Bengaluru: The City Civil and Sessions Court has dismissed the petition filed by CM Ibrahim, challenging his expulsion from the post of JDS party president and the appointment of former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy as the new state president.

Ibrahim had contested his removal, arguing that HD Deve Gowda, the party’s national president, had ousted him from the state president’s post in violation of the party’s rules. He was expelled from the JDS party for alleged anti-party activities by Deve Gowda.

Parmesh S Jain special correspondent

An Astro Turf Hockey Stadium was inaugurated at Air Force Station Jalahalli on 07 Mar 2024 by Air Marshal R Radhish,Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief,Training Command,Indian Air Force in the presence of other dignitaries. 
The stadium is named after Wing Commander Amit Singh Bakshi,a member of Indian Hockey Team which won Gold Medal in 1956 Summer Olympic Games at Melbourne.
Later,as part of this inauguration ceremony,a friendly match was played between teams of Training Command and Sports Authority of India (Bengaluru Region).The chief guest interacted with players and other officials after the inaugural match.
Air Force Station Jalahalli,designated as Sports Nodal Center of Indian Air Force,houses a variety of excellent sports infrastructure at its campus,that includes an international standard synthetic track for athletics,a swimming pool,and a multipurpose stadium. 
Provisioning of a fully operational Astro Turf hockey stadium has significantly enhanced the existing sports facilities for the personnel.

Parmesh S Jain special correspondent

A few incidents of pelting stones at Vande Bharat trains in a few sections over South Western Railway have been reported recently between Chalgeri – Kumarapatnam Siding and near Chikkabanavara, Kuppam and Dharmavaram Railway Stations. 
A case has been registered on unknown person. Railway Protection Force and GRP personnel are keeping a vigil in such areas. 
Pelting stones on trains is a criminal offence under sections 153 & 154 prescribed in Railway Act.Any person, if does any unlawful act or by any wilful omission or neglect, endangers or causes to be endangered the safety of any person travelling on or being upon any railway,or obstructs or causes to be obstructed or attempts to obstruct any rolling stock upon any railway,he/she shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years under the section-153 of Railway Act 1989.

Person who in a rash and negligent manner does any act, or omits to do what he is legally bound to do,and the act or omission is likely to endanger the safety of any person travelling or being upon any railway,he/she shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both under the section-154 of Railway Act 1989.]
Apart from stepping up vigil, awareness drives are being organized by RPF at the locations of such incidents as well as in neighboring areas covering schools, villages etc.So that the miscreants desist from acts which endanger safety of train operations.
General Manager,Arvind Srivastava has appealed to the general public and passengers to inform us on the toll-free helpline number (139) if they come across incidents such as trespassing and stone pelting. Railway property is public property and protection of public property is everybody’s responsibility.Says Dr. Manjunath Kanamadi,Chief Public Relations Officer      South Western Railway, Hubballi.

Parmesh S Jain special correspondent

Bengaluru Division of South Western Railway (SWR) celebrated International Women’s Day by running an all-women crew working Rajya Rani Express train.  
It comprised of Loco Pilot,Assistant Loco Pilot,Train Manager,Ticket Checking Staff and Security Personnel were on duty to Bengaluru-Mysuru to underscore the commitment of the Railways to create a gender equal workforce to achieve all round development of the organization. 
Arvind Srivastava,General Manager/SWR flagged off the Train No.20660 Bengaluru–Mysuru Rajya Rani Express.  
Earlier,Arvind Srivastava,Smt.Namita Srivastava /President South Western Railway Women Welfare Organization (SWRWWO),Yogesh Mohan,Divisional Railway Manager and Smt.Shikha Agrawal,SWRWWO/Bangalore President felicitated the women crew, who operate the train,at the KSR Bengaluru City Railway Station. 
The train was operated by Sireesha Gajani/Loco Pilot, Sona G./Assistant Loco Pilot and Smt.Priyadharshini /Train Manager.  

Other onboard women staff were;Smt.Indrani/ Senior Section Engineer Carriage & Wagon,Smt.C.S.Bharathi/Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Sagaya Mary/Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Shameem Unisa Begum M./Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Anila Zacharias/ Deputy Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Sona/ V J.Deputy Chief Ticket Inspector, Smt.Uma P.S./Deputy Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt. Kashish Singh/Commercial Cum Ticket Checking and Women constables of Railway Protection Force (RPF) Smt.Ranjini & Smt.Srija P.T. 
Honouring this momentous occasion,esteemed guests, dignitaries, officers,and staff of Bengaluru division were present to witness the event.

