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Siddaramaiah charges CM Bommai of presenting wrong info to hide BJP’s corruption

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Siddaramaiah charges CM Bommai of presenting wrong info to hide BJP's corruption

Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Friday accused Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of using the Justice H S Kempanna Commission’s report to give wrong information in the Assembly regarding the Arkavathy Layout denotification.

The Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly said the Chief Minister was acting with an intention to “hide” the corruption charges against the BJP government.

He was reacting to Bommai, who on Thursday in the Assembly, reading out the excerpts from the Justice Kempanna Commission’s report which is not in public, had accused the previous Congress government of “redo” or denotifiation of Arkavathy Layout land.

“When I was not present in the Assembly, Bommai shouted and created an impression that there was a big scam worth Rs 8,000 crore. The Kempanna Commission has said that I did not denotify even one gunta of land. Bommai is speaking plain lies,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here. One gunta is equal to 1,089 square feet.

He noted that Arkavathy Layout was formed in 2003, and before his government came to power, 2,750 acres were notified.

“Later, final notification was done for 1,919.13 acres. This was challenged in High Court and went to the Supreme Court, which fixed some parameters and teams were formed to delete some lands when B S Yediyurappa was the chief minister,” Siddaramaiah added.

The file next went to Jagadish Shettar who subsequently became the Chief Minister, but by then the model code of conduct for the election was in place, so it was sent back, he said.

“When our (Congress) government came, there was a petition in the High Court because of which there was some pressure.”

“As our officers had stated that everything was done as per the Supreme Court’s parameters. I approved it. It was not a redo, but a remodified scheme,” Siddaramaiah further said.

Subsequently as Shettar, who was then Leader of Opposition, and others alleged that there was a scam, he had formed a judicial commission for an inquiry, the Congress leader contended.

Pointing out that in September 2021, the HC constituted another committee under retired Justice K N Keshavanarayana, Siddaramaiah said: “Hearing a PIL that sought for tabling of the Justice Kempanna Commission’s report, the High Court had said it can’t be considered in view of the Keshavanarayana committee that’s functioning. Hence, it was wrong to speak on a report that was not tabled.”

With the ruling BJP accusing him of weakening the Lokayukta by forming the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Siddaramaiah also sought to defend his government’s decision to constitute the new state agency.

“Gujarat, Goa, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and 12 other states have Lokayukta and ACB. Why isn’t the BJP abolishing ACB in these states?” he asked.

Maharashtra: Farmer in Solapur earns only Rs 2.49 net profit on sale of 512 kg onions

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Maharashtra: Farmer in Solapur earns only Rs 2.49 net profit on sale of 512 kg onions

Pune: A farmer from Maharashtra’s Solapur was in for a rude shock when he got to know that he has earned a profit of merely Rs 2.49 against the sale of his 512 kg onions to a trader in the district.

The farmer, 63-year-old Rajendra Chavan who resides in Barshi tehsil of Solapur, said his onion yield fetched a price of Rs 1 per kg at the Solapur market yard and after all the deductions he received this paltry sum as his net profit last week.

Talking to PTI, Chavan said, “I had sent 10 bags of onions weighing more than five quintals to an onion trader in Solapur for sale. But after deducting charges towards loading, transport, labour and others, I received a net profit of just Rs 2.49 from him.”

The rate the trader offered to me was Rs 100 per quintal. The overall weight of the crop was 512 kg and the total price he got for the produce was Rs 512, he said.

“After deductions worth Rs 509.51 against labour, weighing, transportation and other charges, I received a net profit of Rs 2.49. This is an insult to me and other onion-growers in the state. If we get such returns, how will we survive?” he asked.

He said the onion farmers need to get a good price for the crop and the affected farmers get compensation.

While Chavan claimed that the produce was of good quality, the trader said it was low grade.

“The farmer had brought only 10 bags and the produce was also of low grade. That is why, he got Rs 100 per quintal rate. So after all the deductions, he got Rs 2 as net profit,” the trader said.

He added that the same farmer had received good returns in the recent past by selling more than 400 bags to me. “This time he brought the remaining produce that was hardly 10 bags and since the prices have gone down, he got this rate,” he said.

