BENGALURU : Amid murmurs of BJP state vice-president BY Vijayendra — son of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa — contesting the ensuing Sindagi or Hangal bypolls, the former has put all speculation to rest by saying he will not fight the by-elections, and instead wait for the 2023 Assembly polls.

Bypolls to Sindagi and Hangal were necessitated following the death of JDS MLA MC Managuli and CM Udasi, respectively. Vijayendra’s statement comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP will fight the next election under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Vijayendra said that with just 19 months left for the 2023 Assembly elections, he was not in a hurry to enter the Assembly now. “If I contest in a hurry now, I may have to change my constituency in 2023. I will wait and contest the 2023 elections from a constituency that my supporters will shortlist,” he added.

Vijayendra said he will hold discussions with Yediyurappa, brother and Shivamogga MP BY Raghavendra, and supporters, and arrive at a decision six months before the elections. “The last time, I wanted to contest from Varuna… but the party said no. I don’t want such embarrassment this time,” he said.

There is talk that Yediyurappa is touring the state, independent of the BJP, to promote Vijayendra. Asked if Yediyurappa had chalked out his statewide tour without the consent of the party leadership, he said, “My father’s statewide tour has been planned in consultation with the BJP state leadership. State BJP leaders will be with him.”

Asked for his reaction to Shah’s endorsement of Bommai as the face of the party in the 2023 polls, Vijayendra said, “Bommai is the CM and has to be projected as the leader. I am fine with it.” He said Yediyurappa will work alongside Bommai. “This is a non-issue… some people are just assuming,” he said on charges that Yediyurappa was aspiring to be the BJP’s CM face.

TORONTO: Canada’s Burnaby city has declared September 5 as Gauri Lankesh Day, commemorating the life of the journalist-turned-activist who was killed outside her house in Bengaluru four years ago.

She was a “courageous Indian journalist who stood up for truth and justice,” the proclamation stated.

“Gauri Lankesh through her work encouraged her readers to adopt scientific temperament and reject religious fanaticism and caste-based discrimination and bigotry,” it said.

Gauri Lankesh, 55, a left-leaning journalist, was shot dead on September 5, 2017 outside her house in Bengaluru by members of a gang for her anti-Hindutva stand.

BIDAR: Bidar district on Thursday became the first Covid-free district in Karnataka.

No cases were reported on September 2, and all patients under treatment and in home quarantine have recovered, giving Bidar the distinction of having zero cases. 

It may be recalled that during the first and second waves of Covid, Bidar district gave cause for concern as Covid cases kept mounting. But in the past one month, cases have decreased considerably.

The district recorded 24,300 positive cases in the last two waves — 23,898 persons recovered and 398 persons died.  

In all, 7,54,223 people above the age of 18 were given the first dose of vaccination.

Official sources said that perhaps more people are getting vaccinated and following Covid-19 protocols, which could be the reason for the district becoming Covid-free.

KALABURAGI: The BJP’s downfall in Karnataka will start on the day the results of the elections to three urban local bodies — Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, Belagavi City Corporation and Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike — are declared, KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre said here on Wednesday.

“They (BJP leaders) have no moral right to ask the voters to support them. The BJP has been exploiting people in the name of Covid-19. The government has also failed to fill vacancies in several departments,” he rued. Khandre alleged that the BJP has managed to field AIMIM candidates in wards where minority voters were more in number to divide the votes.  

Bengaluru: The National Health Mission has asked the Karnataka government to administer polio vaccines to all those arriving in the state from Afghanistan.

In a letter, state director of the National Health Mission Dr Arundhathi Chandrashekar asked the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and the chief commissioner of the Bengaluru civic body to provide two drops of polio dose and 0.1 ml of intradermal or subcutaneous flPV vaccine to all those coming from Afghanistan, at the entry point.

As part of screening of children up to 15 years of age, their stool sample should be sent with the laboratory request form to the National Institute of Virology in Bengaluru, she added.

Many Afghan nationals have arrived in India following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan fearing for their lives and security.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Friday said the state will start at least five lakh COVID-19 vaccinations everyday from September 1 with the help of the Centre.

“We did five lakh inoculations on a trial basis on Wednesday. Now we will start five lakh vaccinations daily from September 1,” Bommai who returned here on Thursday evening after a visit to Delhi, told reporters.

He said his visit to the national capital was mainly to meet Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and seek the Centre’s support to start five lakh inoculations daily from September onwards.

Mandaviya assured his support and said that the Centre would supply the stock of vaccines based on the consumption of the State, Bommai added.

To a question on COVID restrictions during the Gauri-Ganesha festival next month, he said such issues will be discussed at a meeting of COVID-19 experts on August 30.

On water disputes with neighbouring states, the Chief Minister said he had a detailed discussion with Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat regarding Upper Krishna, Mekedatu and Mahadayi, Ettinahole and Upper Bhadra projects.

He also said that he had a discussion with Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi, senior lawyers Shyam Divan and Mohan Katarki and senior officials of the water resource department regarding the water disputes and asked them to speed up the cases which are before the Supreme Court.

The chief minister also met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and requested her to continue the GST compensation, as it is ending in 2022. She said that a decision may be taken on this issue in the GST Council meeting, he said.

Regarding his meeting with Union Minister of Commerce and Textiles Piyush Goyal, Bommai said he has sought the Centre’s support to Karnataka’s proposal for a mega textile park in the state.