Bengaluru : The Karnataka High Court has overturned a single bench order that had halted the state government’s plans to conduct board exams for students of classes 5, 8, 9, and 11 in schools affiliated with the State Board.

A division bench comprising Justice K Somashekhar and Justice Rajesh Rai K allowed the state’s appeal and directed the government to conduct the remaining assessments for classes 5, 8, and 9. The board exams for Class 11 had already been completed during the litigation. The court has also instructed the state to consult stakeholders before notifying assessments for upcoming years.

Earlier, the Karnataka government had issued two notifications on October 6 and October 9, 2023, appointing the Karnataka School Examination & Assessment Board (KSEAB) as the competent authority to conduct the “Summative Assessment-2” exams. However, these notifications were challenged, leading to a single judge quashing them. The Division Bench stayed the Single Judge’s judgment, and subsequently, organizations of private schools and parents filed special leave petitions before the Supreme Court, which put a hold on the exams by setting aside the interim order.

In the appeal, the state government argued that board exams were in the students’ interest and that not conducting them would necessitate schools to devise their own exams, potentially lowering standards. The Additional Advocate General, Vikram Huilgol, representing the State, argued that the notifications quashed by the single judge merely designated KSEAB as the competent authority to conduct the exams, and the Government Order dated November 16, 2023, actually declared the intent to hold board exams for classes 5th, 8th, 9th, and annual examinations for class 11th for the subject academic year.

The court’s decision emphasizes the importance of following due procedure and consulting stakeholders in matters affecting education policy and assessments.

Bengaluru: Seeking clarification, Karnataka Governor has sent back to the government a bill that sought to collect funds from temples with over Rs 10 lakh annual income, citing that a case concerning the earlier related act and amendments made to it is still pending in Supreme Court.

The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was passed by both Houses of the legislature on February 29.

The Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sought more clarification as to whether the amendment can be made during the pendency of the case, specifically when the entire Act has already been struck down by the High Court and case in appeal is at the stage of final hearing in the Supreme Court.

Further, has the state government conceptualised any legislation to encompass other religious bodies in similar fashion as this Bill, he has asked.

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“Therefore, it is directed to return the file to the state government with a direction to re-submit the file with the clarifications,” according to the Raj Bhavan.

Karnataka Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy told PTI the Governor has sought some clarification and the clarification will be sent by the government.

“The Governor has asked whether the amendment can be made during the pendency of the case which is at the stage of final hearing at the Supreme Court; also it is asked whether the government has conceptualised any legislation to encompass other religious bodies like — Bababudan Giri Datta peeta and one more such religious place, where two communities worship — in similar fashion. It will be clarified,” he added.

The bill was earlier defeated by a voice vote in the upper house, where the opposition has a majority, on February 23, after it was passed by the assembly on February 21.

Later the bill was reconsidered and passed by the legislative assembly once again on February 29, and it was sent to the legislative council and there too it got passed.

In the Council it was passed amid din, as opposition BJP and JD(S) members were protesting in the House against the government over the pro-Pakistan slogan issue, while in the Assembly it was passed when the opposition had staged a walkout on the same issue.

The Raj Bhavan said it is perused that the Karnataka Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 1997 and amendments made in the year 2011 and 2012 have been struck down by the High Court Dharwad Bench.

It is informed that the said High Court decision has been challenged in the Supreme Court and the apex Court has stayed the High Court Order, and the case is in the stage of final hearing, it noted.

The Muzrai department’s amendment bill had created a huge controversy, as it angered the opposition, especially the BJP, which has claimed that the ruling Congress was trying to fill its “empty coffers” with temple money.

The Congress then sought to turn the tables on the saffron party, pointing out that it had effected an amendment in 2011 to seek funds from high-income Hindu shrines.

The bill among other things, proposes to collect five per cent from temples whose gross income is between Rs 10 lakh and less than Rs one crore and 10 per cent from temples whose income is above Rs one crore, to be put into a Common Pool Fund, administered by ‘Rajya Dharmika Parishath’, which is proposed to be used for Archakas’ (priests) welfare and upkeep of ‘C’ category temples (state controlled) whose annual income is less than Rs five lakh.

The act that was earlier amended in 2011 had made way for five per cent of the net income of temples with annual income between Rs five lakh and Rs 10 lakh and 10 per cent of the net income of temples with annual income of over Rs 10 lakh to come into the fund.

‘Muzrai’ refers to grants made by the government for religious and charitable purposes as well as the upkeep of religious and charitable institutions, according to the Karnataka Government Gazetteer.

