bangalore news times

Mangaluru : Former Prime Minister and JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda will be visiting Dakshina Kannada district in poll-bound Karnataka on Monday as part of campaigning for the May 10 elections. Addressing reporters here on Sunday, party MLC B M Farooq said Gowda will be canvassing voters in Mangaluru North constituency for party candidate Mohiudeen Bava, who recently quit the Congress and joined the JD(S). Also Read Karnataka polls: With son in hospital, JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda takes up campaigning Farooq said the JD(S) supremo will also visit Sunkadakatte Ambike Annapurneshwari Temple, Balavandi Daivasthana and Gurupura Kambala Dargah. He is also scheduled to address a public meeting at Gurupur. Gowda, 89, will be holding a series of rallies across the state with just a few days to go for the end of campaigning on May 8. JD(S) second-in-command and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy will attend a public convention at Krisnapura here on May 5, Farooq said. Karnataka goe

Bengaluru: As Karnataka inches closer to assembly elections, the BJP and the Congress campaigns are getting nastier as the BJP finds itself pushed into a corner over the way it treated prominent Lingayat leaders, and the Congress on the back-foot because of its leaders’ recent remarks. The statements by leaders of the grand old party regarding ‘corrupt’ Lingayat chief ministers and comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a ‘poisonous snake’ (later withdrawn) have given the BJP much-needed ammunition to counter the narrative the Congress spun around former CM Jagadish Shettar and ex-Deputy CM Laxman Savadi, both prominent Lingayat leaders, who joined the Congress after quitting the BJP on being denied tickets. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come down heavily on the Congress over remarks made by Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. Also Read BJP corrects Congress’ mistake by scrapping Muslim quota in Karnataka: Amit Shah The BJP w

Bengaluru : Hitting out at the Congress and its leaders for criticising the BJP in Karnataka over the reservation issue, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the people will teach a lesson to the grand old party in the May 10 Assembly elections. “The Congress leaders say those who avail of the reservation facilities are beggars. Are the SC, ST, OBC, and Lingayats beggars? The people will teach a lesson to the Congress,” Bommai said at a rally. Speaking at a roadshow while campaigning for BJP candidate M.S. Somalingappa in Siraguppa on Saturday, Bommai said Somalingappa has developed the constituency, adding he also wished to develop his constituency on the lines of Siraguppa. Also Read ‘Are Dalits, backward classes beggars’, Bommai tears into Congress “Among the development works included a college and Kanaka Bhavana. All this happened due to the BJP government. As many as 54 lakh farmers have benefited from the Kisan Sanman scheme, thanks to the double-engine gove

Bengaluru: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday held a meeting with former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar — who has switched to the grand old party from the BJP, and other senior party leaders at Dharwad in Karnataka. The meeting, held at a hotel, was also attended by prominent leaders of the Lingayat community. During the meeting, Priyanka Gandhi gave a call to ensure Shettar’s victory. He will contest the May 10 Assembly election from Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. Notably, Union Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah has recently held a series of meetings. The saffron party has deputed its veteran member and former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa to ensure Shettar’s defeat on his home turf “to send a strong message to the defectors”. Also Read Karnataka polls: PM, Shah, Priyanka to hold mega roadshows, address rallies A source said that Congress has organised the meeting as the BJP is “trying to draw in Congress

Bengaluru : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Karnataka’s Vijayapura constituency Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Saturday defended his ‘Visha Kanye’ (poisonous woman) jibe at former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a huge gathering in Vijayapura, Yatnal, who spoke ahead of PM Modi, also mentioned Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as the “first prime minister of the country”. “Our Sanatan Dharm, our mother and our Bharat Mata are everything to us. We will not tolerate and can give our lives if anyone dares to talk against Bharat Mata. Along with this, if anyone speaks foul about our world leader Narendra Modi, we Indians would not tolerate that,” he said. Addressing the opposition leaders, he said: “If you try to wag your dirty tongue, we will answer in the same pitch. Under the leadership of PM Modi, India has become a ‘Vishwa Guru’. He is a replica of our first Prime Minister Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and treading on the

Bengaluru: Ending a busy day of electioneering for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka after back-to-back rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a huge crowd. Modi, who flew into the city from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm after addressing his third public meeting in the state, rode in a specially designed vehicle. Also Read Karnataka polls: PM, Shah, Priyanka to hold mega roadshows, address rallies Sporting a saffron cap, Modi was flanked by Bangalore North MP D V Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy. A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister and showered flowers on him. The BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed ‘Dollu Kunita’, a popular drum dance, enroute to the roadshow. The 5.3-kilometre long roadshow will pass through various locations in north

Bengaluru: As Karnataka is inching closer towards the May 10 Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are all set to hold mega roadshows and address rallies on Saturday. As part of his two-day visit to the state, Modi will first tour Humnabad of Bidar district, and then head to Vijayapur after which he will reach Belagavi later in the afternoon. He will reach Bengaluru by the evening and take part in the mega roadshow from NICE Road to Sumanahalli Junction. The Prime Minister will spend the night at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. Also Read Karnataka polls: Modi to hold road show, 3 public meetings on Saturday On Sunday, he is slated to address a huge public rally in Kolar and also visit Channapatna, where former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is contesting from and holding a mega public meeting. Modi will later reach the historical Beluru town in Hassan district, the stronghold of former

