D K Shivakumar KPCC President

Hubballi: Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar on Monday said the party high command will decide as to who the chief minister will be in the event of the party coming to power in the Assembly elections, likely by April-May.

Conveying good wishes to people of the state and all political parties for the New Year, he however wished that the Congress comes to power.

“I wish good for media, people of the state for the New Year, I also wish good for all parties, but we (Congress) should get the power,” Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters here, in response to a question, he said, “It is not that I should become the chief minister, it will be decided by the high command. Mallikarjun Kharge (AICC President), Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi (former AICC Presidents) will decide. What ever they decide is like prasada.”

With Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah too along with Shivakumar nursing chief ministerial ambitions in the event of the party coming to power in the state, there seems to be a game of political one-upmanship, between the two leaders as the election nears.

The Congress appears to be a divided house, with supporters of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar often openly projecting their leaders as the next chief minister.

Calling the BJP “university of lies” on the Mahadayi river water issue, Shivakumar said, “for three-and-a half years they (BJP) couldn’t do any thing, despite their own government in Maharashtra…they have taken most of our MLAs through ‘Operation Lotus’ in Goa and are in power there too, as they did here in Karnataka.”

“Without doing anything for three years, as we are preparing to raise a voice on the issue, instead of giving necessary clearances they have now issued a draft note…They (centre) have put a rider pointing to the Supreme Court’s final order on the issue, instead of getting the cases filed in the SC withdrawn,” he said, adding despite having 25 BJP MPs from the state, they did not meet the PM on the issue even once in order to get the work started.

“Who is going to stop you (Karnataka government) from taking up work within your state, with your money,” he questioned the ruling BJP.

Condemning the “delay” by the BJP government in getting the necessary approvals for the Mahadayi project, the Congress today is holding a massive rally in Hubballi to highlight the issue.

Recently, the Union government had approved Karnataka’s detailed project report (DPR) on the Kalasa-Banduri (Mahadayi) project, which was opposed by Goa.

Karnataka wants to use the Mahadayi river water from its tributaries Kalasa and Banduri to supply water to drought-hit districts of north Karnataka.

The proposed project will use 3.9 tmc water – 2.18 tmc from Banduri and 1.72 tmc from Kalasa river canals – for drinking water needs.

Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) will carry out major rehabilitation and recarpeting work on its runway for a little over four-month period starting from January 27.

The work will take place between 9.30 am and 6 pm from Monday to Saturday on all days except Sunday and national holidays until May 31, 2023.

The airlines will be operating their schedules prior to 9.30 am and after 6 pm in the period, a release from MIA here said Sunday.

The 2,450 m long and 45-metre-wide concrete runway was opened for traffic in May 2006, making MIA the first airport in Karnataka not only to have two runways, also the first airport to have a rigid pavement or concrete runway.

This rigid pavement runway has since then undergone periodic maintenance. The scheduled rehabilitation and recarpeting will see MIA asphalt or blacktop the runway to standards specified by the regulator.

The runway will be recarpeted to improve its micro and macro texture, and other allied repairs conceptualised over the years. The recarpeting work also includes installation of the runway centreline lights which will aid the aircraft operations at night and in low visibility conditions and improvements to runway end saftey areas (RESA).

This will enhance the safety as suggested by the committee of inquiry that probed IX 1344 plane crash at Kozhikode in Kerala.

MIA has discussed the recarpeting project with the airline and stakeholders concerned prior to obtaining regulatory approvals. The airport has worked along with the airline partners to ensure that while the flight timings are altered to accommodate the all-important runway recarpeting work, there will be no cancellation of flight to any destination, both international and domestic, the release said.

BENGALURU: As many as 14,320 members and representatives of the Federation of Karnataka Quarry and Crusher Owners Association staged a massive protest against the state government in Belagavi on Wednesday. 

Among many demands, the protesters said that the government should not demand excess royalty. They claimed that most of them have already paid royalties and questioned as to why they were being penalised to pay more. They alleged that it amounted to extracting double revenue from them.

The protesters threatened to launch a ‘Bangalore Chalo’ march in the first week of January if their demands are not met.

Minister for Mines Halappa Achar met the protesters and assured them of taking up their demands with the government. The matter has been conveyed to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who reportedly said that he would need a week’s time to respond to the demands, as the government is busy with the winter session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

The protesters pointed out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one-nation-one-tax policy and questioned why it was not being applied here.“If there is one tax, why are we being made to pay more,” asked Ravindra Shetty, president of the association.