Speaking to PTI, farmers leader and former MP Raju Shetti said that the onion hitting the market now is a ‘kharip’ produce and cannot be stored for a long time and that is why the shelf life of the product is short.

“This onion needs to be sold in the market immediately and exported out. But due to glut, the prices of onions have nosedived in the market,” he said.

He added that this onion is not being purchased by NAFED, so the only option is that the government should make the market available for this ‘kharif’ onion.

“The government’s export and import policy regarding onions is not consistent. We had two permanent markets – Pakistan and Bangladesh, but they preferred buying onions from Iran instead of us due to the inconsistent policy of the government. The third market is Sri Lanka, but everyone knows their situation and no one is taking risks to send their produce,” he said.

He added that the government should buy this onion or give subsidies to farmers.

South Africa beat England enter maiden Women’s T20 World Cup final, to face Australia in title clash

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South Africa beat England enter maiden Women's T20 World Cup final, to face Australia in title clash

Cape Town: Pacers Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka shared seven wickets between them as South Africa staged a spectacular fight-back to stun England by six runs and enter their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup final here on Friday.

Openers Laura Wolvaardt (53) and Tazmin Britz (68) struck entertaining half-centuries to take South Africa to 164 for four in the second semifinal at Newlands.

The game went down to the wire thanks to the efforts of Ismail (3/27) and Khaka (4/29), who both came up with momentum changing overs. The 2009 champions England ended with 158 for eight in 20 overs.

Danielle Wyatt (34) and Sophia Dunkley (28) made a flying start to take England to 53 for no loss in five overs.

Star pacer Ismail brought back South Africa in the game with a double strike in the sixth over. Both Dunkley and incoming batter Alice Capsey (0) were caught at midwicket by Britz. The one-handed catch to dismiss Capsey off a short ball stood out among the four catches she took in the game.

With 81 needed off last 60 balls and eight wickets in hand, England were expected to complete the task before South Africa made a roaring comeback, egged on by a loud home crowd.

Medium pacer Khaka turned the game on its head by striking thrice in the 18th over, sending back Amy Jones, Sophie Ecclestone and Katherine Sciver-Brunt.

With 13 needed off the last over and England still had hope with skipper Heather Knight in the middle. Ismail got rid of her to seal a special result for South Africa.

Earlier, the hosts’ star batter Wolvaardt and Britz shared a 96-run stand to lay the groundwork for a competitive total.

England’s lead spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets for 22 runs in four overs.

It was a second successive fifty from the 23-year-old Wolvaardt whose innings comprised five fours and a glorious off-drive than went all the way for a six.

Ecclestone was the one to provide the breakthrough for England as Wolvaardt, trying to play on the on side, got a leading edge and was caught by Charlotte Dean.

Britz changed gears following her opening partner’s dismissal. Her back to straight sixes off leggie Sarah Glenn was the highlight of her innings.

Ecclestone pulled things back in the death overs with wickets of Chloe Tyron and Nadine de Klerk in a three run over before Marizanne Kapp got a much needed 23 not out off 13 balls to take the total beyond 160.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt’s last over went for 18 runs and included a boundary off a waist high full toss.

Kapp ended the innings on a high with back to back fours.

South Africa were able to collect 66 runs off the last six overs.

Amit Shah should look at Yediyurappa before harping on dynastic politics: Kumaraswamy

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Shivamogga (K’taka): Former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for making sarcastic remarks on dynastic politics in JD(S).

The JD(S) second-in-command pointed out at the dynastic politics prevailing in the Karnataka unit of BJP where former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and his sons are holding key positions in the saffron party.

During an interactive session in Bengaluru on Thursday, Shah had said the JD(S) is a dynastic party.

“You can’t find anyone in their family who doesn’t contest polls. Everyone wants to contest polls and lead Karnataka. I don’t understand as to who runs the house,” Shah had quipped.

“We should felicitate Amit Shah for his concern for our house as to who will run our household matters. He should have asked the same to Yediyurappa once… Probably, he (Yediyurappa) would have answered,” Kumaraswamy told reporters at Theerthahalli in Shivamogga district.

Kumaraswamy charged that Shah lectured others keeping Yediyurappa beside him.

“Yediyurappa has two sons and both are in politics. Then, who in his family is taking care of household works?” the JD(S) leader wondered.

