Kasaragod District Collector K. Inbashekar

Kasaragod: Kasaragod District Collector K. Inbashekar has declared a holiday for all schools in the district on July 31 as a precautionary measure owing to continuous heavy rainfall.

According to the order, the leave does not apply to pre-scheduled examinations. Schools also remained closed on July 29, Tuesday.

The district has been experiencing a flood like situation over the past 24 hours due to torrential rains. A meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) was convened on Tuesday under the leadership of the District Collector, discussions were held on preparing for necessary emergency operations and ensuring the safety of residents.

Meanwhile the district administration has advised residents living in low-lying areas and near riverbanks to relocate to safer places if necessary. Additionally, the district administration has emphasized the need for caution in areas prone to landslides.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday wrote to his counterpart in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, requesting that his government continue the rescue operations to find Arjun, the lorry driver from Kozhikode who went missing in a landslide at Shirur there recently.

In the letter, Vijayan said his government appreciates the efforts taken by the teams engaged in the search-and-rescue operations to find the missing person. There have been reports that search operations have been stopped, he said, adding, “I earnestly urge you to give directions to continue the rescue operations till they yield positive results.”

Vijayan also requested that the operations be continued with augmented strength and using all needed equipment.

Later, the Kerala CM posted on social media platform X that he wrote to Siddaramaiah to express appreciation for the search-and-rescue teams’ dedication to locating Arjun. Wrote to Karnataka CM siddaramaiah to express appreciation for the search & rescue teams’ dedication in locating Arjun, who went missing in a tragic landslide in Shirur, Karnataka. As there are reports of operations stopping, we requested him to give directions to continue the rescue operations till they yield positive results,” Vijayan said in his X post.

Arjun was driving a lorry loaded with timber to Kozhikode when the landslide occurred on July 16. He has been missing for the past 12 days now.

Multiple agencies have been conducting a search mission to find him at the landslide site.

Union Minister and JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy seen covering his nose during a press conference, in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy was hospitalised here after his nose started bleeding during a press conference on Sunday.

Kumaraswamy, who is the JD(S) second-in-command, was addressing reporters after a meeting with the BJP leaders when he noticed blood coming out of his nose.

The Union Minister, holding steel and heavy industries portfolio, tried to wipe off the blood, but soon it began trickling down his chin and then fell on his white shirt for everyone to see.

The unexpected turn of events baffled everyone present there.

Quickly, his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy rushed him to a private hospital.

Later speaking to media, Nikhil said there was nothing to worry as the doctors were attending to him.

According to him, due to the hectic schedule, his father did not take rest, which could be the reason behind the incident.

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil

Bengaluru: Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday slammed the opposition BJP over its all-night agitation in the Karnataka legislature after the party’s demand to discuss the MUDA ‘scam’ was denied.

Patil said the BJP has used the ongoing legislative session for their political advantage despite explaining to them why the adjournment motion into the alternative site (plot) scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) cannot be taken up.

He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered an investigation into the irregularities in the MUDA by a retired judge of the High Court.

“The CM has formed a commission to investigate the allegations against him. Is there any example of a chief minister forming a commission of inquiry when there was an allegation against him?” Patil asked.

He sought to know from the opposition BJP and its ally JD(S) if there is any instance of former Chief Ministers H D Kumaraswamy, B S Yeddyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai setting up a commission.

“ The opposition party should have appreciated the CM’s stand. This (overnight agitation) is just a political drama,” the Minister said in a statement.

He reminded that the opposition is not ready to discuss the landslide at Shirur in the Uttara Kannada district.

Patil alleged that the BJP is also not keen on discussing the bills on One Nation One Election, Re-establishing Common Entrance Test (CET) against National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) and several others for the benefit of people.

It is alleged that alternative sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been “acquired” by the MUDA.

Several supporters of Siddaramaiah too have allegedly “benefitted this way,” BJP leaders alleged.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

The controversial scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts.

Paris: Dhinidhi Desinghu, a 14-year-old budding Indian swimmer, is set to represent India at the upcoming Olympics in Paris, competing in the women’s 200m freestyle. As the youngest member of the Indian contingent, Dhinidhi’s journey is an inspiring story of overcoming her initial fear of water to participating in various international swimming competitions.

“But I didn’t like the water, I didn’t want to get in. I couldn’t get my feet into the pool, I couldn’t get my head inside. It was a struggle,” Dhinidhi told The Indian Express. Her journey began when her parents learned how to swim before her to help her feel at ease.

