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Archives for January 2025

Centre betrays Karnataka by meagre allocation of funds: CM Siddaramaiah

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Centre betrays Karnataka by meagre allocation of funds: CM Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addresses the media

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday alleged that the BJP led Centre is betraying the state by allocating a mere Rs 6,310 crore of the Rs 1,73,030 crore allocated to states.

He also criticised the Karnataka BJP leaders for their silence against the ‘betrayal’.

In a statement, Siddaramaiah said he deliberately waited a couple of days, hoping that the BJP leaders in Karnataka would muster the courage to speak up for Kannadigas, which they did not do.

Instead of fighting for Karnataka’s rightful share, they were busy singing praises of Modi for this worst betrayal of Karnataka, the Chief Minister said.

He asked whether “bowing to Delhi while Karnataka is robbed of its dues” was the BJP leaders’ idea of leadership.

“The NDA government’s betrayal of Karnataka continues in full swing. Of the Rs 1,73,030 crore allocated to states, Karnataka has been given a mere Rs 6,310 crore — a shocking drop from previous installments. This injustice mocks every hardworking Kannadiga,” Siddaramaiah alleged.

Despite making up only 5 per cent of India’s population, Karnataka contributes 8.4 per cent to the nation’s GDP, he pointed out.

Siddaramaiah also claimed that Karnataka ranks second in GST collection and lead the nation in GST growth with an impressive 17 per cent increase.

“However, despite Karnataka’s significant contributions, the Union Budget has doubled from Rs 24.42 lakh crore in 2018-19 to Rs 48.20 lakh crore in 2024-25, Karnataka’s share has stagnated,” he charged.

In 2018-19, according to Siddaramaiah, Karnataka received Rs 46,288 crore, but in 2024-25, it has been allocated only Rs 44,485 crore, with an additional Rs 15,299 crore in grants.

He observed that Karnataka should receive at least Rs one lakh crore annually, “but continues to be denied its rightful share”.

“Why should Karnataka, contributing Rs 4.5 lakh crore annually to the national exchequer, receive only Rs 45,000 crore in tax share and Rs 15,000 crore in grants — a mere 13 paise for every rupee we contribute?” the Chief Minister sought to know.

“Meanwhile corruption-ridden states like Uttar Pradesh (Ra 31,039 crore), Bihar (Rs 17,403 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 13,582 crore), and Rajasthan (Rs 10,426 crore) are showered with funds. Is Karnataka being punished for excelling in governance, GST growth, and development?” he alleged.

Siddaramaiah also said that the 15th Finance Commission reduced Karnataka’s tax share from 4.713 per cent to 3.64 per cent, costing the state Rs 79,770 crore over five years.

Even the recommended special grant of Rs 5,495 crore to compensate for these losses was denied by the Modi government, he alleged. He hit out at the state BJP leaders.

“And where are Karnataka’s BJP leaders? Silent as always. Why are they not demanding our rightful share? Are they representatives of Kannadigas or mere puppets of Delhi? Their silence is a betrayal of Karnataka’s people and their aspirations,” the Chief Minister charged. As the nation celebrates Sankranti, Karnataka, despite its unparalleled contributions, is left to fend for itself, he said.

“While our tax money builds the coffers of BJP leaders in UP, Bihar and MP, our people suffer during floods, droughts, and other crises,” Siddaramaiah alleged.

“This injustice demands an answer: ‘Our Tax, Our Right’. Karnataka will not tolerate this bias any longer. We call upon every Kannadiga, cutting across caste, religion, and politics, to rise against this discrimination. Let’s fight for what is rightfully ours!” the Chief Minister said.

Karnataka High Court upholds confiscation of Jayalalithaa’s assets

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Karnataka High Court upholds confiscation of Jayalalithaa's assets
Late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa

Bengaluru, Jan 13: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed on Monday an appeal by J Deepak and J Deepa, the legal heirs of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, seeking the release of her assets confiscated in a 2004 disproportionate assets case.

Jayalalithaa was convicted by a special court in 2014 for amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure from 1991 to 1996. Following her conviction, her properties were confiscated by the authorities.

Although she was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in 2015, then congress government in Karnataka appealed against it in supreme court. Case against Jayalalithaa was abated due to her demise in 2016. While convicting late CM’s close aide V K Sasikala, and her two relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi in 2017, Supreme Court upheld the confiscation of Jayalalithaa’s assets.

Deepak and Deepa, recognized as Jayalalithaa’s legal heirs by the Madras High Court in 2020, filed an appeal seeking the release of her confiscated assets, arguing that since the proceedings against her were terminated upon her death, she should not be considered a convict, and her properties should be restored to them.