Kumaraswamy also took objection over Shah’s comment that every vote to the JD(S) would eventually go to the Congress.

Assembly polls in the state are due by May.

BBC does not have an ‘agenda’, says chief to staff in India after I-T survey

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London: The BBC is not driven by an “agenda” but by purpose and will not be put off reporting impartially and without fear or favour, the UK-headquartered media organisation’s chief has said days after the income tax department survey operation at its New Delhi and Mumbai offices.

In an email to BBC staff in India reported on Thursday by the broadcaster, Director General Tim Davie thanked them for their courage as he stressed that nothing was more important than reporting impartially. He added that the BBC would help staff in India do their jobs effectively and safely.

“Nothing is more important than our ability to report without fear or favour,” Davie said in the email, reported by the BBC.

“Our duty to our audiences around the world is to pursue the facts through independent and impartial journalism, and to produce and distribute the very best creative content. We won’t be put off from that task. I’d like to be clear: the BBC does not have an agenda we are driven by purpose. And our first public purpose is to provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them,” he said.

The income tax survey came weeks after the London-headquartered public broadcaster aired a controversial two-part documentary in the UK, India: The Modi Question’, referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The email from Davie came a week after I-T officials spent three days carrying out what they called a “survey” at the BBC offices. In an official statement at the end of the searches, the BBC said that it will “continue to cooperate” with the authorities and hopes matters are resolved as soon as possible.

In its statement following the survey, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said it had found discrepancies and that the income and profits disclosed by the organisation’s units were “not commensurate with the scale of operations in India”.

Earlier this week, the British government strongly defended the BBC and its editorial freedom in Parliament to say: “We stand up for the BBC. We fund the BBC. We think the BBC World Service is vital.”

David Rutley, a UK Foreign Office minister, was responding to an urgent question raised in the House of Commons by the Opposition parties, some of whom branded the action a “deliberate act of intimidation following the release of an unflattering documentary about the country’s leader” and sharply criticised the UK government for failing to make a statement on the issue sooner.

Maharashtra: Days after EC setback, AAP’s Kejriwal, Mann meet Uddhav Thackeray

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Maharashtra: Days after EC setback, AAP's Kejriwal, Mann meet Uddhav Thackeray
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

Mumbai: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence in Bandra here.

Kejriwal was accompanied by his colleague and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha during the visit to ‘Matoshree’.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the Delhi Chief Minister expressed confidence that Thackeray will win all future elections.

Queried on whether AAP would align with Shiv Sena (UBT), Kejriwal said, “You will get to know when elections are announced.”

Thackeray said the discussion revolved around how to strengthen the country.

The meeting assumes significance as the Election Commission had recently allotted the ‘Shiv Sena’ name and ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the faction headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Shinde’s rebellion in June last year had split the Sena and brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Thackeray. Shinde became CM with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Incidentally, the AAP has said it would contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, which are due since early last year.

The undivided Sena had led the country’s richest civic body for several years now, while the AAP wrested the Municipal Corporation of Delhi from the BJP recently.

Both Thackeray and Kejriwal are bitter critics of the BJP.

Key witness in 2005 BSP MLA murder case shot dead in Prayagraj

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Key witness in 2005 BSP MLA murder case shot dead in Prayagraj

Prayagraj (UP): Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case, was shot dead Friday evening at his residence here, police said.

Prayagraj Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma told reporters that Umesh Pal was attacked with crude bombs and shot outside his house this evening. Two of his gunners too were injured in the attack.

Both the gunners were provided by the government for Pal’s security.

Umesh was the prime witness of the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal. The main accused in the Raju Pal murder is mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, who is currently lodged in a Gujarat Jail.

A severely injured Umesh Pal was rushed to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital where he succumbed during treatment, police said.

The condition of one of the gunners injured in the attack remains critical and he has been put on ventilator while the other gunner is being operated upon by doctors, police said.

Sharma said that efforts are being made to identify the attackers on the basis of CCTV footage of the area.

“The incident occurred right outside the house of Umesh Pal. So far it has been confirmed that two bombs were thrown and he was fired at by a small firearm,” said Sharma.

A case was registered at the Dhoomanganj Police Station on the complaint of the family members of the victim.

