BENGALURU:  In the run-up to the assembly polls, the state BJP has planned a series of public rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath across the state

In January, the PM is expected to take part in Raitha Morcha Samavesha scheduled to be held in Belagavi and Shah will attend the SC Morcha Samavesha in Chitradurga, where the opposition Congress has also planned an SC/ST Samavesha on January 8.

“Modi will visit the state once every 15 days and Shah four times a month,” said Revenue Minister R Ashoka. Meanwhile, RSS leaders have been holding talks with the CM as he will be the BJP’s face. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale met Bommai, and on Friday night, veteran RSS pracharak Mukunda CR held a meeting with the CM for two hours. “They discussed Bommai’s cabinet expansion and induction of former ministers KS Eshwarappa, CP Yogishwara and Ramesh Jarkiholi to brighten party’s chances in certain seats,” a source said.

Two strategists for the party in Karnataka, Union ministers Bhupendar Yadav and Piyush Goyal, also held talks with Bommai during his visit to New Delhi recently. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate a samavesha of party workers on December 18. Nadda is expected to address rallies in Bagalkot on December 15, 20 and 21. The party’s Yuva Morcha Samavesha in Udupi on January 12 will be attended by Adityanath.

Responding to the challenge of contesting against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Varuna constituency, BJP state vice-president BY Vijayendra riposted, saying, “I am ready to face any challenge. It’s up to the party to decide,” he added. Asserting that he is ready to shoulder any responsibility, Vijayendra said he is organising the party in Varuna and other constituencies and is committed to winning more seats in the Old Mysuru region. He said leaders of the Grand Old Party are under the wrong impression that BJP’s massive victory in the Gujarat elections will not impact Karnataka.

BENGALURU:  With 2023 Assembly polls approaching, the Congress high command has convened a meeting of leaders of the party’s Karnataka unit in New Delhi on Monday where issues ranging from internal rift to strategies to win the elections are likely to be discussed

“Since ticket distribution is likely to morph into a big issue, it will be taken up for discussion. AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge will have the power to decide on candidates,” a source told TNIE.
CLP leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar, former DCM Dr G Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa, MB Patil and others are likely to attend the meeting at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, where Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi are expected to be present.

They are likely to tell the sulking leaders to avoid confusion by raking up the issue of chief ministerial candidates. Groupism has also become a headache for high command. Siddaramaiah is planning to launch his own yatra from Janurary 3, as his admirers and Chamarajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan and Hebbal MLA Byrati Suresh have arranged a special bus for him from North Karnataka, while KPCC chief DK Shivakumar plans to launch another yatra from the Old Mysuru region. Parameshwara had suggested they should launch the yatras only after the SC/ST ‘Aikyata Samavesha’ on Janurary 8 in Chitradurga.

BENGALURU: Last week, a 12-year-old girl was attacked by stray dogs in Belagavi when she was returning from school, a three-year-old boy was killed by a pack of stray dogs in Bhadravathi, a girl was attacked in Purale of Shivamogga and a child got 15 stitches on its neck in Gadag after bitten by street dogs.ADVERTISEMENTAds by 

These are just some stray dog attack cases that have come to light, while a majority go unreported. Incidents of street dogs attacking people, especially women and children and bikers riding late at night, have increased across the state. Experts and officials from the animal husbandry department blame improper execution of the anti-birth control programme (ABC). Even as many NGOs are keen to carry out the exercise on behalf of municipal corporations, improper allocation of funds is deterring it, they say.

A report by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi states that the country this year has seen 250 deaths due to rabies and most of them are from Karnataka at 32. The report said that some victims died despite taking the anti-rabies vaccine. While 20,000 Indians have died because of rabies, 60 per cent are children below 15 years of age. The National Rabies Control Programme has been implemented across India, except in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, the ministry added.

The cards are issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India, but the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) does not have a database on the number of such animal lovers in the city. In other parts of Karnataka, including Hassan, Kolar and Chikkaballapur, no cards have been issued. In places like Madikeri, however, feeders are helping the municipality catch dogs for the ABC programme.

To address the issue of clashes between government agencies, animal right activists, feeders and citizens, the state government is working on strengthening the Stop Cruelty to Animals (STCA) campaign, where feeders and other stakeholders will be given cases to handle in specific areas to ensure that the dog population is under control.