Justice V Srishananda upheld the trial court’s July 12, 2023, order rejecting their request, stating that the confiscation order remains valid as upheld by the Supreme Court.

The court noted the absence of detailed evidence indicating which assets were acquired before the investigation period and clarified that any claims regarding such assets must be supported by proper proof and presented before the trial court.

In a concluding remark, the judge encouraged the legal heirs to consider establishing a foundation in Jayalalithaa’s name to serve the poor, suggesting that engaging in charitable work would bring peace to the late leader’s soul.

Kejriwal following Modi’s strategy of propaganda false promises: Rahul Gandhi

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Kejriwal following Modi's strategy of propaganda, false promises: Rahul Gandhi
LoP in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses during the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ public meeting

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that they keep mum on the issue of caste census as they do not want backwards, Dalits, tribals and minorities to get their due share.

Specifically targeting Kejriwal at his first public meeting for Delhi assembly polls, Gandhi said that the AAP convenor was following “Modi’s strategy of propaganda and false promises” despite rising pollution, corruption and inflation in the national capital.

Gandhi also promised a caste survey in Delhi if the Congress formed the government in the national capital.

“Kejriwal had said that he would clean Delhi, remove corruption, and turn the national capital into Paris.

“What actually happened — one cannot move around due to pollution and inflation is rising,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said addressing his ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ public meeting at Seelampur.

“Arvind Kejriwal had talked of removing corruption. Has he removed corruption? Just like Modi ji’s propaganda of making false promises, he is following the same strategy…. Pollution, corruption and inflation are on the rise in Delhi,” Gandhi said.

The Congress and AAP are part of the INDIA bloc. The two parties had fought the Lok Sabha election together in Delhi, but are contesting the assembly polls separately.

Stressing that India belongs to everyone, Gandhi said the Congress does not want “an India run by a handful of crony capitalists”.

“When I talk of caste census, neither Modi says a word nor does Kejriwal because both want that backward sections, Dalits, tribals and minorities do not get their due share (bhaagidari). Ask Kejriwal whether he is with the caste census. Ask Modi ji whether he is with the caste census,” Gandhi said.

“I had said to Modi ji in Parliament that you do it or not, we will get the caste census done and reservation cap removed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha when a Congress government comes.

“We want the poorest of the poor, whether they are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians, to dream big… head big companies,” he said.

He urged the people to support the Congress and make it victorious, asserting that the party would ensure Delhi’s development as in the past under Sheila Dikshit’s government.

“Neither Kejriwal nor the BJP can do what the Congress had done,” Gandhi said.

He said a battle of ideology is currently on in the country.

“It is written in the Constitution that India belongs to everyone. The BJP-RSS people spread hatred, make people fight,” he alleged.

“We walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to protect the Constitution. (BR) Ambedkar’s Constitution is being attacked by Narendra Modi and the people of BJP-RSS daily,” he alleged.

“Till I am alive, I will protect every Indian from assault be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians,” he said.

With the rise of AAP, Congress’ stake in Delhi’s political landscape has shrunk and it failed to open its account in the last two assembly polls.

Four children drown, mother who jumped in canal with them rescued

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Vijayapura: Four children drown, mother who jumped in canal with them rescued

Vijayapura (Karnataka): Four children drowned while their mother, who allegedly threw them into a canal and jumped in with them, was rescued in this district on Monday, police said

A local fisherman who saw Bhagyashree Bhajantri (26) struggling for life in a canal in Benal village of Nidagundi Taluk rescued her. Her four girl children including a twins were found dead, they added.

Bhajantri hailed from Telagi village in Kolar Taluk. It is alleged that she took the extreme step due to frequent quarrel in the family, police said.

You cannot compare one generation of cricketers with another says Kapil Dev

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You cannot compare one generation of cricketers with another, says Kapil Dev
Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev

New Delhi: It is needless to compare two generations of players and pass a judgement on who was better, legendary cricketer Kapil Dev said on Monday and refused to get into a debate if BCCI selectors were right in excluding Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant from the T20I squad for the five-match series against England.

Kapil bowled nearly 300 overs during the 1991-92 Test series against Australia and in the same rubber he became the first Indian to take 400 wickets in the traditional format apart from contributing with the bat in the team’s cause.

India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could not bowl in the second innings of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Test recently because of back spasms. India lost the five-match series 1-3. The 31-year-old Bumrah bowled more than 150 overs and emerged the highest wicket-taker on both sides with 32 scalps.

