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Irate villagers damage toll booths on Bengaluru outskirts

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Representational Image

Representational Image

Bengaluru: A number of toll booths at Hoskote, about 25 km from here, were damaged and one of them set ablaze by irate villagers today after a local was allegedly assaulted by employees following an argument over paying the toll fee.

“Villagers near Hoskote pelted stones on a number of booths, damaging them and set fire to one of them, after a local was assaulted by toll plaza employees,” Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police B Ramesh told reporters here.

He said police used mild force to disperse them and that the situation has now been brought under control.

Ramesh said none has been arrested so far, but added that they are scrutinising CCTV footage to zero in on the culprits.

An argument broke out between the man and toll plaza workers after he refused to

pay the toll, claiming he has a free family pass, but he did not carry it with him, Ramesh said.

The man then slapped one of the employees, which led to them assaulting him.The villager, with severe injuries on his forearms, was being treated at a private hospital, Ramesh said.

(PTI)

Sitaram Yechury unanimously elected new general secretary of CPI-M

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sitaram-yechuri

Visakhapatnam: The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Sunday unanimously elected Sitaram Yechury as the new general secretary of the party.

At the meeting of the new Central Committee (CC) on the last day of the party’s 21st Congress, outgoing general secretary Prakash Karat proposed Yechury’s name and S. Ramchandran Pillai seconded it. The 91-member CC unanimously approved it.

The election of 62-year-old Yechury came after Pillai, who was reportedly in the fray for the top party post, withdrew, ensuring that the party continued its tradition of electing its leader unanimously.

Prakash Karat later made the formal announcement before the media. Yechury, who termed the new task as challenging, introduced the 16-member politburo.

The four new politburo members are Mohammed Saleem, Subhashini Ali, Hannan Mollah and G. Ramakrishnan.

Subhashini Ali is the second woman in the politburo after Brinda Karat.

The politburo members are Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, S. Ramchandran Pillai, Biman Basu, Manik Sarkar, Pinyarayi Vijayan, B.V. Raghavulu, K. Balakrishnan, M.A. Baby, S.K. Mishra, A.K. Padmanabhan, Mohammed Saleem, Subhashini Ali, Hannan Mollah and G. Ramakrishnan.

Earlier, the Congress elected the new CC. It approved the names finalised by the outgoing politburo on Saturday night. This was followed by the election of the new politburo and the general secretary by the CC.

Apart from 91 members, the CC has five special invitees and five permanent invitees.

(IANS)

BJP lawmaker showers cash at community event, says it's 'donation'

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Bhalka Tirth

Ahmedabad: A video clip that went viral today, purportedly shows a woman BJP parliamentarian showering currency notes on ‘devotees’ dancing at a religious-cum-community event at the famous Bhalka Tirth in Veraval town of Junagadh district.

Poonam Maadam, who represents the Jamnagar seat, was seen showering currency notes of Rs. 10 denomination on people who were dancing at the event held last night.

When contacted, she said it’s a “long tradition” of Saurashtra’s ‘Lok-Dayro’ (cultural or folk event in the region) and the money was part of “donation” that would be used for the social cause.

“This was neither the first time that I took part in such a programme nor it would be the last time. It was not like distributing money, it was like a abhivadan (greetings). It is a tradition of Saurashtra for more than 100 years and it was a charitable event of Ahir community where more than two lakh people participated with good spirit and good faith,” she told PTI.

She said the cash collected through donation will be used to build a hostel for girls and a gaushala (cow-shelter).

“People came there and they were very happy. They were very emotional on becoming part of that charitable event and I too take pride in saying that I was there in the Lok Sahitya event which is called ‘Dayro’ in Saurashtra. I am proud of it,” Ms Maadam said, adding that she participated in the function not as a BJP representative but as a “daughter of Ahir community.”

When asked about the quantum of donation received, the lawmaker replied that she has not calculated money.

Ms Maadam claimed some Congress leaders, including a former MLA, also took part in the programme, but refused to name them.

“The programme was for the betterment of the community. Even some farmers also participated in it. A wrong picture is being presented that farmers are not happy. That is not true.

And it was desire of farmers and people of our community that I should take part in it. It was for the God and community. This is the place where Lord Krishna himself recited ‘Bhagwat’ in his last days and I immensely feel proud that I was part of such event,” she said.

Ms Madam said every community in the country should organise such events for their betterment.

Poonam Maadam, earlier an MLA from Khambhalia Assembly segment, had defeated her uncle Vikram Madam of Congress to win Jamnagar Lok Sabha seat last year.