The association also threatened to take up the matter with Union minister Nitin Gadkari if the state authorities do not respond to their demands.

State government sources have expressed concern that developmental work across the state may get affected because of the protest. There is also concern that the state authorities may invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).

HASSAN: The owner of a courier office was seriously injured after a mixer-grinder exploded at Kuvempunagar Extension in Hassan on Monday evening.

The incident occurred at the DTDC branch office when Shashi, who owns the unit, opened the parcel and tried to test the mixer. The blast ripped his right hand, and shattered the windowpanes of the office. He also sustained injuries on his stomach and face.

SP Hariram Shankar, who visited the spot, said the incident occurred when the parcel, returned by one of the customers two days ago, was opened. The customer reportedly returned the parcel saying it was delivered to the wrong address.

The preliminary investigation did not raise any undue suspicion, but still the case has been referred to the Forensic Science Lab team, which will arrive from Mysuru on Tuesday. The courier boy has all the information about the company, the agency that dispatched the mixer and the address of the customer. The exact reason for the blast will be known after a thorough investigation, he said. Some suspect a short circuit.

HUBBALLI: Voices of dissent are growing louder as it is alleged that organisers of the upcoming Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Haveri are ignoring Muslim writers and poets. In rebellion, some senior Kannada writers are planning to organise an alternative meet, Jana Sahitya Sammelana, in Bengaluru on January 8.

Last week, when the Kannada Sahitya Parishat announced the names of writers and poets who are taking part in the sammelana, a section of Kannada writers objected to the list, saying Muslim writers have been ignored. While the state has hundreds of Muslim Kannada writers, only a few have been considered for the sammelana, they pointed out.

Since then, there has been a campaign on social media to organise an alternative event or Paryaya Sammelana, parallel to the Haveri meet. Many writers have agreed to be part of this rebel lit fest.

But organisers alleged that petty politics is being played in the name of sammelana. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat has no intention of avoiding writers based on their religion, they said. “There are six Muslim writers and poets who are part of the Haveri Sammelana. It has become a routine for some people to create a controversy during the mega Kannada event,” an organising committee member said.

In 1979, when the sammelana was held in Dharmasthala, a parallel Bandaya Dalit Sammelana was organised, as the interests of Dalit writers were compromised. The then sammelana president, Hampa Nagarajaiah, had turned down a demand to hold a discussion on Dalit issues and the then Chief Minister Devaraj Urs had to intervene for the smooth conduct of the sammelana.

That was the trigger and soon, the Bandaya Dalit literature became hugely popular across the state. Later, journalist and writer P Lankesh had called for an alternative Sammelana to the Hubballi meet, but did not meet with much success.

The upcoming 86th Sahitya Sammelana will be held for three days from January 6 in Haveri and final preparations are on to make it a grand event. It will be inaugurated by Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who has taken a special interest as his home constituency of Shiggaon is in Haveri district.

MYSURU: A seven-year-old boy was electrocuted on the premises of Sri Morarji Desai Model Residential School in Nanjangud on Sunday. The police said that the boy, Navin, died after accidentally touching a live electric wire that had fallen on the ground. He is the son of the school’s physical education teacher Basavanna.

The incident occurred when he was filling water into a bottle at the school dining hall. Though the child was rushed to the Krishna Hospital in Nanjangud, the doctors declared him brought dead. The body was later shifted to taluk hospital for postmortem. DySP Govindharaju and PSI Arathi visited the spot and collected details.

BENGALURU: With the Omicron subvariant that is causing havoc in China detected in India, the state government is likely to frame Covid guidelines ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is holding a meeting in Belagavi on Monday with Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Revenue Minister R Ashoka and members of the Technical Advisory Committee on Covid. Ashoka, also the minister for disaster management, however, ruled out any severe restrictions on New Year celebrations and on travel.

“The Centre has already given us several instructions and the state government will take a decision based on them,” Bommai said in Bengaluru. He stressed that the decision will take international repercussions into consideration. Last week, the state government decided to make the wearing of masks compulsory in closed spaces.

Authorities also instructed mandatory tests for those with symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI). Ashoka said the state is unlikely to see a lockdown or other severe restrictions.

“We don’t want to trigger panic among the public. We want to ensure that precautionary measures are taken. Rules like wearing masks will be back, especially indoors and in air-conditioned halls,” he said.
Asked if instructions would not queer the holiday mood of the people, Ashoka said the government is only testing international travellers who are landing in Karnataka.