“Please don’t compare. You cannot compare one generation with another. That is not required. Today, players are scoring 300 runs in a day. It didn’t happen during our time. So don’t compare the two (generations),” said Kapil during an event hosted by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) of which he is the president.

The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper also added that one should not question the judgement of the selectors as they would have arrived at the decision to not play Jaiswal and Pant after giving it a thought.

The two cricketers played all five Tests during the gruelling Australia series, with Jaiswal (391) emerging the second-highest run-getter, second only to Travis Head (448).

Asked if it was the right decision to drop two for the home series, Kapil said, “How can I comment on the judgement of others? I think the selectors would have though about it.”

“So, if I say something it would be criticising them. I don’t want to criticise them. They (selectors) are a group of people who must have planned and thought about that.”

With batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli dishing out below-par performances in Australia, and talks of whether it’s time for them to retire swirling, Kapil said the decision should be left to them.

“They are very big players. Let’s hope when they think it’s the right time to play, when they think it’s not, they will call it off,” said Kapil, in response to a question whether they should be there for the Test series in England later this year.

With Bumrah taking over the captaincy from Rohit in the fifth BGT Test at Sydney and talks on whether he should be given a long stint to prove himself going forward, Kapil said, “If he has been given the opportunity (to lead the side), then give him some time also.”

Retail inflation eases to 4-month low of 5.2 pc in Dec creates room for RBI’s rate cut

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New Delhi: Retail inflation declined to a four-month low of 5.22 per cent in December, mainly on account of easing of prices in the food basket, including vegetables — according to government data released on Monday — giving headroom to the Reserve Bank to reduce the key interest rate in upcoming monetary policy reviews.

The inflation-based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased for the second month in a row after it breached the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) upper tolerance level of 6 per cent in October.

The annual rate of inflation was 5.48 per cent in November and 5.69 per cent in the year-ago period.

“During the month of December 2024, significant decline in inflation is observed in vegetables, ‘pulses and products’, ‘sugar and confectionary’, ‘personal care and effects’, and cereals and products,” the National Statistics Office (NSO) said while releasing the CPI data.

The top five items showing highest year-on-year inflation in December 2024 were peas (89.12 per cent), potato (68.23 per cent), garlic (58.17 per cent), coconut oil (45.41 per cent), and cauliflower (39.42 per cent).

The key items having lowest year-on-year inflation in December were jeera, ginger, dry chillies, and LPG (excluding conveyance).

“The CPI (General) reached its lowest point during this period in July 2024. However, the CPI (General) and food inflation in December, 2024 is the lowest in the last four months,” NSO said.

Inflation in the food basket was at 8.39 per cent in December, down from 9.04 per cent in the preceding month and 9.53 per cent in December 2023.

The RBI, which has been tasked by the government to ensure inflation remains at 4 per cent (+/- 2 per cent), has kept the key short-term lending rate (repo) at 6.5 per cent since February 2023.

The Reserve Bank’s rate setting panel — Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) — is scheduled to meet in February.

Commenting on the data, Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist and Head — Research and Outreach at ICRA — said while the CPI inflation declined in December 2024 from 5.5 per cent in November 2024, the pace of the correction was narrower than expected.

In sequential terms, the dip was driven by food and beverages, even as the year-on-year inflation for fuel and light, and pan, tobacco and intoxicants recorded mild upticks, she said.

“With the headline inflation stuck stubbornly above 5 per cent, the probability of a rate cut in the February 2025 policy review has certainly receded. However, the considerable decline in vegetable prices that is underway could convince some MPC members to consider an early cut in the upcoming meeting, with a view to supporting growth,” Nayar said.

Paras Jasrai, Senior Economic Analyst at India Ratings and Research, said the February 2025 monetary policy would be happening at the outset of the Union Budget.

“The conviction of fiscal arithmetic would also be weighing closely on the monetary policy action. While the current data is positive from the monetary policy perspective, Ind-Ra believes that the monetary authority would want to wait for one more policy before undertaking any change on the rates front,” Jasrai said.

Akhil Mittal, Senior Fund Manager — Fixed Income, Tata Asset Management, said early price trend in January show vegetable inflation moderating and this could mean inflation falls below 5 per cent sooner and well within the RBI expected trajectory going forward.

“This could open up space for the RBI to support growth, which is estimated to have slowed down most since Covid-19. We believe the RBI to shift focus from inflation towards growth going forward. While currency volatility has complicated matters for RBI, we think that as things calm down globally, RBI could start easing cycle,” he added.

Last month, the RBI raised the inflation projection for the current fiscal year to 4.8 per cent from 4.5 per cent. It also said the lingering food price pressures are likely to keep headline inflation elevated in the December quarter.

