MANGALURU: SDPI members objected to the use of a VD Savarkar’s portrait at an Independence Day programme and made school authorities, who had organised a dance programme, to apologise at Gurupura near Mangaluru on Monday. Rajesh, a member of the Gurupura Panchayat, said that a few SDPI members objected to the Savarkar’s portrait used during a dance performance by the students, and the local police had to intervene.

Some panchayat members belonging to BJP filed complaints with Panchayat Development Officer Abubakkar and the police. Abubakkar told The New Indian Express that members from both the ruling and opposition parties have lodged complaints with him.

“Six members from the ruling party, who were watching the programme of the panchayat, opposed the use of Savarkar’s portrait. The cultural programme was presented by Bethany School. Ten minutes after the dance performance ended, some panchayat members went to the stage and took the school teachers to task.

They even made the school headmistress apologise for using the portrait. After a few hours, members belonging to the opposition questioned as to why school authorities had to apologise and demanded action against the earlier team of members. I have informed the police and we will see what action can be taken,” he said.

The panchayat has 28 members and SDPI and Congress, which have 10 members each, are in a coalition and are in power. BJP, which has eight seats, sits in the opposition. Meanwhile, unauthorised naming of a circle in Surathkal after Savarkar stoked another controversy on Monday. Some miscreants had put up a board naming the junction near Surathkal flyover as ‘Veer Savarkar Circle’ on Sunday night. Some locals who noticed it on Monday, questioned the authorities. The police said the poster was removed by the Mangaluru City Corporation after opposition from locals.

BENGALURU: Multinational pizza restaurant chain Domino’s came in for sharp criticism after a Twitter user posted a picture purportedly showing a mop and a toilet brush hanging above the pizza dough almost touching it.

The Twitter user by name Sahil Karnany, who said he was an IT graduate, posted the photograph and video and wrote, “This is how @dominos_india serves us fresh Pizza! Very disgusted. Location: Bangalore.” He claimed that the outlet in question was on Hosa Road in the city.

He also tagged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Ministry of Health, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as the photo went viral and a Tamil Twitter user too posted it. 

Domino’s issued a fresh statement saying, “Domino’s adheres to world-class protocols for ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and food safety.” “An incident involving one of our stores was recently brought to our notice. We want to assert that this is an isolated incident, and we have taken the strictest action against the restaurant in question. Please be informed that we have zero tolerance for violations of our high safety standards,” the pizza restaurant chain added.

BENGALURU: The Karnataka unit of the Congress, in an apparent attempt to keep the spirit of its rank and file high ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, is all set to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence by holding a massive rally in Bengaluru on Monday.

Titled ‘Freedom Walk’, the 7.5-km rally will commence at 2 pm from Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station and end at the National College Grounds in Basavanagudi. Over 1 lakh people are expected to take part.

According to political pundits, the Grand Old Party seems to be utilising every opportunity to win the 2023 elections and has been holding a series of public meetings and rallies. Recently, a huge public gathering to celebrate former CM Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday was held in Davanagere which was attended by senior party leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi. Similar padayatras were taken out by the Congress in all 224 Assembly constituencies. 

KPCC president DK Shivakumar, under whose leadership the ‘Freedom Walk’ has been organised, had expected AICC leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to attend the rally. Priyanka, however, will be giving the rally a miss after testing positive for Covid-19.  When the rally culminates at 5 pm at the National College Grounds, party leaders are likely to deliver speeches, sources said. Later, renowned playback singer  Hariharan will enthral the audience with his songs. Organisers have identified seven points on the outskirts of Bengaluru where participants from across the state can alight and take Metro trains to reach the venues. 

BENGALURU: As many as 28,000 more Covid deaths have been reported in the state by the Directorate of Social Security and Pensions (DSSP) of the Revenue Department. This is in addition to the 40,121 deaths mentioned in the daily media bulletin issued by the Health Department.Admitting that there is a difference of at least 28,000 deaths, health department officials attributed the disparity to the expansion of the definition of deaths due to Covid.

So far, the state government, through DSSP, has cleared the compensation of `267.93 crore to the families of 53,586 people who died due to Covid so far. As per these figures alone, the health department has missed 13,465 Covid deaths.

In fact, DSSP has received applications from 60,444 families, while the claims of 2,894 are still under process. The DSSP, under the State Disaster Relief Funds, has released Rs 50,000 each to the family of the deceased as per the guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority.

Health department sources said the difference in the number of deaths in the media bulletin and DSSP list is only because of the expansion of the definition of Covid deaths. “Earlier, deaths of Covid-affected people only at hospitals were recorded by the health department. But now, deaths even at homes or elsewhere are considered as Covid deaths followed by clinical correlation.

The kin of the people whose names are missing from the health department list can approach the grievance committee to get the compensation,” an official said.Health Commissioner D Randeep said, “We are waiting for the government’s guidelines and approval to include the additional Covid deaths (recorded by DSSP) in the media bulletin.”

BENGALURU: The state government arbitrarily announced the reservation list for the BBMP polls recently, to deny a fair chance to Congress, alleged KPCC president DK Shivakumar here on Sunday.
“Our party leaders protested in front of the Urban Development Department chambers,” he said.-ADVERTISEMENT-Ads by 

The reservation for backward classes, SCs and women has not been allocated fairly. Of the 14 wards in the Bommanahalli Assembly constituency, nine are reserved for women. Eight wards out of nine in Jayanagar, eight out of nine in BTM Layout, seven wards in Gandhinagar and six in Chamarajpet have been reserved for women, he said. Of the 93 wards in the constituencies represented by Congress MLAs, 76 are set aside for women, he said.

“We are not against reservation for women. Our aim is to give them political power, but fairly. It is unfair to focus on reservation only in constituencies represented by Congress, while leaving the jurisdictions of BJP MLAs relatively free,’’ he said.

“Also, many backward, minority and Scheduled Caste people have been left out of the voters’ list. Our party workers have been asked to check the list,” he added. “On August 15, we will take out an Independence Walk from Sangolli Rayanna Circle to Basavanagudi National College Ground carrying the national flag. It is a nonpolitical programme. Around 29,000 people have  registered for the event. They should use public transport,” he said.

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. This is the second time he has contracted Covid-19. -ADVERTISEMENT-Ads by 

He has cancelled his official trip to Delhi on Saturday and is under isolation at home. 

“I have tested positive for Covid-19 with Mild symptoms and have isolated myself at home. Those who came in touch with me in last few days, kindly isolate yourself and get urself tested. My trip to Delhi stands cancelled” he tweeted

Bommai was scheduled to visit Delhi on Saturday for two days to take part in ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and NITI Aayog meetings and was expected to meet BJP’s central leaders to discuss recent political developments.

Bommai, on Thursday, took part in Sankalp Se Siddi where he shared his dias with Union Home minister Amit Shah and others.