Dr Pervez Piran, former joint director, Animal Husbandry Department, told TNIE that to control the menace, it is important to ensure that there is no gap. “Even if three males are missed it is fine, every female should be captured for the ABC programme. The animal feeders should be used as a network for the programme as animals have already built a trust with them. But the dedication among officials is missing,” he added.

Catching and neutering stray dogs is not easy but with the cooperation of all, it can be done, he said. Citizens, including feeders, play a crucial role in capturing and neutering the animals and it does not require big infrastructure. “The process that was followed earlier can be replicated. A dog is captured, neutered and released in the same place. This ensures that their territory is not disturbed and the population is also under control, ensuring a lesser number of conflicts,” he explained.

Another activist, working with the BBMP and state government in the ABC programme, said many people allow dogs to take shelter in their homes when dog capture vehicles arrive and this should not be allowed. The problem is also because while the area of the city has increased, the programme has not. “The focus of the ABC programme is only in around 800 sqkm area, while new wards and expanding boundaries have not been covered and the problem is increasing in newer areas. A similar problem persists in neighbouring districts too. While subadult and adult dogs have boundaries, puppies, juveniles and females wander to newer places, increasing the population,” he said.

Animal activists said dogs wandering into forests and attacking wild animals is increasing which is a cause of concern. Stray dogs attacking peafowls or spotted deer have been seen in forests around Bengaluru. Many municipalities too are to be blamed as they are catching dogs and releasing them into the forest endangering the wildlife. Such incidents have been reported from Dandeli and Chamarajanagar. In Kolar and Chikkaballapur, street dogs are increasingly attacking cattle, while in Belagavi, 20 street dogs attacked and killed 12 sheep.

Bengaluru
BBMP said Bengaluru has 1.5 lakh street dogs as per the 2019 survey report, while the numbers have not been updated over the last two years because of the pandemic.

Ravi Kumar, Joint Director, BBMP, Animal Husbandry, said that on an average, around 600 dogs are vaccinated for anti-rabies every month, while four dogs are captured for ABC every day. He said that as per a Supreme Court order, those who feed the animals should also take care of them (vaccinate and sterilize). But that is not happening. The BBMP has been able to sterilise only 71 per cent of the dog population, but this is less compared to their breeding cycles. Only a few adopt local breed dogs, he pointed out.

From April till October 2022, 28,341 dogs have undergone ABC programme, while 52,635 have been vaccinated for rabies. For this period, no dog bite deaths have been reported, while 17,610 dog bite cases have been registered. Also, 3,217 dog rescue calls have been made to BBMP and NGOs, states the BBMP report.

Madikeri
According to the Madikeri City Municipal Council, over 600 stray dogs have been spayed, while strays are being given anti-rabies injections. While the issue is being addressed scientifically in Madikeri, it is not the case in other parts of the district. Whenever rabid dog bite cases are reported, panchayats go on dog-catching drives. Since they are not done ethically and with proper equipment, they are opposed by animal activists. In many places, citizens themselves are taking care of strays.

Mysuru
There is no stray dog problem in Mysuru city, claimed Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Health Officer DG Nagaraj. The MCC dog squad attends to public complaints round the clock. The MCC is also setting up a dog park on a five-acre plot at Rayanakere on HD Kote Road on the city outskirts. It will have the latest medical facilities and also a shelter for stray dogs. Veterinarians from NGOs conduct around 20 ABC operations per day, he added.

Hassan
Activists blame the city municipal corporation for catching strays and releasing them into the wild last year. But now, nearly 20 per cent of those dogs have returned to the city. The stray dog population is said to be high at Pension Mohalla, Hosaline Road, Ring Road, Vallabhai Road and Tanniru Halla. Last year, 52 people, including 31 children, were bitten by stray dogs last year, said CMC officials. Hassan City Municipality president Mohan said the CMC is planning a special drive to catch stray dogs.

Mangaluru
Dakshina Kannada has reported 15,649 cases of dog bites from January till November this year. District Health Officer Dr Kishore Kumar said they have been giving ARV for all dog bite cases and this year no rabid dog bite have been reported. As a precautionary measure, all bites are assumed to be rabid because most symptoms develop after three or four months.

