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Mekadatu project: Karnataka bandh from dawn-to-dusk

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Karnataka-bandh

Bengaluru: Karnataka bandh called by pro-Kannada organizations on Saturday to protest Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the Mekedatu drinking water project is expected to be total. Public transport, including KSRTC and BMTC buses, autorickshaws and cabs will be off the roads.

The bandh will be in force from 6am to 6pm.

Educational institutions and business establishments, including petrol bunks, restaurants and cinemas, in Bengaluru and neighbouring districts are likely to remain closed.

Nearly 700 organisations across the State have backed the call. Transportation is likely to be affected severely. While auto-rickshaws will stay off the roads in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Mandya, Hassan, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Ramanagara districts among others, the KSRTC and BMTC have decided to maintain skeletal service. However, essential services such as ambulances, pharmacies, supply of milk and vegetables will not be affected.

A senior minister told reporters here on Friday that chief minister Siddaramaiah is keen that the bandh is a success as he wants to send a message that nothing will come in the way of the Mekedatu project, aimed at providing drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring districts.

This year’s state budget has set aside Rs 25 crore for the balancing reservoir to be constructed on the upstream of Mekadatu across Cauvery river in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district.

(Agencies)

BJP leader Prabhakar Kore wants separate statehood for North Karnataka

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Prabhakar-Kore

Belagavi: BJP leader and Rajya Sabha Member Prabhakar Kore has warned that he would be forced to support the call for separate statehood for North Karnataka if the State government failed to recommend Belagavi for the establishment of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

The BJP MP was speaking at a meeting of elected representatives and professionals organised by a non-political Professional Forum to discuss the issue.

Expressing strong displeasure over no mention of Belagavi among the list of districts and probable locations to be recommended for establishing the IIT, Kore said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had expressed his willingness to establish the premier technology institute either in Dharwad, Raichur or Mysuru. “What was the problem in recommending Belagavi? Siddaramaiah always adopts anti-north Karnataka stand,” he alleged.

Let the government recommend Belagavi and the center shall take a final call, he stated. He also warned that failure to do so would stabilise the demand for bifurcation of the State.

(Agencies)

Smriti Irani's ministry interfering in IITs, opposition MPs write to President

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Smriti Irani

New Delhi: Cutting across party lines four Rajya Sabha MPs have spoken out against Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani. The MPs have alleged that minister is interfering with the functioning of IITs and universities.

The four MPs are KC Tyagi, D Raja, Rajiv Shukla and DP Tripathi.

The MPs have also asked President Pranab Mukherjee to step in to protect the educational institutions.

Recently nuclear scientist and former chairman of the board of governors of IIT Bombay Anil Kakodkar spoke against the decision making process at the educational institution.

The scientist apparently resigned because of differences with the HRD Ministry over selection of some IIT directors.

Kakodkar, whose tenure was supposed to come to an end in May 2015 has, however, agreed to continue till that period after being persuaded by Irani, who had a long telephonic conversation with him, sources in the ministry said.

“I have put down my papers because I want to move ahead,” Kakodkar had said but refused to comment on queries whether differences had cropped up between him and the minister over selection of the directors.

Kakodkar’s resignation came two months after IIT Delhi director R Shevgaonkar had stepped down from his post in December 2014 which had triggered a controversy amidst reports that there were sharp differences between him and the ministry over certain issues. His resignation is yet to be accepted.

BBMP trifurcation will happen, says MLC D’Souza

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MLC D’Souza

Mangaluru/Bengaluru: The Karnataka state government has decided to convene an emergency session of the Legislative Assembly on April 20 to discuss and pass a Bill on the trifurcation of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Informing this to the press persons at the Congress Office, Mangaluru on Friday, April 17, MLC Ivan D’Souza said the BJP had only been playing blame game on the BBMP trifurcation issue for political gains despite the fact that it was the then BJP leader Suresh Kumar who had initially mulled for trifurcating the civic body.

“The BJP was happy with the decision back then. However, since we are planning to go ahead with the idea considering overall development of the BBMP and the Bengaluru residents, the BJP and the JD(S) have been opposing it,” he said.

Coming down heavily on JD(S) Supremo H D Devegowda’s move to direct his party functionaries to boycott the Assembly session, D’Souza said that it was against the principles of democracy.

