Former BJP chief and Union Home Minster Amit Shah is also expected to be a part of the discussion.

BENGALURU: Even as he has conveyed to cabinet aspirants that the D-day for expansion is January 31, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will first consult with newly-elected BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda on January 30. Torn between keeping up his promise of accommodating all 11 defectors-turned-newly-elected MLAs and the Central leadership’s proposal of inducting not more than seven-nine of the lot, Yediyurappa will hold a final round of discussions with Nadda. Former BJP chief and Union Home Minster Amit Shah is also expected to be a part of the discussion.

“Yediyurappa has decided to go with an open mind. He wants to accommodate all 11 legislators, but the high command is keen on only about seven-nine of them being inducted. They want Yediyurappa to keep up the party’s promise to all defecting MLAs, but not all of them were promised cabinet berths — only nine were assured of a berth,” pointed out a source close to Yediyurappa. BJP insiders suggest that Ramesh Jarkiholi was promised of a ministerial berth- even the Deputy Chief Minister post- if he managed to gather more MLAs to follow suit. Mahesh Kumathalli and Shrimant Patil, who followed in Jarkiholi’s steps, were not promised a berth. While defectors like Sudhakar, ST Somashekhar, Narayana Gowda, Gopalaiah, Byrathi Basavraj, BC Patil and Anand Singh were promised to be accommodated into the cabinet, Shivaram Hebbar was not. The Central leadership wants Yediyurappa to keep up the party’s side of the bargain instead of overcompensating, say sources.

“I believe in the CM, and there are chances that expansion will happen before January 31,” Dr K Sudhakar, MLA Chikkaballapur, told TNIE. He added that there was no pressure on Yediyurappa over the allocation of portfolios. In his discussion with Nadda on Thursday, Yediyurappa is also expected to finalise portfolios for newly-inducted ministers. For now, Yediyurappa has been asked to consider just seven-nine of the newly-elected MLAs and to consider prominent MLAs such as Umesh Katti, Sunil Kumar, CM Udasi, Arvind Limbavali, Halady Srinivas Shetty and Murugesh Nirani, as well as youngsters such as Preetham Gowda and Dattatreya Patil Revoor. 

Justice John Michael Cunha issued the notice while hearing a criminal petition filed by K Lenin.

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to file objections on why godman Nithyananda Swamy’s bail petition should not be cancelled. 

Justice John Michael Cunha issued the notice while hearing a criminal petition filed by K Lenin. Lenin sought the cancellation of Nithyananda’s bail, on grounds that the latter had violated the conditions imposed while granting him bail. In his petition, Lenin stated that Nithyananda had sought exemption from appearing before the court for trial proceedings since he was on a religious tour in India, but Lenin claimed that Nithyananda had fled the country.

The minister further advised leaders to understand the gravity of any situation before talking to the media. 

CHITRADURGA: Health Minister B Sriramulu on Friday launched a broadside on former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, saying the JDS leader’s “love for Pakistan has increased, and if he wants, he can go and stay there.”

Sriramulu’s statement comes after Kumarswamy had commented, “If Pakistan was not our neighbour, the BJP wouldn’t have got votes and come to power in India.”

Addressing reporters at Bhovi Gurupeetha on the outskirts of the city, he said, “Being a former CM, he shouldn’t have made a statement like that.” On Kumaraswamy demanding a ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal, he said “both are nationalist institutions that are working for the betterment of the country”. 

He urged leaders not to make “vague statements” and said India believes in inclusive development, where everyone is treated equally. The minister further advised leaders to understand the gravity of any situation before talking to the media. 

Reacting to former CM Siddaramaiah’s statement that the state government was not yet being strong enough, he said the Congress leader was an “unwanted person” in his party and it was better not to take his words seriously. 

Faizan Rizwan

Three time shantinagar [M.L.A] N.A Haris and six others were injured in a low intensity blast around 8.45pm last night Harris was attending the birth anniversary of Tamil superstar and former C.M of Tamil Nadu M.G.R Birth anniversary organised by his fans and supporter in Shantinagar.
Following the blast he and others injured were taken to St.Philomena hospital police officer from both Ashok Nagar and Vivek nagar police station were rushed to the spot and they are yet to confirm whether the explosive was caused by a bomb or it was caused by a fire crackers investigation is going on

 He also held the district ministers responsible, saying they don’t visit their districts, and some departments are not working actively because there are no ministers.

MYSURU/BENGALURU: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday slammed the Centre yet again, asking whether it would dismiss those state governments which are opposed to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. 

“In Bihar, the BJP is a ruling party since it is in a coalition with the JDU, and yet it has opposed CAA/NRC. Will you withdraw support in Bihar because of this? If CAA/NRC is not implemented in states where the BJP is in power, how can you insist on other states implementing it?” he asked. Already, 13 states have openly expressed their opposition to the Act, he added. 

“Governors of the states directing their respective governments to implement CAA is not constitutional, governors are not heads of popularly elected governments. There is no rule that state governments have to abide by their directions,’’ Siddaramaiah said.