The CPI-based headline inflation increased from an average of 3.6 per cent during July-August to 5.5 per cent in September and further to 6.2 per cent in October 2024.

According to the NSO data, inflation rate for rural and urban during December were 5.76 per cent and 4.58 per cent, respectively.

Highest inflation was in Chhattisgarh (7.63 per cent) and lowest in Delhi (2.51 per cent).

The price data are collected from selected 1,114 urban markets and 1,181 villages covering all states and UTs by NSO on a weekly roster.

Some Israeli soldiers refuse to keep fighting in Gaza

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Jerusalem, Jan 13: Yotam Vilk says the image of Israeli soldiers killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager in the Gaza Strip is seared in his mind.

An officer in the armoured corps, Vilk said the instructions were to shoot any unauthorised person who entered an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza. He saw at least 12 people killed, he said, but it is the shooting of the teen that he can’t shake.

“He died as part of a bigger story. As part of the policy of staying there and not seeing Palestinians as people,” Vilk, 28, told The Associated Press.

Vilk is among a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict and refusing to serve anymore, saying they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines. While the movement is small — some 200 soldiers signed a letter saying they’d stop fighting if the government didn’t secure a ceasefire — soldiers say it’s the tip of the iceberg and they want others to come forward.

Their refusal comes at a time of mounting pressure on Israel and Hamas to wind down the fighting. Ceasefire talks are underway, and both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have called for a deal by the January 20 inauguration.

Seven soldiers who’ve refused to continue fighting in Gaza spoke with AP, describing how Palestinians were indiscriminately killed and houses destroyed. Several said they were ordered to burn or demolish homes that posed no threat, and they saw soldiers loot and vandalise residences.

Soldiers are required to steer clear of politics, and they rarely speak out against the army. After Hamas stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel quickly united behind the war launched against the Hamas group. Divisions here have grown as the war progresses, but most criticism has focused on the mounting number of soldiers killed and the failure to bring home hostages, not actions in Gaza.

International rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes and genocide in Gaza. The International Court of Justice is investigating genocide allegations filed by South Africa. The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

Israel adamantly rejects genocide allegations and says it takes extraordinary measures to minimize civilian harm in Gaza. The army says it never intentionally targets civilians, and investigates and punishes cases of suspected wrongdoing. But rights groups have long said the army does a poor job of investigating itself.

The army told AP it condemns the refusal to serve and takes any call for refusal seriously, with each case examined individually. Soldiers can go to jail for refusing to serve, but none who signed the letter has been detained, according to those who organised the signatures.

Soldiers’ reactions in Gaza

When Vilk entered Gaza in November 2023, he said, he thought the initial use of force might bring both sides to the table. But as the war dragged on, he said he saw the value of human life disintegrate.

On the day the Palestinian teenager was killed last August, he said, Israeli troops shouted at him to stop and fired warning shots at his feet, but he kept moving. He said others were also killed walking into the buffer zone — the Netzarim Corridor, a road dividing northern and southern Gaza.

Vilk acknowledged it was hard to determine whether people were armed, but said he believes soldiers acted too quickly.

In the end, he said, Hamas is to blame for some deaths in the buffer zone — he described one Palestinian detained by his unit who said Hamas paid people USD 25 to walk into the corridor to gauge the army’s reaction.

Some soldiers told AP it took time to digest what they saw in Gaza. Others said they became so enraged they decided they’d stop serving almost immediately.

Yuval Green, a 27-year-old medic, described abandoning his post last January after spending nearly two months in Gaza, unable to live with what he’d seen.

He said soldiers desecrated homes, using black markers meant for medical emergencies to scribble graffiti, and looted homes, looking for prayer beads to collect as souvenirs.

The final straw, he said, was his commander ordering troops to burn down a house, saying he didn’t want Hamas to be able to use it. Green said he sat in a military vehicle, choking on fumes amid the smell of burning plastic. He found the fire vindictive — he said he saw no reason to take more from Palestinians than they’d already lost. He left his unit before their mission was complete.

Green said he understands Israeli anger over October 7 but hopes his act of refusal encourages all sides to break the cycle of violence.

The soldiers’ refusal as an act of protest

Soldiers for the Hostages — the group behind the letter troops signed — is trying to garner momentum, holding an event this month in Tel Aviv and gathering more signatures. A panel of soldiers spoke about what they’d seen in Gaza. Organisers distributed poster-size stickers with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote: “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

Max Kresch, an organiser, said soldiers can use their positions to create change. “We need to use our voice to speak up in the face of injustice, even if that is unpopular,” he said.