Suma R Nayak, trustee, Animal Care Trust, Mangaluru said, the stray dog problem isn’t big but it is not being handled properly by the authorities. A systematic process should be followed to solve the problem. Few local bodies take interest and many panchayats have stopped the drive, citing lack of funds. Irresponsible pet owners leave puppies on the roads without sterilising the mother which adds to the problem, she said.

Belagavi
Several incidents of stray dog attacks on humans and animals have been reported across Belagavi district over the last one year. Varun Karkhanis, founder, Belgaum Animal Welfare Association, said Belagavi city has over 15,000 stray dogs. If the authorities continue the ABC programme without breaks, the menace will be eradicated, he added. Dr Sanjay Dumgol, Health Officer, Belagavi City Corporation, said the contract for sterilising stray dogs has been given to Bengaluru-based NGO ‘Care for Voiceless’. He said the implementation of ABC is slow and it will take five to seven years to control the dog population.

Shivamogga
Shivamogga City Corporation Commissioner Mayanna Gowda said the corporation spends Rs 5-6 lakh every year for the ABC programme, where 500-600 stray dogs are neutered. Many stray dogs are coming from rural and adjacent areas into the city as they find easy food. The ABC programme should be carried out continuously for two years in all city corporations and gram panchayat to tackle the problem. A census conducted 5-6 years ago revealed that there were 4,000 stray dogs. From January to October 2022, 15,810 dog bite cases were reported in the district.

Kalaburagi
Dog bite incidents are rampant in Kalaburagi city as a large population of stray dogs is found in many localities, including Mominpura, Darga, Hagarga, Aiwan-E-Shahi Road and Gazipura.

Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Bhuvanesh Patil said the city has around 4,000 stray dogs and of them, 1,200 have been sterilised. Maharashtra-based Azad organisation is conducting the ABC programme. District Surgeon Dr Ambaraya Rudrawadi said from April to December, 10,939 people have been treated for dog bites. The highest number of 266 cases was reported in Chittapur taluk in November, said District Health Officer Dr Rajashekhar Male.

Gadag
The Gadag-Betageri twin city is facing the stray dog problem in Hamalara Colony, which has witnessed 11 dog bite cases in one month. An official from Gadag Betageri Municipal Council said, “We have collected information about the stray dog problem in some areas and it will be sent to higher officials. We will address the issue at the earliest”.

Kolar and Chikkaballapur
Stray dog attacks on people and cattle are increasing in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. A majority of stray dogs are being vaccinated by private doctors. K Jayaraman, a pharmacist, said that as compared to previous years, the sale of anti-rabies vaccine Rabipur has increased four times this year.

KOLAR: Veteran Congress leader and seven-time MP KH Muniyappa took exception to a group of partymen in Kolar projecting senior party leader Siddaramaiah as the chief ministerial candidate by saying that there are 10 other contenders for the post.

“The focus of the party should be on the overall development of the state”, he said. While addressing a meeting of Congress leaders and workers for the first time after it was reported that Siddaramaiah could possibly contest from Kolar, Muniyappa said that it was “very painful” for him to note that neither the state Congress leaders nor the party high command has taken any step to look into the manner in which he was defeated in the Lok Sabha poll, apparently referring to alleged infighting in the party which led to his defeat.

Muniyappa said in his speech that senior Congress leader V.R. Sudharshan will take up with the state high command and apprise them of the issues discussed in the meeting. On Siddaramaiah’s proposed candidature from Kolar, Muniyappa said he would welcome the senior leader as his only concern was that the Congress should become stronger in Kolar and Chikballapur districts.

He, however, made it clear that some leaders should immediately refrain from creating groupism by arranging meetings at village and hobli-levels. “If I open my mouth, there will be a rift in the Congress,” he said. “All should join together and ensure that all 11 Assembly segments vote in favour of the Congress in Kolar and Chikballapur districts,” he said. 

BENGALURU: A woman allegedly murdered her octogenarian neighbour and escaped after hiding the body in a wardrobe. The incident took place in Attibele of Anekal taluk. Police said the deceased has been identified as Parvathamma (80), a resident of Neraluru village.