Clearing the air that the move was a ploy to postpone conducting the BBMP elections, he said that the party was not fearing a loss as it had contested numerous elections in which it has enjoyed both success as well as failure. He opined that conducting elections for the BBMP Council will be a waste of time and money if the BBMP is trifurcated. Instead, the state government will supersede the existing BBMP. Hence, the trifurcation is a certainty.

(Agencies)

Chittoor firing: HC orders fresh post-mortem of 5 victims

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Red Sanders

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court today ordered fresh autopsies for another five victims of the police firing in Seshachalam forests of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh state on April 7. Yesterday it had ordered fresh post-mortem of victim Sasi Kumar, a Tamil Nadu-based labourer, upon his wife’s application. The division bench of Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P V Sanjay Kumar passed the direction today after relatives of five more victims (out of the 20 people who were killed) moved the court seeking fresh autopsies.

The “re-post-mortem” was sought with the accusation that the firing incident was a “brutual and planned murder” by the Special Task Force (STF) of Andhra Pradesh Police. Yesterday, the high court had directed the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct fresh autopsy on the body of Sasi Kumar in response to the application filed by his wife Muniyammal. Her counsel had sought fresh autopsies for five others too, but the court declined to pass order, as the relatives concerned had not approached the court.

Muniyammal’s lawyer, advocate K Balu, today filed similar applications on behalf of the kin of five deceased — wives of four victims and another’s mother. The high court also ordered teams of medical experts from either Osmania Hospital or Gandhi Hospital (both state-run institutions here) to fly to Chennai to conduct the re-postmortem of the five bodies.

All the six bodies, including that of Sasi Kumar, are being kept at a government hospital in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. The judges also directed the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu to ensure safety of the medical teams. Their reports should be submitted in a sealed cover to the court on Monday, they said.

(PTI)

Doctors testify at UN over Syria chemical attacks

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Security Council members were shown footage of children dying following a reported chemical weapon attack in March. (AFP/File)

Security Council members were shown footage of children dying following a reported chemical weapon attack in March. (AFP/File)

by Andolu Ajansi

The U.N. Security Council listened Thursday to Syrian doctors who attempted to rescue children affected by alleged chlorine attacks in Idlib province of Syria.

Behind closed doors, Council members were shown footage of children dying following an alleged chemical weapon attack in Sarmin, near Idlib in northern Syria in March.

According to international watchdog Human Rights Watch, more than 200 civilians including 20 civil defense workers were exposed to toxic chemicals in several barrel bomb attacks between March 16 and 31.

In a press conference following the meeting with the doctors, U.S. representative to the U.N. Samantha Power said all members of the Security Council were moved by the footage.

Power called for action against the Syrian regime’s chemical attacks by overcoming division at the fifteen-member council.

A Syrian doctor Mohammed Tenari said most of the dead in the attacks were women and children. “Sounds of helicopters were heard during the attacks and bleach-like odors were felt,” said Tenari.

Another doctor Zaher Sahlul said all members of the council including Russia, China and Venezuela should hold those responsible accountable and called for action from the international community.

“Some representatives at the council burst into tears and what is important is to turn this emotional atmosphere into action,” said Sahlul.

On Friday, the doctors are due to visit Russia’s U.N. delegation in an effort to persuade Moscow not to use its veto against measures to be taken against the Syrian regime.

The Syrian opposition has repeatedly accused the Assad regime of using chemical and toxic weapons against civilians since August 2013, when a single attack reportedly killed more than 1,400 civilians.

The regime denies this accusation, pinning the blame on its adversaries.

The Syrian civil war, which entered its fifth year this month, has claimed more than 220,000 lives so far, according to the UN.

Anti-immigrant violence spreads in South Africa

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Arrests made in Gauteng province following overnight street battles in downtown Johannesburg.

Arrests are being made in Johannesburg following attacks against foreign nationals [EPA]

Arrests are being made in Johannesburg following attacks against foreign nationals [EPA]

by Khadija Patel, Al Jazeera

Arrests have been made in South Africa as anti-immigrant violence spreads to parts of Johannesburg’s commercial heart.

In Gauteng province, of which Johannesburg is the capital city, police arrested 18 people after overnight street battles, Major-General Phumzo Gela, deputy police commissioner, said on Friday afternoon.

Earlier police fired rubber-coated steel bullets into a crowd of South Africans in Johannesburg’s Jeppestown area.