Although she got comfortable in the water, Dhinidhi initially had difficulties in handling the pressure, her mother Jesitha shared with the Indian Express. However, things changed for the better at a state-level open meeting in Mangaluru. Dhinidhi expressed fear and reluctance to swim. Jesitha motivated her to at least see the pool, after which Dhinidhi agreed to compete. She bagged gold and overcame issues with anxiety before competitions, Jesitha recalled.

Dhinidhi shed light upon her habit of writing a diary where she notes everything about her workout, the timing she strives to achieve, her optimal practice times, and national records, among others. Dhinidhi adds: “I write all of it down so that in case I want to know what I have to aim for, I know how far I am. For me, setting goals is a little better because if I have something to work towards, it makes me realise why I am doing all this.”

Along with maintaining a diary, she also has a blog where she shares her journey and experiences, hoping it might help someone else to overcome issues that she faced as a child.

Dhinidhi trains at Dolphin Aquatics in Bengaluru, headed by Dronacharya awardee Nihar Ameen, and is coached by Madhu Kumar. The youngster qualified for the women’s 200m freestyle on a universality quota and will compete alongside Indian swimming veteran Srihari Natara. She holds the record of being the youngest female swimmer to win seven gold medals at the National Games. Additionally, she holds a national record in the women’s 200m freestyle and has participated in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries, H D Kumaraswamy, has extended his congratulations to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting her seventh consecutive budget in Parliament.

Kumaraswamy lauded the budget, describing it as a step towards realizing Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) and referring to it as a ‘narishakti’ (women empowerment) budget due to its focus on providing benefits to women.

Kumaraswamy highlighted that the budget has identified nine priority zones, with a allocation of ₹1.48 lakh crore for education, employment, and skills development. This investment aims to create 4 crore jobs and effectively utilize human resources. “This budget includes initiatives to financially empower small and medium-scale industries, which are crucial for employment generation,” he noted.

Describing the budget as “visionary and far-reaching,” Kumaraswamy emphasized its focus on agriculture, industry, infrastructure, and employment generation. He mentioned the announcement of 12 industrial corridors, including the Bangalore-Chennai and Hyderabad-Bangalore corridors, which are expected to significantly boost employment and economic growth.

Kumaraswamy also praised the budget’s emphasis on agricultural research and development to meet the growing food demand and give a greater impetus to agriculture. He appreciated the extension of the digital survey scheme for agricultural crops to 400 districts across the country and commended Sitharaman for prioritizing natural farming.

Highlighting the focus on research and innovation, Kumaraswamy said, “Prioritizing industrial development through mutual collaboration between the central and state governments is an initiative that shall make a far-reaching contribution to development.” He also welcomed the provision of 50-year interest-free loans to states in the budget, describing it as an “all-reaching budget of the Amrit Kaal.”

Bengaluru: Minister Byrati Suresh has announced that GT Mall will be shut down for seven days as a response to alleged disrespect towards farmers.

The decision was announced in the Monsoon session of the Legislature, where the issue of denial of entry to a farmer into GT Mall was raised.

Minister Suresh, speaking on behalf of the government, stated, “We have engaged with the BBMP commissioner regarding this matter. Legal provisions allow for government action. Consequently, we have decided to close the mall for seven days as a disciplinary measure.”

Background

On July 17th, a farmer and his son visiting GT Mall on Magadi Road in Bengaluru were allegedly denied entry due to the farmer’s attire—a dhoti and white shirt. The incident sparked outrage after the farmer, identified as Fakirappa from Haveri, was initially refused entry while accompanying his family for watching a movie.

Following the incident, which was recorded on video by his son and circulated on social media, there was widespread condemnation from pro-Kannada and farmers’ organizations across the state. They demanded an immediate apology from the mall authorities and threatened protests if their demands were not met.

On Wednesday, activists led by Rupesh Rajanna from a Pro-Kannada organization gathered outside GT Mall, protesting vehemently against the discrimination faced by Fakirappa. The demonstrators called for stringent action against the mall authorities, after which police personnel were deployed to maintain order and prevent any potential disruptions.

Subsequently, the mall authorities issued an apology and later honored Fakirappa.

Bengaluru: Ministers in Karnataka have raised concerns over the selective investigation tactics of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Valmiki Corporation scam. They questioned why similar attention was not given to scams that occurred under the previous BJP government.