The police are on the lookout for the accused, Payal Khan (aged about 26). “Parvathamma had moved with her family to a rented house on the second floor of a building about nine months ago and the accused lived on the third floor of the building for 10 months. Parvathamma had left the house on Friday evening, informing family members that she was going out to buy betel leaf and would be back soon. However, she did not return and her family started searching for her,” police said.

On Saturday, her son, Ramesh, lodged a missing person complaint.  “Meanwhile, Ramesh’s wife informed him that Parvathamma had told her that the neighbour upstairs was inviting her home and they should check there once, but the house was locked on Saturday evening. As it was locked even on Sunday morning, Ramesh grew suspicious and informed the police.

When the house was searched, the body was found in a wardrobe,” the police said. The miscreant had smothered the elderly woman and hidden her body in the wardrobe after tying her limbs. “About 80 grams of gold the woman was wearing are missing. It appears to be a murder for gain. We are looking for the killer,” the police added.

BENGALURU: Talking tough with police officials working in the anti-corruption agency, Lokayukta Justice BS Patil said if there is rampant corruption and people are suffering because of it, it reflects the inefficiency of the Lokayukta police

Speaking after inaugurating a two-day workshop on conducting an effective investigation into cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Karnataka Lokayukta Act, Justice BS Patil said people’s expectations of the Lokayukta is very high, after the power to investigate cases under the PC Act was restored. It is the duty of all staff of the anti-corruption watchdog to work to meet these expectations.

“Investigations should be done with zeal. I am not bothered about how you (police officers) worked in the
past. But here, I need you to be completely motivated and focused. There is no limitation or pressure from elected representatives. But if anyone is found to be working against the goals of this institution, they will not continue even for a minute. There is an internal mechanism in place where I get reports on the performance of the staff,” Justice BS Patil added.

He said the agency will become a laughing stock if there is any wrongdoing by its staff. “We keep doing several operations. If any case of passing of information is found, all other investigation will be kept aside and a probe taken up to find out who leaked the information first,” the Lokayukta warned.

Meanwhile, he said a 25-point directive has been issued to police on investigation and prosecution, and some officers are doing a commendable work while others were not up to the mark in districts. “There is rampant corruption and people are crying because of that in your district, your action and inefficiency are the reasons for that,” Justice Patil said, asking officers to keep visiting government offices, hospitals and agricultural centres to know what’s happening there. Further, he added the conviction rate should be 85-90 per cent in corruption cases.

MANGALURU: Kumble Sundara Rao, former MLA from Surathkal constituency and Yakshagana exponent, passed away here on Wednesday. He was 88. He was elected as an MLA for one term in 1994 for the 10th Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Rao was an exponent of Yakshagana (Tenkatittu style) and had performed as a member of Surathkal, Dharmasthala and Ira Yakshagana Melas.

He was also the president of Karnataka State Yakshagana Academy. He is survived by his two sons and three daughters. The last rites will be held on Thursday.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai condoled Rao’s death. In a tweet, the CM said he was pained to hear about the passing away of Rao who was an MLA and exponent of Yakshagana and Thalemaddale.

BJP state president and

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said with the death of Rao, the state has lost a great Yakshagana artiste. As a BJP MLA, he implemented several pro-people works and gave advice for the strengthening of the party in the coastal region. He had also organised Yakshagana in the Vidhana Soudha, recalled Kateel.

BENGALURU:  JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, who has embarked on the Pancharatna Yatra to better party’s chances in the 2023 Assembly polls, is trying to woo Muslims and Dalits by planning to camp in their localities and dine with them in the Old Mysuru region, where the party has a strong base.

Having CM Ibrahim as state party president will only help him attract Muslim voters. “Why cannot Ibrahim become a chief minister? Is he untouchable,” he had asked, triggering a controversy. But he later clarified, saying his intention was not to hurt the feelings of Dalits and to pacify the Dalit community, he will now stay at Dalit-dominant Dibburu area of Tumakuru on Thursday. “He will have breakfast at the house of JDS SC wing city president DN Bhyresh,” said JDS leader Nagaraj. On Wednesday, he visited the Muslim-dominated Lakkuru at Thyamagondlu in the Nelamangala constituency in Bengaluru Rural.