A crowd of South Africans carrying hammers and axes gathered near the city centre, chanting “Foreigners must leave.”

Groups of South Africans in Jeppestown and Cleveland blocked roads with rocks and burning tyres and then ordered foreigners to leave the country, police said.

Jeppestown and Cleveland are neighbourhoods adjoining the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD).

A number of shops in the CBD were reported to have been looted and vandalised, further escalating tensions between foreigners and South Africans in Johanneburg.

Police said the suspects were trying to break into shops owned by foreigners.

Colonel Dlamini, police spokesperson, told Al Jazeera calm had been restored, but refused to reveal whether police had received credible reports of further threats of violence against foreigners in the city.

Violence targeting immigrants started earlier in April in the port city of Durban, claiming the lives of six people so far.

Rumours circulating

Rumours of imminent attacks on foreigners have continued to affect foreign nationals in Johannesburg.

Ahmed Fifa, a 35-year-old shop owner in the Ramaphosa settlement east of Johannesburg, said foreign nationals were warned by locals to vacate the area on Thursday night.

“One of the community leaders came to us and told us to move all our stuff and save our lives,” he said.

According to Fifa, the South Africans in Ramaphosa are divided between those who seek to protect foreigners and those intent on violently driving foreigners out.

“I can’t go back until the situation remains stable,” Fifa said. “I have seen the pictures of what happened in Durban and I need to save my life.

“The only problem we have here is the xenophobia.”

In Durban, where six people have been killed in the last two weeks of violence against immigrants, police spokesperson Jay Naicker a fragile calm had been maintained on Friday.

“Overnight we had no reported incidents and it has been calm,” Naicker said, adding that the police had not received reports of further threats against immigrants in coastal city.

He said foreigners would still not be re-integrated into the affected communities.

“The area is still tense and the police and security deployment will remain for a while,” Naicker said.

Amir Sheikh, chairperson of the Somali Community Board based in Johannesburg, said the violence in Durban has inflamed tensions between South Africans and foreigners.

“Some of our members have been harassed in Johannesburg following the violence in Durban,” he said.

Late on Thursday a widely disseminated text message claimed that “a train of Zulus” had departed for Johannesburg.

“These men are armed and they are going to be killing any foreigner they meet tomorrow,” the text message said.

The source of these messages remains unclear, but their proliferation has sowed panic and confusion among migrant communities.

“Our members have been unable to go about their day-to-day businesses because each time they open their businesses, a new message is received saying members of a certain ethnic group are gathering to attack them,” Sheikh said.

While these rumours have so far, proven to be false, its effects have already been felt.

Foreign owned stores around Johannesburg have been closed for at least two days already.

“The unfounded rumours have caused more damage to our members than anything else,” Sheikh said.

On Thursday South African President Jacob Zuma and leaders of the opposition in parliament spoke out against the violence against foreign nationals.

Zuma said that the majority of South Africans were not xenophobic.

“We reiterate our view that South Africans are generally not xenophobic,” he said.

“If they were, we would not have such a high number of foreign nationals who have been successfully integrated into communities all over our country, in towns, cities and villages.”

'Sarakki Lake Eviction': Demolition of over 200 Structures Begins in Bengaluru

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Sarakki-Lake

Bengaluru: A four-year-old legal battle culminated on Thursday morning as the revenue department started one of its biggest drives clearing Sarakki Lake of its encroachments.

Multiple surveys of the lake area had shown that 34 acres of the 84 acres of the lake area, has been encroached by private layouts and other establishments. Thirty-four acres spread across three villages Sarakki, Puttenhalli and Jaraganahalli may cost around Rs 2,000 crore in the open market today.

“This is one of the biggest clearance drives we have conducted. It may take up to 10 days to recover the encroached land,” said V. Shankar, Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru (Urban) district.

The district administration has formed three special teams, each headed by an assistant commissioner and armed with multiple earth movers and have taken up the clearance drive.

“We have issued notices to all encroachers multiple times. The High Court has given the order three times already. But this time we are moving in, armed with a court order to take stringent action against encroachers. All encroachers have been served notices a month ago and the date of clearance drive was also notified,” said Nagaraj, Additional Deputy Commissioner.

