Though uneasy calm prevails, Additional police forces have been brought in from neighbouring districts to keep a vigil in the city keeping in mind that two more persons were severely injured.

MANGALURU: A day after violence broke out in Mangalore claiming two lives in protests over contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), an uneasy calm has prevailed in the curfew clamped city.

Additional police forces have been brought in from neighbouring districts to keep a vigil in the city keeping in mind that two more persons were severely injured in Thursday’s clash between police and protestors are still critical.

The security in the riot-hit areas like Bunder, Kudroli and others have been tightened.

The normal life has come to a complete halt as transport facilities have been suspended and shops shut.

In riot-hit areas, people had to face a lot of inconveniences as the police did not allow people to go ahead with normal day-to-day activities like buying milk and groceries.

Life in other parts of the city was comparatively normal as some shops were open and people were seen hastily buying vegetables and groceries.

However, the state and private transports have suspended their service.

A large number of people who had planned to travel outside the city had to return disappointed from KSRTC bus stand. Police personnel were seen asking the people on the road to return to their homes.

Shaik Zakeer Hussain

At least two people were killed in police firing in Mangaluru on Thursday during the ongoing nationwide protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the draconian NRC.

Reportedly, the police opened fire on protestors near Bunder area of Mangaluru. Both the victims were rushed to a private hospital in the city but were declared brought dead. One of the victims is a resident of Bunder while another victim is a resident of Kandak in the city.

Curfew has been imposed in parts of the city until midnight on Saturday (December 21). Videos from the violence-affected area show police personnel seen firing in the air to disperse people protesting, although people were standing in a distance.

No one will desert party, claims JDS 

The JDS declared on Sunday that no one would desert the party.

The JDS declared on Sunday that no one would desert the party. This assertion comes amid fears that the party may lose more of its legislators to another round of ‘Operation Kamala’. Speaking to the media, senior JDS leader CS Puttaraju said firmly that there will be no more defections. Asked about the possibility of any more persons leaving the party, he said sarcastically, “For details, please ask KR Pete MLA Narayana Gowda who defected from JDS and joined the BJP, he will tell you more.”

JDS state president HK Kumaraswamy told TNIE,  “No one will leave the party. The BJP has no more need for any more legislators. If anyone still goes, no one can be a bigger fool than him.” Meanwhile, the JDS has called for a meeting of its party legislators and leaders to discuss issues following its defeat in all assembly constituencies in the by-elections.  

Former CM H D Kumaraswamy, suffering from fever and is advised rest, is recovering at a place outside the state and is expected to return on Tuesday. Only after his return will the party hold the meeting to discuss the fallout of the recent assembly elections.

http://nasheman.in/61542-2/

It is a matter of research and can be studied at the university level.

BENGALURU: It’s a controversy waiting to resurface again. After some BJP legislators demanded the removal of references to erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan from school textbooks, the government constituted a committee to look into the issue. The government is yet to decide on the committee’s recommendation on retaining the lessons.

In an interview to The New Sunday Express, noted Kannada writer Prof Baraguru Ramachandrappa, who headed the Textbooks Revision Committee in 2016-17, said the controversy is unwarranted and taking out references to Tipu from the textbooks is an insult to history. 
Excerpts:

Your views on the controversy?
This is an unwarranted controversy. There is nothing controversial in the school textbooks.

BJP legislators demanded removal of lessons on Tipu as he had committed atrocities against people in Kodagu…
Primary, high school and even pre-university level textbooks are information-oriented. Normally, we do not discuss for and against in those textbooks. Some historians write in favour of what Tipu did in Malabar region and some others write against it. All kings fought wars and they did some good and some bad works. Do we need to inform primary school and high school students about such controversies? Normally, we do not do it in any textbooks.

It is a matter of research and can be studied at the university level. I am not speaking for or against the issue. But within the framework of textbooks, we have not given any controversial information about anyone. If there is anything wrong in the information provided in the textbooks, it can be revised. It is not right to remove the reference to Tipu Sultan or anyone else.

In seventh standard textbook, there is a reference to Veer Savarkar (Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, freedom fighter who formulated the Hindutva ideology) under the title of ‘Prominent Revolutionaries’. If Congress leaders question how he can be called a revolutionary, can we take it out of the textbooks? There is no need for it. Removing references from textbooks is an insult to history as children need to know one aspect of history and as they grow they can always study other aspects, including controversies.

They also say he was not a freedom fighter
There are references to Tipu in 6th, 7th and 10th standards and we have not used the term ‘freedom fighter’. He had fought against Britishers and there is a reference to it. I have my own doubts if we can call him a ‘freedom fighter’ as the concept of freedom movement came much later. During Tipu’s time (late 18th century), over 500 princely states fought against the British.

Were there any such instances in the past?
I have read about such demands in the past in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Unfortunately, such things happen when the governments change and different parties come to power in states. A government is a democratically elected body and it should be above party politics.