(PTI)

Concern for farmers as land bill being changed: Rahul Gandhi

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Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: It is a matter of concern for farmers that the land bill is being changed, said Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi while addressing his first rally on Sunday after a leave of absence of nearly two months.

Gandhi spoke about the Land Acquisition Act 2013, brought in by the UPA government, and charged the NDA government of working in the interests of the rich.

“Land Acquisition Act 2013 is being changed …it’s also cause of concern for you,” he said, adding that the rest of industry came only after farming which laid the foundation of the country.

Speaking at the well-attended Kissan Khet Majdoor rally at Ramlila Maidan here, he said that the central government was anti-farmer and anti-poor as it can’t see “the efforts they made to establish the country”.

Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a three-nation tour, made comments saying that he was clearing the mess of the last 50 years in the country.

“I feel sad to hear this as prime minister can’t see the efforts of the poor and the farmers who actually laid the foundation of the country,” he said.

Gandhi said that the poor and the farmers were feeling afraid under the present regime as they don’t know what’s going to happen to them next.

He also talked about how the UPA government worked for the poor and the farmers of the country.

“It’s a country of farmers and labourers,” he said.

(IANS)

Mekadatu project: Karnataka bandh from dawn-to-dusk

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Karnataka-bandh

Bengaluru: Karnataka bandh called by pro-Kannada organizations on Saturday to protest Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the Mekedatu drinking water project is expected to be total. Public transport, including KSRTC and BMTC buses, autorickshaws and cabs will be off the roads.

The bandh will be in force from 6am to 6pm.

Educational institutions and business establishments, including petrol bunks, restaurants and cinemas, in Bengaluru and neighbouring districts are likely to remain closed.

Nearly 700 organisations across the State have backed the call. Transportation is likely to be affected severely. While auto-rickshaws will stay off the roads in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Mandya, Hassan, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Ramanagara districts among others, the KSRTC and BMTC have decided to maintain skeletal service. However, essential services such as ambulances, pharmacies, supply of milk and vegetables will not be affected.

A senior minister told reporters here on Friday that chief minister Siddaramaiah is keen that the bandh is a success as he wants to send a message that nothing will come in the way of the Mekedatu project, aimed at providing drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring districts.

This year’s state budget has set aside Rs 25 crore for the balancing reservoir to be constructed on the upstream of Mekadatu across Cauvery river in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district.

(Agencies)

BJP leader Prabhakar Kore wants separate statehood for North Karnataka

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Prabhakar-Kore

Belagavi: BJP leader and Rajya Sabha Member Prabhakar Kore has warned that he would be forced to support the call for separate statehood for North Karnataka if the State government failed to recommend Belagavi for the establishment of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

The BJP MP was speaking at a meeting of elected representatives and professionals organised by a non-political Professional Forum to discuss the issue.

Expressing strong displeasure over no mention of Belagavi among the list of districts and probable locations to be recommended for establishing the IIT, Kore said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had expressed his willingness to establish the premier technology institute either in Dharwad, Raichur or Mysuru. “What was the problem in recommending Belagavi? Siddaramaiah always adopts anti-north Karnataka stand,” he alleged.

Let the government recommend Belagavi and the center shall take a final call, he stated. He also warned that failure to do so would stabilise the demand for bifurcation of the State.

(Agencies)

Smriti Irani's ministry interfering in IITs, opposition MPs write to President

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Smriti Irani

New Delhi: Cutting across party lines four Rajya Sabha MPs have spoken out against Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani. The MPs have alleged that minister is interfering with the functioning of IITs and universities.

The four MPs are KC Tyagi, D Raja, Rajiv Shukla and DP Tripathi.

The MPs have also asked President Pranab Mukherjee to step in to protect the educational institutions.

Recently nuclear scientist and former chairman of the board of governors of IIT Bombay Anil Kakodkar spoke against the decision making process at the educational institution.

The scientist apparently resigned because of differences with the HRD Ministry over selection of some IIT directors.

Kakodkar, whose tenure was supposed to come to an end in May 2015 has, however, agreed to continue till that period after being persuaded by Irani, who had a long telephonic conversation with him, sources in the ministry said.

“I have put down my papers because I want to move ahead,” Kakodkar had said but refused to comment on queries whether differences had cropped up between him and the minister over selection of the directors.

Kakodkar’s resignation came two months after IIT Delhi director R Shevgaonkar had stepped down from his post in December 2014 which had triggered a controversy amidst reports that there were sharp differences between him and the ministry over certain issues. His resignation is yet to be accepted.