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three public meetings and hold a road show in Karnataka on Saturday as he embarks on a two-day visit to the poll-bound state. Since February this year, this is Modi’s ninth visit to Karnataka where Assembly elections to 224 seats are due on May 10. According to his itinerary, Modi will fly from Delhi on Saturday at 8.20 am by a special aircraft and reach Bidar airport at 10.20 am from where he will take a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district to address a public meeting at 11 am. Also Read ‘Are Dalits, backward classes beggars’, Bommai tears into Congress After the meeting, he will fly to Vijayapura where he will address another public gathering at 1 pm. He will then fly to Kudachi in Belagavi district where he will address people at about 2.45 pm. Later, Modi would fly to Bengaluru in the evening to hold a road show in Bengaluru North. The Prime Minister will stay in Bengaluru on Saturday and will depart from Raj Bhav

Kalaburagi : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday asked state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar does he think “Dalits and backward classes are beggars?” Reacting to Shivakumar’s statement that Lingayats and Vokkaligas are not beggars, the Chief Minister said during a roadshow in support of the BJP candidate in Sedam, Rajkumar Patil Sedam, that the Congress has the habit of “keeping Dalits inside the well and dropping them in the same place after getting their votes”. “The Congress leaders never thought that I would become the Chief Minister. Once the new quota was implemented, the Congress leaders got scared. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has spoken very badly about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the latter has swallowed all the criticisms and become ‘Nanjunda’ (another name for lord Shiva).” Also Read ‘Congress lacks maturity’: Basavaraj Bommai’s response to ‘betrayal’ barb Bommai’s remark cam a day after Kharge likened Prime Minister Modi to a “poi

Bengaluru : The High Court of Karnataka has recommended that three more Special Courts for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases be established in three revenue divisions of Karnataka, within the next six months. “We hereby recommend the State Government to constitute/establish three Special Courts for trial of NIA cases in Mysore Division, Belagavi Division and Kalburgi Division within a period of six months from the date of receipt of copy of the order,” the Division Bench of B Veerappa and Justice Venkatesh Naik T said in their judgment dismissing the appeals filed by 41 accused in the Hubballi riots case. It would “ensure speedy trial and disposal of the NIA cases” in order to make justice accessible to the needy and “to fulfil the scope and object of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act”, the bench said. A Special Court had rejected the bail pleas of the accused after which they approached the HC in two separate petitions. In its common order on the two petitions, the

Bengaluru : A local court here has rejected the transit anticipatory bail to Indian Youth Congress President B V Srinivas. He has been accused of harassment and gender discrimination by Angkita Dutta, a youth Congress leader from Assam, and has been asked to appear before the Assam Police for questioning on May 2. In his plea before the Additional City Civil and Sessions Court, Srinivas had sought the transit bail so that he could approach the jurisdictional court for bail. Judge K S Jyothishree heard the plea on Thursday and announced its rejection on Friday. Appearing for Dutta, senior counsel Phaneendra submitted that the accused had already approached the Guwahati High Court in the matter but claimed he had not approached any other court in this plea. Also Read Operation Kaveri: 362 Indian evacuees from Jeddah leave for Bengaluru The lawyer argued that since Srinivas was influential, he would destroy the evidence if granted bail. He was accused of serious offences and th

Jeddah : Another batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah on Friday, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan under ongoing Operation Kaveri. “Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe,” tweeted Muraleedharan. Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe. #OperationKaveri pic.twitter.com/z3DEj4Vnjd — V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 28, 2023 About 31 tribals (Hakki Pikki) from Karnataka were stranded in the African country amid the violence between Sudan’s military and the country’s main paramilitary force. Meanwhile, 392 Indian nationals are returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. “Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of

Hyderabad: In view of expanding its business in India, Lufthansa on Thursday announced the introduction of two new routes, Munich to Bangalore and Frankfurt to Hyderabad. The new flights on the Munich-Bangalore route will be operated three times a week, with the first flight scheduled on November 3, 2023. While the flights from Frankfurt-Hyderabad will commence operations in the coming winter and combined these flights represent the first new routes in the Asia Pacific for the Group. Also Read IndiGo offers to operate chartered flights under Operation Kaveri Lufthansa has got a long-term vision to strengthen its footprint in the Indian market by catering to the growing population of young working professionals through this expansion. “The brand intends to make the best of India’s s untapped growth opportunity by providing consumers with the most premium travel experiences during their international trips, be it for business or leisure,” a press release said. With more than