With many flood victims in Karnataka still homeless and living on the streets, many months after the disaster, he pointed to the failure in providing tangible relief to these victims.

“Payouts to those who lost their homes and farmers who lost their crops, have not been done yet, and there is no sign of compensation for commercial establishments that suffered losses either. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah visited Karnataka, they didn’t utter a word about it. Of the Rs 35,000 crore demanded from the Centre, the state got a mere Rs 1,869 crore,” he said. 

He also held the district ministers responsible, saying they don’t visit their districts, and some departments are not working actively because there are no ministers.

Taking a dig at rebel MLAs who jumped ship to join the BJP, he predicted “an explosion in the party” after cabinet expansion. In the BJP, many are waiting for cabinet posts, and all rebels who won the elections will not be given berths, he said, quoting “inside information”.

Indicating unrest in the rebel camp, he said that former MLA Adagur H Vishwanath has already said he will make a decision after cabinet expansion.

Asked about the delay in the announcement of the KPCC chief, Siddaramaiah said there are more important issues to be addressed, like Mahadayi and flood relief, and lashed out at Amit Shah for not speaking about the Mahadayi issue.

Eshwarappa also clarified that A H Vishwanath will be rewarded, and that discussions are already on regarding this.

MYSURU: With the delay in cabinet expansion and the newly-elected MLAs and defeated candidates jittery over this, veteran BJP leader and Rural Development Minister KS Eshwarappa assured that those who helped in bringing the BJP government to power in the state will be rewarded in two days, adding that it is the BJP’s responsibility to reward them. 

Eshwarappa also clarified that A H Vishwanath will be rewarded, and that discussions are already on regarding this. However, he said that he isn’t aware of any talks held regarding this during Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state. He said that the Congress has no “moral right” to attack the BJP over the delay in cabinet expansion. 

Talking about the stand the BJP has taken regarding banning SDPI and PFI, he said that these people come from Kerala and raise slogans for Pakistan, and that only after checking facts is the government considering banning both organisations.

Vishwanath, who contested from Hunsur assembly segment, lost to Congress nominee H P Manjunath. 

BENGALURU:  Adagur H Vishwanath, the former JDS president who had helped the ‘chief rebel’ Ramesh Jarkiholi in bringing together all 17 MLAs to topple the previous coalition government, is not very pleased that the cabinet expansion is constantly getting delayed.

When asked what will happen if the government does not honour its commitment to induct the rebels, as it has already been about seven months since this government has come to power, told The New Indian Express, ‘nodona yenaguthe antha’ (we will see what will happen). 

When asked about the rumours floating regarding the chances the Congress (with 68 MLAs, and the JDS, with 34 MLAs) still has of coming to power, provided the 17 rebels support them again, Vishwanath said that nothing can be confirmed, repeating his ‘let us see’ stance.     

Talking about the delay in cabinet expansion, Vishwanath said that as there was a process to be followed, as well as the bypolls, the delay “is fine”.

He said that he will speak to the other 16 rebels, as they had collectively acted to bring down the coalition government.

“I will speak to them and will arrange a meeting. Let us see how long they will delay the cabinet expansion,” he said.     

It may be recalled that the former rebels have held at least three meetings, where they decided to stay united come what may. One source even explained that the rebels were planning a pilgrimage together to seek divine intervention. 

“We are not asking for anything extraordinary, we are only asking them to keep up their commitment and what they promised us. If it was not for the 17 MLAs who resigned, how could this government have come to power?’’ he asked, adding, “The ball is in their court.’’  

In the past few weeks, the rebels have expressed their frustration over the delay in inducting them as ministers in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s cabinet. They said that this commitment was made to them even before they rebelled.   

Vishwanath, who contested from Hunsur assembly segment, lost to Congress nominee H P Manjunath. 

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Petroleum and Chemicals D V Sadananda Gowda said that CM Yediyurappa will decide about cabinet expansion once he returns from Davos.

“He is in Davos along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will think about expanding the cabinet after he returns,” Gowda said.

These two incidents suggest that there is more to the BJP’s demand to ban PFI and SDPI than meets the eye.

MANGALURU: Soon after the December 19 police firing in Mangaluru, in which two people were killed, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje wasted no time in blaming Popular Front of India (PFI) and Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI) for the incident.

In 2016, the BJP had gone overboard, blaming PFI and SDPI for the brutal murder of Karthik Raj, son of a BJP worker, at Konaje. While in the first incident, police have not yet been able to establish the role of PFI-SDPI; in the second, it turned out that the murder was the result of a family feud, with no communal or political angle. Raj’s sister and two others were arrested for the murder.

These two incidents suggest that there is more to the BJP’s demand to ban PFI and SDPI than meets the eye. Though police have established evidence against PFI-SDPI workers in some criminal incidents, including the murder of RSS worker Rudresh in Bengaluru, the BJP is blaming the fledgling party for every incident by giving it a communal colour. It is using the outfit as a punching bag to reap political dividends. 