“Vokkaligas stand by JDS as they have a sense of belonging and hold party patriarch HD Deve Gowda in high esteem. Kumaraswamy is now on a mission to keep the Muslim and Dalit voters with the party. JDS won seven seats, including Nelamangala and Malavalli that are reserved for SCs, in 2018,” said a JDS leader.

As Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit stalwart, has been elevated as AICC president, JDS has a task at hand to ensure that its traditional Dalit voters stay with the party, he said. “Kharge cannot personally meet the Dalit community, while Kumaraswamy can interact with them which will have a better impact,” he added.

MYSURU: Even as JDS senior leader HD Kumaraswamy has embarked on the Pancharatna Yatra to mobilise support ahead of the Assembly elections, the party in Mysuru and Chamundeshwari constituency received a major jolt with senior party functionaries and prominent leaders resigning from the party’s primary membership in protest against party’s rebel MLA GT Devegowda’s leadership 

The resigned rebel leaders and workers, who are said to be not happy with the party’s decision to let Devegowda contest from the Chamundeshwari constituency, held a show of strength, Swabhimana Karyakartara Sabhe, and vowed to defeat the MLA in the coming Assembly election.

They lashed out at Devegowda for revolting against the party leadership earlier and dissociating with party workers for the last two years. Speakers at the meeting accused him of hobnobbing with both Congress and BJP, seeking Assembly tickets for him and his son Harish Gowda. “As he did not get any assurance from both parties, he shed crocodile tears in front of party supremo HD Deve Gowda and returned to the party,” they alleged.

Former Zilla panchayat president and Mysuru taluk JDS former president Beeregundi Basavanna said he had earlier worked for Devegowda’s victory, but despite that the MLA insulted him in public after becoming a minister in the previous JDS-Congress coalition government.

He said Devegowda worked against party candidates in previous elections and recalled that Kumaraswamy had assured party leaders from Mysuru that one among them will be the party candidate from Chamundeshwari. But now Devegowda has been picked for the seat and they feel letdown, he added.

AHMEDABAD:  As campaigning for the first phase of Gujarat assembly polls involving 89 seats came to an end on Tuesday for voting due on December 1, a war of words between the ruling BJP and Congress erupted over a remark of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about PM Narendra Modi.

Addressing a public rally in Ahmedabad’s Behrampura on Monday night, Kharge said, “We see your (Modi’s) face in corporation elections as well as in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections everywhere. Do you have 100 heads like Raavan?”

Replying to Kharge’s remark, the BJP accused the Congress of insulting the Gujaratis and appealed to voters to “teach the opposition party a lesson.” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra called on Gujarat voters to cast votes for the “son of the soil” Modi to avenge the insult” in a democratic way.

Of the 89 seats out of the total 182 where polls will be held on December 1, as many as 35 constituencies are spread across the southern districts of Bharuch, Narmada, Tapi, Dang, Surat, Valsad and Navsari. The polling is also due in 48 seats of Saurashtra and six seats of Kutch district.

In 2017, the BJP had managed to win 25 of these 35 seats while the Congress and Bharatiya Tribal Party won eight and two seats, respectively. Of the 14 seats reserved for the STs, the BJP won only five. 

While the tribal-dominated areas are still considered BJP’s Achilles’ heel, urban voters in south Gujarat stood firmly with the party in 2017.

In the first phase, the elections will be held on 48 seats of the Saurashtra zone, considered the centre of power in state politics.

Due to the pro-BJP tilt of Patidar voters in Saurashtra, the party’s seats have steadily increased over the last two-and-a-half decades. However, during the Patidar reservation movement, BJP suffered a loss in the 2017 polls. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to Saurashtra in his Gujarat tour to marginalise the loss in 2022.

The results show that in 2017, out of a total of 48 seats in Saurashtra, the Congress won 28 seats, while BJP won 19. BJP is worried about 2017 results, which is why it started aggressive campaigning for the last six months. A huge cooperative meeting was held in Amreli district in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in Rajkot and Morbi BJP National President JP Nadda held a road show. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held meetings in Saurashtra, including those in Junagadh and Jam Kandorana, before implementing the model code of conduct.