‘Bayalatada Bhimanna’, written by me, was a text in Kuvempu University. It was about stories related to villages and it mentioned abuses commonly used in villages. Some BJP MLCs objected and it was discussed in the legislative council. A committee headed by veteran writer Chaduranga was formed to look into it. The committee found that there is nothing wrong as it is was a text for degree students and not for school students. The government accepted the report.

What is your suggestion to the government?
I think it should be left to experts and the government should not decide. I have great belief in (Education Minister ) Suresh Kumar.

Bengaluru and Mumbai forest department officials have arrested a man for selling and keeping exotic birds and animals, in a two-day operation, in Mumbai on Wednesday.

BENGALURU: Bengaluru and Mumbai forest department officials have arrested a man for selling and keeping exotic birds and animals, in a two-day operation, in Mumbai on Wednesday. The forest officials from in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and the Bengaluru forest squad division officials were in touch with each other in the past fortnight for the operation. The teams rescued one rose ringed parakeet, seven house sparrows, two Indian silverbills, three scaly breasted munias, three monitor lizards and a red avadavat. 

A forest official said that the Mumbai forest officials had arrested one Zaid in Thane. On being interrogated, he said that he had links in Bengaluru. The officials then contacted the Bengaluru team, who conducted raids in Shivajinagar and Tannery Road. They rescued the birds and reptiles and arrested Zaid’s associates.

The official said that the accused were circulating pictures of birds and animals, listed under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), on social media, to sell them. “Based on information from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and with intelligence inputs, we got to know of Zaid. In the meantime, the Thane police had arrested him for keeping two spotted doves and four spotted owls.

When they inquired, he revealed his links in Bengaluru. We checked our records and found that he was arrested earlier in June in Bangalore for selling baby crocodiles,” the official said.To keep and breed these animals and birds, permission from the chief wildlife warden and the zoo authority of Karnataka is a must. The accused did not have any such permission.

After winning stability in Karnataka with the bypoll sweep, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa too faces the problem of  ‘cab’ .

BENGALURU/BELAGAVI: After winning stability in Karnataka with the bypoll sweep, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa too faces the problem of  ‘cab’ . While the entire country is consumed with CAB (cabinet amendment bill), the CM is focusing on expanding his cabinet before December 14 and is likely to visit New Delhi in two-three days to get the central leadership’s nod. The process of the much-talked-about ministry expansion has been set in motion and the CM is said to be keen on completing the process in the next few days. He is trying to get the list of MLAs to be inducted into the cabinet cleared by party president Amit Shah by Wednesday.

But as PM Narendra Modi and Shah are busy with the upcoming Jharkhand assembly polls and parliament session, the CM may not be able to meet them personally but the list of ministers is likely to be cleared by them at any moment, sources said. If the list gets Shah’s nod by Wednesday, the cabinet expansion is likely to take place on December 12, sources said. However, if the ministry expansion is not done before December 16 when Dhanurmasam (inauspicious month) will start, it is likely to be delayed till ‘Sankranti’ on January 14, according to sources.  Normally, important works are not be taken up during Dhanurmasam.

On Tuesday, Yediyurappa reiterated his commitment to induct newly elected legislators, who had helped the BJP form government in the state. These 11 formerly disqualified legislators, won the bypolls as the BJP candidates. Senior BJP leaders Umesh Katti and Aravind Limbavali are also likely to be inducted if the CM gets a go ahead from the central leadership. 

Meanwhile, Ramesh Jarkiholi, BJP MLA from Gokak, who played a crucial role in the collapse of the JDS-Congress coalition government and also in the formation of the BJP government in the state is likely to be rewarded with the plum Water Resources portfolio. However, it is still not clear if he will also be made Deputy Chief Minister.  

Already, several MLAs from Belagavi have listed the irrigation projects which they want Jarkiholi to implement on top priority soon after taking over as Water Resources Minister.Besides Jarkiholi, Yediyurappa is expected to induct MLAs Mahesh Kumathalli, Shrimant Patil and Umesh Katti from Belagavi in his cabinet. Sources said, the BJP may even drop Kumathalli in order to accommodate some of senior MLAs including Umesh Katti. In that case, Kumathalli may have to be content with the post of chairman of one of the noted local bodies which the government may offer him as an alternative.

Energy, another important portfolio, is likely to be given to an MLA of Belagavi. Jarkiholi is said to be keen to hold the plum portfolios which his political bete noire D K Shivakumar held in the previous coalition government. Jarkiholi may be also be given Energy portfolio, according to sources.Meanwhile,  the newly elected BJP legislators — Byrati Basavaraj, K Gopalaiah and ST Somashekar — from Bengaluru are said to be lobbying for the plum Bengaluru Development portfolio.

Lobbying on for Bengaluru Development portfolio
The newly elected BJP legislators — Byrathi Basavaraj, K Gopalaiah and ST Somashekar — from Bengaluru are said to be lobbying for the plum Bengaluru Development portfolio

A total of 24,073 voters chose the NOTA option from the 15 constituencies, and interestingly, NOTA secured more votes than the JDS candidates in three assembly constituencies.