But some who fought and lost colleagues call the movement a slap in the face. More than 830 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the war, according to the army.

“They are harming our ability to defend ourselves,” said Gilad Segal, a 42-year-old paratrooper who spent two months in Gaza at the end of 2023. He said everything the army did was necessary, including the flattening of houses used as Hamas hideouts. It’s not a soldier’s place to agree or disagree with the government, he argued.

Ishai Menuchin, spokesperson for Yesh Gvul, a movement for soldiers refusing to serve, said he works with more than 80 soldiers who have refused to fight and that there are hundreds more who feel similarly but remain silent.

Effects on soldiers

Some of the soldiers who spoke to AP said they feel conflicted and regretful, and they’re talking to friends and relatives about what they saw to process it.

Many soldiers suffer from “moral injury,” said Tuly Flint, a trauma therapy specialist who’s counselled hundreds of them during the war. It’s a response when people see or do something that goes against their beliefs, he said, and it can result in a lack of sleep, flashbacks and feelings of unworthiness. Talking about it and trying to spark change can help, Flint said.

One former infantry soldier told AP about his feelings of guilt — he said he saw about 15 buildings burned down unnecessarily during a two-week stint in late 2023. He said that if he could do it all over again, he wouldn’t have fought.

“I didn’t light the match, but I stood guard outside the house. I participated in war crimes,” said the soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity over fears of retaliation. “I’m so sorry for what we’ve done.”

TN CM Stalin announces USD 1 million prize for decoding Indus valley script

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TN CM Stalin announces USD 1 million prize for decoding Indus valley script
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin

Chennai: The Indus valley script remains an unsolved riddle for over a century, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Sunday and announced a prize of US dollar 1 million to those who decipher it.

Inaugurating a 3-day international conference to mark the centenary of the discovery of the Indus civilisation, Stalin said,”We are still unable to clearly understand the script of the Indus valley civilsation that once flourished.”

Efforts are on to this day by scholars to solve the riddle and in order to encourage such efforts, a prize of US dollar 1 million will be provided to individuals or organisations that solves the riddle, he announced.

The Indus civilsation, one of the earliest, is reputed for its urban culture and its script has not been decrypted yet. The fading away of such a civilisation, and its context, also remains a riddle.

BJP Kalkaji candidate Bidhuri attacks Atishi over surname AAP calls party ‘anti-women’

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BJP Kalkaji candidate Bidhuri attacks Atishi over surname, AAP calls party 'anti-women'
Delhi Chief minister Atishi, BJP’s Kalkaji candidate Ramesh Bidhuri

New Delhi: BJP’s Kalkaji candidate Ramesh Bidhuri on Sunday courted yet another controversy, targetting this time Delhi Chief minister Atishi over her surname.

Speaking at BJP’s ‘Parivartan Rally’ in Rohini that was later addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bidhuri said Atishi changed her surname from “Marlena” to “Singh”.

Atishi, who is the sitting MLA from Kalkaji seat, dropped her surname a while back.

“This Marlena (surname used earlier by Atishi) became Singh, changed name. Kejriwal swore over his children not to go with the corrupt Congress, Marlena changed father. Earlier she was Marlena, now she has become Singh. This is their character,” Bidhuri charged.

As the video of Bidhuri’s speech showed up on the internet, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal lashed at the BJP saying its leaders crossed all the limits of “shamelessness.”

“BJP leaders are hurling abuses at Delhi chief minister Atishi ji. Delhi people will not tolerate the insult of a woman chief minister. All the women in Delhi will take a revenge of this,” he said in a post on X.

The AAP in a statement said Bidhuri’s “abusive remarks” against a female chief minister exposed the BJP’s “anti-women” mindset.

“If he behaves this way now, imagine the treatment ordinary women would face if he mistakenly becomes an MLA,” said the ruling party in Delhi.

The party said Kejriwal’s promise of Rs 2,100 monthly allowance for the city’s women has rattled the BJP.

Delhi will teach the BJP and Ramesh Bidhuri a lesson by defeating him, the AAP asserted.

The elections for 70 member Delhi Assembly are due in February.

3.7 magnitude tremor hits Palghar in Maharashtra no casualty

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Palghar: A tremor of 3.7 magnitude jolted Maharashtra’s Palghar district early Monday morning, officials said.

There was no report of any casualty or property damage, they said.

The tremor was recorded at 4.35 am in Dahanu taluka, district disaster management cell chief Vivekanand Kadam said citing an official report.

People in Bordi, Dapchari and Talasari areas of the taluka felt the tremor early in the morning, he said.

The district has experienced occasional tremors in the past.

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