct KERC to withdraw the order.

Many citizen groups felt that the tariff hike was unwarranted. “Presently, all consumers are facing unprecedented hardship. Also, consumer-end reforms have been ignored. Just because ESCOMS ask for more, KERC fulfils it much to the agony of consumers,” said Rajkumar Dugar, convenor, Citizens for Citizens. 

Over 1.17 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses available with states: Union Health Ministry

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NEW DELHI: More than 1.17 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs, while over 38 lakh doses will be received by them within the next three days, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

Of this, the total consumption, including wastage is 24,44,06,096 doses, the ministry said.

A total of 1,17,56,911 COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.

“Furthermore, 38,21,170 vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by them within the next three days,” the ministry said.

Covid-19 India Update 3,403 deaths new cases remain below one lakh in last 24 hours

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NEW DELHI: The daily COVID-19 count in India remained below the one-lakh mark for the fourth consecutive day with the country reporting 91,702 fresh cases, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.49 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,63,079 with 3,403 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed The active cases further declined to 11,21,671 comprising 3.83 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 94.93 per cent.

Also, 20,44,131 tests were conducted on Thursday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 37,42,42,384.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.49 per cent .

It has been less than 10 per cent for the 18th consecutive day, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate has also declined to 5.14 per cent.

Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for the 29th consecutive day.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,77,90,073, while the case fatality rate has increased to 1.24 per cent, the data stated.

Cumulatively, 24,60,85,649 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4.

The 3,403 new fatalities include 1,915 from Maharashtra, 358 from Tamil Nadu, 194 each from Karnataka and Kerala.

A total of 3,63,079 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,03,748 from Maharashtra, 32,485 from Karnataka, 28,528 from Tamil Nadu, 24,748 from Delhi, 21,597 from Uttar Pradesh, 16,642 from West Bengal, 15,367 from Punjab and 13,285 from Chhattisgarh.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

Lakshadweep filmmaker faces sedition case for ‘bio weapon’comment over spread of COVID-19

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KOCHI: Lakshadweep Police on Thursday booked filmmaker Ayesha Sulthana on sedition charges following a complaint by a BJP leader that she spread false news about the spread of COVID-19 in the union territory during a TV debate.

The complaint was filed by the BJP’s Lakshadweep unit president Abdul Khader.

Sulthana hails from Chetiath island in Lakshadweep.

According to the FIR lodged by the Kavaratti police, a case under sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 B (hate speech) of the Indian Penal code has been registered against the filmmaker.

Aiysha Sultana, budding filmmaker, booked under sedition charges. Crime: Dared to describe admin policy a bio-weapon . Reason: Laccadives did not have a single case of Covid for a year until admin removed mandatory quarantine for travellers. Now Covid rages.

In his complaint filed with the Kavaratti police on Wednesday, Khader said Sulthana, during a debate in a Malayalam TV channel, had alleged that the Central government used biological weapons for the spread of COVID-19 in Lakshadweep.

The BJP leader, in his complaint, has alleged that Sulthana’s was an anti-national act, which tarnished the ‘patriotic image’ of the central government.

He sought action against her.

Earlier in the day, the BJP staged a protest in the islands seeking action against the filmmaker.

The Lakshadweep-based model and actor Sulthana has worked with several Malayalam filmmakers.

Lakshadweep has been witnessing protests by various political parties since the administration started implementing reform measures in the islands.

Bihar soon to include NCC as an ‘elective course’ in universities colleges

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PATNA: Bihar will soon include NCC as an ‘elective course’ in universities and colleges, officials from the state and the NCC decided at a top level meeting here on Thursday.

The education secretary assured that all efforts would be made to get the resolution passed in the State Academic Council. A proposal on this will be prepared and submitted to the chancellor of universities and governor of state for approval on top priority, Kumar added. 

The move comes as a big motivator for lakhs of NCC cadets across the state, who has to spend a major part of the non-academic time undergoing the training and participation of activities for the NCC. 

Official statement further said that the UGC and AICTE have also underlined the importance of NCC training among students in their circulars to Central and State Universities and recognized the necessity and possibility to adopt it in the core academic curriculum.

The newly designed NCC Elective Course will carry 24 credits spread over 6 semesters with specific credit for attending rigorous 10 days mandatory camp.

“In the first phase of the implementation, NCC as an elective course or subject will be offered only in those colleges, which already have NCC senior platoon or company and to only those students who enroll as NCC cadets,” the official statement read.

Likewise private colleges which are allotted NCC under the Fully Self Finance Scheme (FSFS) will also be allowed to offer NCC Credit Course. 

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