BENGALURU: The ‘none of the above’ (NOTA) option emerged as one of the strongest contenders in this byelection, as indicated in the results announced on Monday. Of the 15 assembly constituencies that went to polls, NOTA stood in the third position in four assembly constituencies.

The higher vote-share to NOTA in many constituencies reflected the people’s disenchantment with candidates. NOTA was either in third or fourth spot, replacing candidates in eight constituencies.

A total of 24,073 voters chose the NOTA option from the 15 constituencies, and interestingly, NOTA secured more votes than the JDS candidates in three assembly constituencies.

In Yellapur assembly constituency, a total of 1,444 people chose the NOTA option, which was more than what JDS candidate A Chaitra secured (1,235) votes.

In KR Puram, JDS’ Krishnamurthy won 2,048 votes, while 5,181 people opted for NOTA. In Hirekerur constituency, NOTA stood in the third spot after BJP and Congress, as 789 people chose NOTA, less than what Independent candidates and candidates from other parties secured. Sources in political circles say that the high-vote share for the NOTA option depicts the voters’ dissent and anger towards rebel MLAs who defected to the BJP.

Karnataka Assembly bypoll results 2019, Karnataka bye-election results 2019 Elections were held on December 5 to the Yellapur, Ranebennur, Vijayanagara, Yeshwantpur, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chikkaballapura, KR Puram, Shivajinagar, KR Pete, Hunsur, Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur, and Hoskote seats.

 The BJP retained majority in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday, after registering a victory in at least twelve of the 15 bypoll seats. The party is leading in six other seats, while the Congress is leading in two and an Independent in one. The results are a drubbing for the JD(S), which is trailing in no seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Karnataka people have “punished” the Congress and JD(S) and taught them a lesson. Addressing a rally in poll-bound Jharkhand, he said, “The Congress and its allies subverted the mandate in Karnataka, stabbed it in the back. These parties will now have to bite the dust.”

Elections were held on December 5 to the Yellapur, Ranebennur, Vijayanagara, Yeshwantpur, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chikkaballapura, KR Puram, Shivajinagar, KR Pete, Hunsur, Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur, and Hoskote seats. This was necessitated after 15 rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD(S) parties defected to the BJP in July in a bid to bring down the coalition government led by chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. The MLAs were subsequently suspended from the House but allowed to contest the bypolls.

Two seats remain vacant in the House — Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Maski — as separate election petitions challenging the results of the 2018 elections are still pending in the Karnataka High Court.

The Congress and the JDS candidates are leading in two constituencies each, while BJP rebel candidate Sharath Bache Gowda is leading in Hoskote.

BENGALURU: At the end of the second round of counting of votes, the ruling BJP is leading in 10 out of 15 assembly segments that went to polls on December 5. The Congress and the JDS candidates are leading in two constituencies each, while BJP rebel candidate Sharath Bache Gowda is leading in Hosakote. JDS has supported Sharath son of BJP Chikkaballapura MP Bache Gowda. 

In Bengaluru, the BJP is leading in two out of four seats, while the Congress is leading Shivajinagar and the JDS has taken the lead in Yeshwantpur assembly segments. The BJP candidates are leading in KR Puram and Mahalaxmi Layout, according to the initial trends.

The ruling BJP has expressed confidence of winning around 13 seats. 

These are early trends and a clear picture will emerge by noon. 

In a whirlwind campaign in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa says BJP will win all 15 seats in next week’s bypolls

BENGALURU: After campaigning for his party candidates in North Karnataka and Old Mysore region for a week, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday went on a whirlwind campaign in Bengaluru. From 11 am to 8 pm, the CM took part in roadshows, addressed street corner rallies and public meetings in Yeshwantpur and Mahalaxmi Layout assembly segments in the city.

In his interactions with voters, the CM emphasized on his development agenda and the need for a stable government. “Development is our only aim,” the CM said and asked even the JDS and the Congress workers to support the BJP candidate. Disqualified legislators S T Somashekara and K Gopaliah are the BJP candidates in Yeshwantpur and Mahalaxmi Layout assembly segments, respectively.

“The Congress and the JDS leaders are only interested in mid-term polls, and not development, and trying hard to ensure that BJP won’t get a majority. On December 9, when the counting of votes starts, they will all run away from the counting centres,” Yediyurappa said, expressing confidence of winning all 15 seats.  The CM even asked the voters to consider himself as the candidate and vote for the BJP.

BJP candidate Somashekar too hit out at the Congress and the JDS by saying during the 15 months of the coalition rule, they had not got any grants for the development of the constituency and within three months of the BJP rule, they had got Rs 750 crore for the development works. 

On Sunday, the CM will be taking part in a roadshow in Shivajinagar and address election meetings before heading to Belagavi for the second round of campaigning in Gokak and Kagwad on Sunday evening. The CM has covered all 15 constituencies and in the next three days, he will be focusing more on the constituencies where his presence will help the party more, sources said. 

“The CM will focus on assembly segments where his last-minute presence will help to swing one or two per cent votes more. This is being done based on inputs from various sources,” sources in the party said.