“We have formed eight police teams to investigate every aspect of the incident and arrest those behind the attack,” the officer

MP: Death toll in accident involving truck and three parked buses rises to 14; sixty injured

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Bhopal: The death toll in the accident in which a cement-laden truck hit three buses parked on the side of a road on the Rewa-Satna border in Madhya Pradesh has gone up to 14, which also left at least 60 persons injured, officials said on Saturday.

The accident occurred around 9 pm on Friday outside a tunnel near Barkhada village and people in the buses were returning from the ‘Kol Mahakumbh’ in Satna city, they said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had addressed the event in Satna earlier on Friday on the occasion of Shabri Mata Jayanti.

“Fourteen persons were killed and 60 others were injured. Of the injured persons, the condition of three is very serious

Talking to reporters after meeting the injured persons at the Rewa Medical College Hospital late Friday night, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the cement-laden truck hit three buses parked on the roadside as it veered off following a tyre burst.

Because of the impact of the collision a bus fell on one side, while another one overturned on the other side causing injuries to the passengers, he said.

Terming the incident as “very unfortunate”, Chouhan said that if necessary, patients will be airlifted outside Rewa for better treatment.

The chief minister announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of those killed in the accident, and also said that government jobs will also be offered to the kin of the deceased persons.

Those who suffered serious injuries will be given Rs 2 lakh, while other injured will be offered Rs one lakh compensation.

Benefits of several welfare schemes will also be given to the kin of the deceased, he said.

Eyewitnesses said that the truck hit the buses from behind and one of the buses overturned and fell into a ditch.

The accident took place near Mohania tunnel around 9 pm when the buses had stopped for distribution of food packets to the passengers returning after attending the Mahakumbh, they said.

Rajora said top officials, including collectors and superintendents of police of Sidhi and Rewa districts reached the spot.

Chouhan has directed officials to supervise the treatment of the injured persons and asked them to keep the Rewa Medical College and Sidhi District Hospital on alert, he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed grief over the accident in a tweet.

Head constable in UP CM Adityanath’s security detail shoots himself dead

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Barabanki (UP): A police personnel deputed in the security of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath died after he accidentally shot himself in the head with his service revolver, police said.

The incident took place on Friday. The deceased, Sandeep Yadav, was scheduled to join duty on Saturday, Additional Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Mishra said.

“Yadav was cleaning his revolver at his house located within the Masauli police station limits when the gun accidentally got fired. The bullet hit him on the head and he died on the spot,” the officer said.

Yadav’s body was sent for post mortem and the matter is being investigated, police said.

Name change of Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities gets Centre’s nod

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Mumbai: The Union government has approved the renaming of Maharashtra’s Aurangabad city as ‘Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’ and that of Osmanabad city as ‘Dharashiv’.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared the news on Twitter on Friday.

Aurangabad derives its name from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, while Osmanabad was named for a 20th century ruler of the princely state of Hyderabad.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji, the eldest son of warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was the second ruler of the Maratha state founded by his father. Sambhaji Maharaj was executed on Aurangzeb’s orders in 1689.

Dharashiv, the name of a cave complex near Osmanabad, dates back to the 8th century according to some scholars. Hindu right-wing organisations had been demanding renaming of the two cities for long.

Fadnavis tweeted two letters from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the deputy secretary of the state General Administration Department dated February 24.

The letters stated that the Centre had no objection to the change in the names of these two central Maharashtra cities.

Fadnavis thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision.

The state government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ‘did what was promised ‘, he said.

Notably, to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv was the last cabinet decision of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress government, which collapsed last June following Shinde’s rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray.

The new government headed by Shinde scrapped the cabinet decision and took a fresh decision.

Reacting to the news, Aurangabad MP and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Imtiaz Jaleel tweeted that they will show their strength for Aurangabad.

“Aurangabad is, was and will always be our city. Now wait for our show of strength for Aurangabad. A massive morcha for our beloved city! Get ready Aurangabadis to defeat these forces (BJP) playing politics in the name of our city. We condemn & we will fight,” he tweeted.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said the renaming was a victory of Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray’s stand.

Danve, leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, tweeted that Thackeray had “renamed” the city of Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar way back on May 9, 1988.

“The name of the person (Aurangzeb) who broke the temple of Kashi Vishweshwar has been erased,” he wrote.

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