During a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Karnataka’s Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, along with Ministers Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao, KJ George, and Santosh Lad, criticized the central agencies’ approach.

Kharge pointed out scams in various corporations and trusts, such as the APMC, Bovi Corporation, Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation, Dr. Ambedkar Development Corporation, and Devaraj Arasu Trust, questioning why these were not investigated.

Kharge accused the BJP of a pattern of overthrowing state governments through strategic operations in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Gujarat. He presented statistics claiming that since 2014, 444 MLAs have been influenced through agencies like the IT department, ED, and CBI to destabilize governments with a majority.

Kharge also alleged that ED officials are pressuring individuals involved in the Valmiki Corporation scam to name the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other ministers as part of the investigation.

He questioned why cases against former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and the Reddy brothers were not being pursued, suggesting that those who refuse to join the BJP face undue pressure.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda also raised these concerns, accusing the central government of misusing investigative agencies like the IT, ED, and CBI to target states with opposition governments. He claimed that forced statements were being extracted during the Valmiki Corporation scam investigation to implicate government officials.

Bengaluru: A special court here on Thursday extended till August one the judicial custody of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa along with his friend Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others in the Renukaswamy murder case.

All the 17 accused, including Darshan and Pavithra, were produced before the magistrate through video conferencing from Bengaluru and Tumakuru prisons, where they are lodged, as their judicial custody ended today.

The special public prosecutor argued that releasing the accused could hinder ongoing investigations, as more details needed to be collected. The prosecution highlighted alleged attempts by the accused to destroy technical, physical, and scientific evidence, demonstrating a disregard for the law.

The prosecutor further disclosed the seizure of Rs 83.65 lakh in cash from the accused, and noted their use of multiple SIM cards registered under different names to contact various individuals before, during, and after the crime. The prosecution stressed that granting bail could lead to the destruction of crucial evidence.

According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.

Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan’s fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar here, on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered.

According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.

Police sources said Pavithra Gowda, who is accused number one, was the “major cause” for Renukaswamy’s murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime.

Meanwhile, Darshan’s petition in the High Court, seeking direction to the prison authorities to permit him to have access to private sourced/home food, cutlery, bedding, and books to be supplied by his family members, is slated to come up for hearing on Friday.

Bengaluru: The opposition BJP in Karnataka on Thursday warned the Congress government in the state to be prepared for the wrath of the people if it fails to table the bill that mandates reservations for Kannadigas in the private sector in the ongoing Legislative session.

The party slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for taking an U-turn on the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which was cleared in the Cabinet meeting on Monday and put on hold late Wednesday night after uproar by the industry.

Clarifying on the decision to hold back the bill, Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that the draft bill intended to provide reservations for Kannadigas in private sector companies, industries, and enterprises is still in the preparation stage.

A comprehensive discussion will be held in the next Cabinet meeting to make a final decision, he said.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra in a post on ‘X’ asked, “Why did you bring the bill to give employment to the kannadigas? Why did you hold it back? Why mess with the lives of Kannadigas? Do you need Kannadigas to insult?”

“Let the government present the job reservation bill for Kannadigas, which has given hope to lakhs of unemployed people in rural areas who were deprived of job opportunities despite their qualifications, in the current session, or else be ready to face the anger of Kannadigas,” the Shikaripura MLA said.

Vijayendra condemned the ‘cowardly decision’ of putting the bill on hold which ‘insulted Kannada-Kannadiga-Karnataka’. The bill aims to provide employment to Kannadigas.

The BJP leader sought to know why the government, which had moved forward to address the demand of the pro-Kannada fighters, after many years of struggle to protect the employment rights of the children of this land, gave up within a day.

It seems that the lobby of the anti-Karnataka forces, which suppress the self-respect of the country, the self-esteem of the Kannadigas, has prevailed over the chief minister, forcing him to take a ‘U-turn’ three times within a day, Vijayendra alleged.

“Fearing the split in the INDI Alliance, Delhi’s big ‘hand’ must have tied the hands of the chief minister, otherwise how can he take an escapist decision to sideline the bill that will improve the lives of Kannadigas?” the BJP state president said.

The people of the state will never forgive the Congress leaders if the Congress government and the chief minister held back the ‘pro-Kannada bill’ in an attempt to divert public attention and also mislead the investigation into the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation (KMVSTDC) and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scams that have rocked the state, he said.