SDPI is becoming popular among Muslims in the region as it gives a sense of security to the community, with the communalisation of politics and the Congress’ perceived ‘soft-Hindutva’. At present, it has 45 members in local bodies in Dakshina Kannada district. Political commentator Prof Muzaffar Assadi feels that the government does not have any concrete proof to recommend a ban, and the idea appears to have been imported from Uttar Pradesh, where the party has made the same demand.

“To ban a political outfit or an organisation, you need concrete proof of its anti-national activities, triggering violence, destroying public property, terrorist activities, arrests under TADA, among others. So it is only creating an abstract enemy,” he said. Assadi feels that banning a political outfit may not help any political party as it may come back in a more powerful form. 

SDPI leader Iqbal Bellare said BJP is wary of SDPI as has been exposing falsehoods of the RSS and BJP. Stating that journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder accused has been linked to the Sangh Parivar, he asked whether the government would also recommend a ban on the RSS. Congress leader Ramanath Rai, who sees a threat in SDPI as a Muslim vote-cutter in his Bantwal constituency, said BJP will weigh the pros and cons before banning SDPI. 

Ajmal Perfumes partners with Health & Glow to reach out to the mass Indian consumers

January 16th 2020: Shanvi Srivastava the popular South Indian actress unveiled the most popular classical fragrances of Ajmal at Health & Glow today. Ajmal Perfumes, one of the Gulf region’s biggest perfume houses based out of Dubai, with over 300 products in its portfolio.The perfume brand known for its bespoke fragrances is celebrated world-wide for its passion for crafting memories through perfumes ever since its founder Haji Ajmal Ali, created the brand in 1951. As a trader of oudh and oudh oil, Haji Ajmal Ali opened his first store in Mumbai in the 1960s. In 1976, Ajmal opened its doors in the UAE. Currently, Ajmal Perfumes is present in 34 cities with 56 company owned outlets across India. Ajmal is present in all the major online marketplaces too.

Unveiled the most popular classical fragrances of Ajmal

The seven-decade old brand is the perfect match for Health & Glow, the beauty destination of India, which has been playing a major role in shaping the idea of beauty and personal care in India for over two decades now.

Commenting on the association, Mr. Abdulla Ajmal, Consultant Perfumer (and third generation of Ajmal) – Ajmal & Sons, India said, “We are ecstatic to partner with Health & Glow, one of the renowned and most trusted beauty retailers in India. This is in line with our brand extension strategy to partner with the best-in-class retail players.  With Health & Glow as the partner, we’re confident of stability, sustainability and most importantly, scalability of our brand.”   

Commenting on this new format outlet, Mr. Saurav Bhattacharya – President Operations at Ajmal & Sons said, “By leveraging Ajmal’s USP of innovation, and an in-depth knowledge of the clientele that frequents Health & Glow, we are offering customers the very best from Ajmal’s world of fragrances, that are now available in select Health & Glow stores & online. We will also keep expanding our footprint in India in the near future to cover the entire gamut of discerning perfume users. We practically started at zero and we aim to get 500 points of sale by the end of March 2020. Post 500 points of sale, we are ambitiously aiming at crossing 2000 points of sale in the next two years.”

Commenting on the collaboration Mr. K Venkataramani, MD & CEO, Health and Glow, said, “We are extremely happy and proud to present Ajmal, one of the greatest perfume brands that is so committed to create the bond between memory and smell.  

Health & Glow has the legacy of working with reputed brands, and Ajmal Perfumes is no exception to it. It’s the seven-decade long heritage of creating the finest and most captivating fragrances that we believe our customers deserve to explore. Being the beauty destination of India, we understand our customers and believe that every product that we offer in-store & online, is a reflection of our vision and philosophy.”

About Ajmal Perfumes:

The Company Ajmal & Sons was established in the year 1951 by Haji Ajmal Ali. As a trader of oudh and oudh oil, Haji Ajmal Ali opened his first store in Nagdevi, Mumbai in the 1960s. In 1976, Ajmal opened its doors in the UAE.

Today this family-owned business is steered by the passion of the second and third generation Ajmal, each playing a key role in the brand’s development. At present, Ajmal Perfumes is present in 34 cities with 56 company owned outlets across India. Ajmal is present in all the major online marketplaces and also at the airports in stores like Olfactive in Mumbai and Delhi and at the Parcos stores too. Globally the brand has a presence at several airports and in-flight retail.

About Health & Glow:

What began in 1997, has only grown by foundation, service and meaning. Health & Glow, with its high quality products and absolute attention to detail in its service, has crafted a niche for itself in the industry and the hearts of its customers. Today, they have emerged as the largest network of beauty and wellness store with over 160 stores across Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Bhubaneswar and Mangalore. In addition to the stores, they also have online store (healthandglow.com) and App for convenient shopping. They host an unmatched and an ever-increasing assortment of makeup, skin care, hair care, herbals, naturals and wellness products for both men and women. With more than 600 brands and growing, 6000+ products that are of 100% authentic range, they seek to exceed the expectations of their diverse customers.