BBMP trifurcation will happen, says MLC D’Souza

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MLC D’Souza

Mangaluru/Bengaluru: The Karnataka state government has decided to convene an emergency session of the Legislative Assembly on April 20 to discuss and pass a Bill on the trifurcation of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Informing this to the press persons at the Congress Office, Mangaluru on Friday, April 17, MLC Ivan D’Souza said the BJP had only been playing blame game on the BBMP trifurcation issue for political gains despite the fact that it was the then BJP leader Suresh Kumar who had initially mulled for trifurcating the civic body.

“The BJP was happy with the decision back then. However, since we are planning to go ahead with the idea considering overall development of the BBMP and the Bengaluru residents, the BJP and the JD(S) have been opposing it,” he said.

Coming down heavily on JD(S) Supremo H D Devegowda’s move to direct his party functionaries to boycott the Assembly session, D’Souza said that it was against the principles of democracy.

Clearing the air that the move was a ploy to postpone conducting the BBMP elections, he said that the party was not fearing a loss as it had contested numerous elections in which it has enjoyed both success as well as failure. He opined that conducting elections for the BBMP Council will be a waste of time and money if the BBMP is trifurcated. Instead, the state government will supersede the existing BBMP. Hence, the trifurcation is a certainty.

(Agencies)

Chittoor firing: HC orders fresh post-mortem of 5 victims

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Red Sanders

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court today ordered fresh autopsies for another five victims of the police firing in Seshachalam forests of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh state on April 7. Yesterday it had ordered fresh post-mortem of victim Sasi Kumar, a Tamil Nadu-based labourer, upon his wife’s application. The division bench of Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P V Sanjay Kumar passed the direction today after relatives of five more victims (out of the 20 people who were killed) moved the court seeking fresh autopsies.

The “re-post-mortem” was sought with the accusation that the firing incident was a “brutual and planned murder” by the Special Task Force (STF) of Andhra Pradesh Police. Yesterday, the high court had directed the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct fresh autopsy on the body of Sasi Kumar in response to the application filed by his wife Muniyammal. Her counsel had sought fresh autopsies for five others too, but the court declined to pass order, as the relatives concerned had not approached the court.

Muniyammal’s lawyer, advocate K Balu, today filed similar applications on behalf of the kin of five deceased — wives of four victims and another’s mother. The high court also ordered teams of medical experts from either Osmania Hospital or Gandhi Hospital (both state-run institutions here) to fly to Chennai to conduct the re-postmortem of the five bodies.

All the six bodies, including that of Sasi Kumar, are being kept at a government hospital in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. The judges also directed the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu to ensure safety of the medical teams. Their reports should be submitted in a sealed cover to the court on Monday, they said.

(PTI)

'Sarakki Lake Eviction': Demolition of over 200 Structures Begins in Bengaluru

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Sarakki-Lake

Bengaluru: A four-year-old legal battle culminated on Thursday morning as the revenue department started one of its biggest drives clearing Sarakki Lake of its encroachments.

Multiple surveys of the lake area had shown that 34 acres of the 84 acres of the lake area, has been encroached by private layouts and other establishments. Thirty-four acres spread across three villages Sarakki, Puttenhalli and Jaraganahalli may cost around Rs 2,000 crore in the open market today.

“This is one of the biggest clearance drives we have conducted. It may take up to 10 days to recover the encroached land,” said V. Shankar, Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru (Urban) district.

The district administration has formed three special teams, each headed by an assistant commissioner and armed with multiple earth movers and have taken up the clearance drive.

“We have issued notices to all encroachers multiple times. The High Court has given the order three times already. But this time we are moving in, armed with a court order to take stringent action against encroachers. All encroachers have been served notices a month ago and the date of clearance drive was also notified,” said Nagaraj, Additional Deputy Commissioner.

High Court had issued an order in August 2014 to free the lake of all encroachments disposing off a PIL filed by People’s Campaign for the Right to Water. Tahsildar Bengaluru (South) had, then, conducted a survey and submitted a report to the High Court showing 135 encroachments in the lake area.

Mr. Nagaraj said that there were a private dental college, a temple and 68 residential buildings in survey number five of Sarakki village, 30 commercial complexes, 42 residential buildings, six temples in survey no five of Puttenahalli village and around 40 residential buildings in survey number seven of Jaraganahalli village.

“Most of the residents of the area have left the houses with their goods anticipating eviction and demolition,” he said. He also added that a part of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) built road also encroached on the lake area and it would be cleared.

High Court has given a stay order for the eviction of one Nandini Lakeview Apartments with 21 flats, in the lake area. Mr. Nagaraj said apart from that one apartment complex, they would demolish all other buildings and recover the land.

(Agencies)

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