Goyal asked him to send the proposal and assured to offer all kinds of subsidy from the Centre for the project. The union minister also said that he would help the State in forging tie-ups with national and international textile manufacturers, Bommai said.

Bengaluru: The Narcotics Control Bureau on Friday said it arrested a woman with African connection, carrying synthetic drugs weighing a kilogram here.

According to Zonal Director of the Bengaluru unit of NCB, Amit Ghawate, they intercepted an incoming parcel from Germany containing MDMA crystals at the Electronic City Post Office on Thursday.

The MDMA crystals were found to be cleverly concealed on two sides of a carton box in grey coloured duct tapes. Each packet was found to be weighing 500 gms and thus a total quantity of 1 kg MDMA crystals was seized.

The carton box also contained packets containing sandwich grill, flexible mirror, medicure and pedicure set, two table tennis bats and two pouches of chocolates. “Surveillance was mounted for the woman who was to come and receive the parcel and after prolonged surveillance, one Yogita S, resident of Bengaluru, who received the parcel was apprehended,” the NCB zonal director said in a statement.

He said Yogita confessed to having ordered the contraband from Germany and that it was meant for supply to various individuals in Bengaluru.

The interrogation also revealed that she has been into drug trafficking for the past three years.

Ghawate said she sold drugs to various individuals in other cities of South India also. She is living with an African individual in Bengaluru.

According to him, the inflow of MDMA crystals in courier and speed post parcels booked through darknet channels have gained momentum, especially during the Covid-19 restrictions.

Chamrajnagar: District in-charge minister ST Somashekhar on Friday said that he will talk to Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai about canceling the weekend curfew in the district.

He said he will take the matter up with the CM on Friday evening.

Speaking to reporters on Friday in the district the minister said imposing weekend curfews further was not necessary.

“I will discuss with him if there is a need for imposing the weekend curfew this weekend or not and will take a call about it” he said.

BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD-S leader HD Kumaraswamy on Friday advised the Karnataka government to handle the Mysuru gang-rape case “just like Hyderabad police”.

Further criticising the Karnataka government over the incident, Kumaraswamy said that the state government should not allow youngsters to have liquor in open deserted spaces.

Speaking to reporters here yesterday, Kumaraswamy said, “Government must be serious in handling these kinds of incidents while initiating action. Strict action must be taken in such incidents just like the Hyderabad police. The state government is at fault. It should not allow youngsters to have liquor in open deserted spaces.”

The former Karnataka Chief Minister further stated that home ministry is a sensitive portfolio and the state’s Home Minister Araga Jnanendra “must be vigilant all the time.”

Kumaraswamy’s remarks on Jnanendra came a day after the Karnataka Home Minister had on Thursday questioned the timing of the college student’s visit to the deserted site on the outskirts of Mysuru where she was allegedly gang-raped by unidentified men.

Speaking to media persons here Jnanendra had on Thursday said, “First of all, they (the victims) have gone to a deserted spot at 7-7:30 pm. They should not have gone there, but they have gone and we can’t stop anyone from going anywhere. No one goes there because it’s a deserted land. They could have (instead) gone to the park.”

Kumaraswamy also alleged that the state police “targets innocent people” and not the anti-social elements, adding that the police department “has become inept” and claimed that the existing system “encouraged the criminals”.

Kumaraswamy’s remarks came after a girl student was allegedly gang-raped at Lalithadripura layout, Mysuru on August 24. As per the complaint, six men committed the crime and also beat up the girl’s male friend.

MYSURU/TUMAKURU: Two separate incidents of rape in Tumakuru and Mysuru, where one of the victims was also murdered, shocked Karnataka on Wednesday.

When she did not return home for a long time, her husband went in search and found her strangled to death. As the mangalsutra was missing, the police have initially suspected it to be a case of murder for gain.

In Mysuru, a girl college student was allegedly gangraped by five to six men on the foothills of Chamundi. The victim, who is an MBA student at a private college, and her male friend had gone near the hills and were returning home late evening when they were waylaid by the gang on a lonely stretch near Lalithadripura.

The criminals threw stones and injured the girl’s friend, dragged her from the spot and raped her, sources in the police department revealed.

The victim’s friend managed to take her to a private hospital for treatment and filed a complaint at the Alanahalli police station on Wednesday morning.

Soon after the crime came to their notice, the police conducted a spot mahazar and searched areas around Lalithadripura for clues. 

The victim is currently being treated at the hospital, and is yet to give a statement to the police.

Police Commissioner Dr Chandragupta confirmed that a complaint of sexual assault has been registered, but refused to reveal further details, saying the case is sensitive and the investigation is still on.

The Mysuru Police Commissioner said a special team has been formed to crack the case. ADGP Pratap Reddy has been given the task of supervising the investigation.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said in Bengaluru that a team of senior officials has been sent to Mysuru to assist the local police in the investigation.

As netizens raised a hue and cry over the rape, Jnanendra has scheduled a visit to Mysuru on Thursday and is holding a meeting with top police officials.

District in-charge minister ST Somashekhar, who was in the city, held an emergency meeting with police officials to discuss a spurt in crimes that were unheard of in Mysuru.

Just two days ago, armed criminals shot dead a passerby after robbing a jewellery store.