“There will be no restrictions on travelling within the state or country as the situation is not that bad,” he added. The meeting on Monday is likely to discuss preparations and ramping up of infrastructure, like oxygen beds, ICUs, medicines and other facilities.

MANGALURU:  In another case of moral policing, two Muslim youth in the company of Hindu girls were allegedly threatened by Hindutva activists at Urwa Station limits in Mangaluru on Saturday night. 

The incident occurred around 11.30 pm and victims said they were out for dinner. According to sources, the girls hail from Uttar Pradesh and one of them is said to be a minor.  However, Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar said the girls’ parents have decided not to lodge a complaint and no case has been registered. 

“The victims say they were not assaulted, but were questioned by the accused and so, they have decided not to pursue the case further,” he said.  Meanwhile, four Hindutva activists have been arrested over a moral policing incident at a jewellery shop a few days ago.

BENGALURU:  KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Friday said there is an opportunity for Dalit leaders in the party to become CMs.Shivakumar said that, unlike others, Congress leaders will not talk about making a Muslim leader or a Dalit leader CM, but there are opportunities for Dalit leaders to become CM as they have experience

Congress’s strength is that it unites all communities and leaders from backward communities have become CMs, he said and added that many leaders, including KH Rangnath, Mallikarjun Kharge and G Parameshwara, have all led the party in difficult times. Kharge has been elected AICC president as he is the senior-most leader as well as experienced, he said. Kharge was instrumental in getting the special status for the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said.

Shivakumar said many from the state are going abroad for work and they send money to their families, but the government has failed to protect their interests. The Congress leader, who recently visited Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, said people from the state who are living there expressed their displeasure over the government’s response when they wanted to return during the pandemic. Congress will have a separate department for their welfare, he said.

BENGALURU: With exit polls predicting a win for the BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday exuded confidence of the party returning to power in Karnataka in 2023.

Addressing a gathering during the BJP’s Jana Sankalpa Yatra at Koratagere in Tumakuru district, Bommai said there is a pro-BJP wave in Karnataka owing to his government’s policies, including the recent hike in SC/ST quota.

He said the Congress will disappear in the “tsunami” of the BJP which will sweep the 2023 Assembly polls. Taking a dig at the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah between 2013 and 2018, Bommai said there was rampant corruption during the CLP leader’s rule. “There was corruption in Arkavathy Layout denotification, in procuring pillows and beds for government hostels, in drilling of borewells for SCs/STs…,” he added.  “Siddaramaiah even weakened the Lokayukta and set up the Anti-Corruption Bureau to cover up cases against him and 50 others. But in the coming days, we will reopen such cases in which B report has been filed,” he said.

He accused Siddaramaiah of leaving behind a debt of Rs 2 lakh crore on successive governments. “Their government did nothing with the loan they availed. Most of the irrigation projects that are being implemented now were funded by the BJP. Also, rice under Anna Bhagya scheme was diverted to black market during the Congress regime,” he alleged.

Bommai questioned why Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah did not dare to hike the SC/ST quota.  “None of the previous governments had shown the courage to hike the quota… but I did it… I hope you all will back me,” Bommai said after being felicitated by BJP SC/ST leaders.

Slamming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he said that BJP and RSS were ignoring the invocation ‘Jai Siyaram’, Bommai said, “He (Rahul) has no simple understanding that the word Rama has Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman incorporated in it.”

“The choice is yours (voters)… you have to decide if you want to go with Sonia mata ki jai of the Congress or BJP’s Bharat mata ki jai,” Bommai added. Bommai said senior Congress leader and former deputy CM Dr G Parameshwara has enemies within the Congress who are determined to defeat him.

On party’s candidate from Kunigal, Bommai promised to help both former MP Muddahanumegowda, who recently quit the Congress to join the BJP, and Krishna Kumar, who has lost three times. He hinted at fielding Krishna Kumar in 2023 polls and  Muddahanumegowda from Bengaluru Rural in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

Former CM B S Yediyurappa’s absence was conspicuous at the yatra on Wednesday. “He had a scheduled programme for the day and hence could not make it. But he had attended all the yatras in the past,” CM Bommai clarified.

CM Basavaraj Bommai hinted at the government taking back the stud farm at Kunigal run by United Racing and Bloodstock Breeders (URBB) of Vijay Mallya as the lease period with the government
will come to an end on December 31. “After holding deliberations with  local leaders, a government subsidiary will be established,” he said.