The department of Religious and Charitable Endowments is, hence, popularly known as the Muzrai department. It administers about 35,000 Hindu religious institutions which receive grants from the Government of Karnataka.

Haveri: “Karnataka had become economically strong during the BJP’s rule, but ever since the Congress government came to power the state’s economic condition has deteriorated. The treasury is also empty, the current government is not in a position to release money even during drought in the state,” alleged Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Senior BJP Leader Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday. He was speaking at an election campaign meeting near Makanur in Ranebennur taluk.

Retorting back at Minister HK Patil’s, ‘BJP means emotion and Congress means life,’ remark, Bommai said, “ There is no need to reply to what he said, people are aware about what is life and what is feeling.”

Bommai further asserted that Development of the irrigation system in Karnataka was done on a large scale during the BJP rule, a special program was held for the downtrodden during Yediyurappa’s term.

Meanwhile, responding to Former Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda’s, “I will purify the Karnataka BJP,’ statement, Bommai said that “Gowda is a senior leader and he has taken his own stance. His commitment and love for the party will never decline.”

Bengaluru: On Wednesday, BJP MLA Uday Garudachar addressed the recent incident involving an attack on a shop owner in Nagarathpete, clarifying that it was not related to the playing of Hanuman Chalisa or azan. Garudachar emphasized that the issue had been blown out of proportion as the elections approached.

Garudachar stated, “It’s untrue that the telecom shop owner in Nagarathpet was attacked for playing Hanuman Chalisa. I have reliable information as it falls within my constituency. There was no need to exaggerate the issue.” He stressed that it was unfortunate that the incident had been politicized during the election season.

Asserting his commitment to secularism and communal harmony, Garudachar affirmed, “I will never attribute the attack to individuals of another faith. I believe in the coexistence of all communities in peace.” He mentioned that he had communicated this stance to Tejasvi Surya when the latter reached out to him earlier in the day. Garudachar advised Surya to allow the authorities to handle the situation within the framework of the law.

The Congress party took to social media platform X to highlight Garudachar’s statement and condemn Tejasvi Surya’s involvement in the incident. The party accused Surya of attempting to fuel communal tensions for electoral gain and criticized his lack of substantial achievements. Referring to Surya as a ‘foolish baby,’ the tweet denounced his actions as mere theatrics to sway voters.

Earlier, BJP MP P C Mohan, along with Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, and MLA Suresh Kumar, along with supporters of the sangh parivar, staged a protest in Nagarathapete, alleging an attack on Mukesh for playing Hanuman Chalisa in his mobile shop. The demonstration included slogans such as ‘Jai Sri Ram, Jai Hanuman,’ and criticized what they perceived as the government’s anti-Hindu stance. However, the situation escalated, leading to the arrest of several leaders and protesters by the police, including Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, and Suresh Kumar, who were later released.

The Bengaluru Water Supply Board has issued a directive urging city residents to refrain from using Kaveri River water or water from borewells for commercial events such as rain dance or pool parties during the Holi festival. However, the board clarified that there are no restrictions on celebrating Holi within the confines of one’s home.

Highlighting the declining groundwater levels in the city due to insufficient rainfall, D V Ram Prasad, the President of the Board, emphasized the importance of collective cooperation to address Bengaluru’s water scarcity issues. He noted that many borewells have already dried up, underscoring the need for prudent water usage.

Prasad clarified that the board does not intend to prohibit traditional Holi celebrations. However, the organization of commercial events like rain dances and pool parties using water from borewells or the Kaveri River is discouraged. He stressed that if such events are organized, they must strictly avoid utilizing borewell water or water from the Kaveri River.

Union minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Wednesday directed the Karnataka chief electoral officer (CEO) to take immediate and appropriate action on the DMK’s complaint about alleged model code violation by Union minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje.

The poll panel also sought a compliance report on the matter within 48 hours.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has sought action against Karandlaje for alleging that a person from Tamil Nadu was responsible for the IED blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on March 1.

This is the first action ordered by the EC against a key political figure this Lok Sabha pols.

In its complaint to the Election Commission earlier in the day, the DMK said that the minister’s statement generalised the people of Tamil Nadu as “extremists”.

During a protest in Bengaluru on Tuesday, she had said that “law and order in Karnataka has deteriorated. People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here, people from Delhi chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans and people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks.”

She later apologised for her remarks and said she was retracting her comments.

The Madurai police has booked her for “promoting enmity” between different groups, while her remarks had drawn sharp criticism from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other DMK leaders.