High Court had issued an order in August 2014 to free the lake of all encroachments disposing off a PIL filed by People’s Campaign for the Right to Water. Tahsildar Bengaluru (South) had, then, conducted a survey and submitted a report to the High Court showing 135 encroachments in the lake area.

Mr. Nagaraj said that there were a private dental college, a temple and 68 residential buildings in survey number five of Sarakki village, 30 commercial complexes, 42 residential buildings, six temples in survey no five of Puttenahalli village and around 40 residential buildings in survey number seven of Jaraganahalli village.

“Most of the residents of the area have left the houses with their goods anticipating eviction and demolition,” he said. He also added that a part of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) built road also encroached on the lake area and it would be cleared.

High Court has given a stay order for the eviction of one Nandini Lakeview Apartments with 21 flats, in the lake area. Mr. Nagaraj said apart from that one apartment complex, they would demolish all other buildings and recover the land.

(Agencies)

Royals beat Sunrisers, win fourth successive match

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ajinkya-rahane-ipl-2015

Visakhapatnam: An overall strong team performance and a thrilling finish from the Rajasthan Royals helped them beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets on the last ball of the match to earn their fourth successive victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Thursday.

Put in to bat by Royals skipper Steven Smith, the Sunrisers were restricted to a mere 127/5 from their 20 overs.

In reply, the visitors were steady but extremely slow, considering the low target. However, the Royals chased down the required score off the last delivery as opener Ajinkya Rahane top scored with a match-winning 62.

At the start, the Sunrisers never really got any partnership going as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Leg spinner Pravin Tambe (2/21), the oldest player of the tournament at 43, and medio Dhawal Kulkarni (2/9) were the star performers as the duo made sure they kept the Sunrisers’ run rate in check. Together they bowled seven overs, including a maiden, taking two wickets and giving away only 30 runs.

There were a few mediocre performances from Sunrisers batsman. Captain David Warner (21), wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha (25), Eoin Morgan (27) and Ravi Bopara (23 not out) got starts but none of them were able to play the anchor’s innings to take the home team to a challenging total.

Chasing 128, the Royals played patiently as opening batsmen Rahane and Sanju Samson (26) struck an important 64-run partnership. Though they were off to a good start, they were quite slow in their chase which tightened things up towards the end, thanks to some disciplined bowling from the Sunrisers.

Wickets in hand proved to be Royals’ boon. With only one run needed off the last ball, James Faulkner connected well to put the ball past the point boundary for the visiting team.

Rahane was the star performer as he caressed nine boundaries in his 56-ball innings. However, a slow chase meant that the Royals had to wait till the last ball to win the match but wickets in hand eased off the pressure for them.

(IANS)

Masarat Alam says did not wave Pakistani flag, but finds nothing wrong in others waving it

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masarat-alam

by Junaid Kathju, Rising Kashmir

Srinagar: Muslim League chairman and senior Hurriyat (G) leader Masarat Alam Thursday said he did not find anything wrong in people waving Pakistani flags during Syed Ali Geelani’s rally in Srinagar yesterday.

“Even though I didn’t personally wave any flags but if people did wave such flags, I don’t find anything wrong in it,” Alam told Rising Kashmir.

He said waving Pakistani flag in Kashmir has been the part of the “freedom movement” in Kashmir and it has been going on since 1947.

“By seeing the same sentiment, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru promised plebiscite to Kashmiri people which were never fulfilled. Yesterday was only the reminder of that promise,” the separatist leader said.

On FIR being lodged against him for alleged provocative activities and hoisting of Pakistani flag, Alam said many FIRs have been registered against him in past and there was nothing to worry about it.

“What is new in it? I have been booked many times in past also. One more FIR doesn’t make any difference to me,” he said.

About Tral chalo call , Alam said his party has not yet decided whether to join the rally but being a member of Hurriyat (G), he is ready to be part of any program.

Police Wednesday evening registered FIR against Geelani, Masarat, Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah and other separatist leaders for alleged provocative activities and hoisting Pakistani flag in Hyderpora.

FIR No 92/2015 under sections 13 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 120-B, 147,341,336,427 RPC was registered in Police Station Budgam against the trio.

On March 7, government released Alam from jail after four years of detention. Alam was arrested in Harwan area on the outskirts of Srinagar in October 2010 on charges of spearheading summer unrest in the Valley that year. Over 120 youth were killed in police and paramilitary forces firing in during the unrest.

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