Hyderabad: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) suspended its Gulbarga district president Abdul Raheem alias Mirchi Seth for alleged anti party activities. Abdul Raheem, who worked with the AIMIM for quite a long time had rebelled against the party after denial of a ticket in the upcoming Karnataka state polls, and is independently contesting from Gulbarga (North) seat in the ensuring assembly elections. Following his decision the party suspended him from the primary membership of the AIMIM. Also Read Owaisi-led AIMIM to field 25 candidates, eyes alliance with JD(S) In a tweet, AIMIM Karwan MLA Kauser Mohiuddin stated “I would like to announce that Abdul Raheem alias Mirchi Seth AIMIM President Gulbarga has been suspended from AIMIM party responsibilities/assignments with immediate effect. Any actions of his have no approval from AIMIM.” The AIMIM, led by its national president and Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi, is also planning to field candidates in

Bengaluru : With less than a fortnight left for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, electioneering is in full swing as political leaders intensify their campaigning across the state to woo voters. While the ruling BJP fielded a battery of its leaders including chief ministers from other states and union ministers, along with state leaders, to campaign in various parts of the state by addressing public meetings, holding road shows and interactive meets, the Congress had its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra touring for the second day. JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, 89, and his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy have been leading their party’s campaign. The BJP seems to have thrown its entire might into campaigning today, with its leaders like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and party general secre

Belagavi:  Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday raked up the Hindu word origin row in the district ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Secretary Satish Jarkiholi had stirred a controversy by stating that Hindu word has Persian origin and it means “slave” and “dirty”. Also Read Muslim quota reservation unconstitutional: Karnataka govt to SC While addressing a rally at Yamakanamaradi constituency represented by Jarikiholi, the CM said he (Jarikiholi) is playing with the feelings of the people. “We have to get votes on the developmental works that have been carried out. It is not correct to play with people’s emotions,” he said. “All the people have respect for their culture and heritage. That should not be challenged and hurt. This time, Yamakanamaradi seat will see a change and the BJP candidate Basavaraj Hundri should win with a margin of 25,000 votes,” he maintained. In November 2022, Satish Jarkiholi stoked a controversy a

Bengaluru: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman will campaign for the BJP candidates in Karnataka on Wednesday. The leaders will arrive in various places of North and South Karnataka to campaign for the May 10 Assembly polls. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will arrive in Mysuru from Lucknow and participate in roadshows and campaigning in Mandya. He will reach North Karnataka’s Vijayapura district by noon and visit Basaveshwara temple before taking up campaigning in Basavana Bagewadi. Yogi will arrive in Indi town and address a public rally before returning to Lucknow. He will touch down in both Vokkaliga and Lingayat heartlands. Also Read “It’s time for a change…” Priyanka Gandhi on upcoming Karnataka assembly polls Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will take up campaigning in Belagavi and Bagalkot districts. Besides, he will also participate in public rallies in Kagawada, Bailhongal and Bagalkot districts. Ka

Bengaluru: Amid reports that he pitched for BJP national general secretary CT Ravi as the “next” chief minister of Karnataka, former state minister and senior party leader KS Eshwarappa on Tuesday denied making any statement to that effect. The senior BJP leader, who announced his decision to step away from electoral politics earlier, said CT Ravi is a “good leader” but a decision on the CM face is outside his domain. He added that he doesn’t have the authority to decide the party’s chief ministerial candidate. Also Read Ahead of Karnataka polls, senior BJP’s Eshwarappa quits electoral politics “CT Ravi is a good leader. He is doing very good work in Chikkamagaluru. I did not say anything about him being the next chief minister. I have no authority to make such a statement,” Eshwarappa told ANI over the phone on Tuesday. However, he said that being a prominent leader from the Vokkaliga community, CT Ravi has all the qualities to become the future chief minister of the state.

Bengaluru : A defamation case was lodged on Tuesday against Karnataka’s Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah over his alleged statement on corruption practised by Lingayat Chief Ministers in the state. Activist Shankar Sait had lodged a private complaint with the Magistrate court in Bengaluru in this regard. The court had adjourned the matter to April 29, after accepting the petition. A complaint had also been registered against the Congress leader with the Election Commission in this regard already. The statement that Lingayat CMs indulged in corruption and destroyed the state has stirred a controversy ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections. Also Read I was falsely projected as anti-Hindu in 2018, says Siddaramaiah The BJP has also made it a big poll issue in the state and used it as a weapon to control the damage caused by the exit of former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi. The Lingayat Yuva Vedike Legal Cell, which had lodged a complain

Mysuru : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday held a massive roadshow in Krishnarajanagara here waving at a large enthusiastic crowd along the route, seeking people’s support ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka. Standing atop a specially-designed vehicle, she was greeted by the crowd gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings. Large number of party workers holding Congress flags were seen marching along with the vehicle, as it passed through the streets, amid drum beats and slogans like ‘Congress Congress’ and ‘Priyanka Gandhi ki jai’. Vadra was accompanied by AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and other local party leaders. She even clicked a selfie from the vehicle for an “admirer” standing on the road, and shook hands with a couple of them. Also Read Karnataka polls: High voltage campaigning by Priyanka Gandhi, Amit Shah Addressing the people at the end of the roadshow, she urged them to change the government

Hubballi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said reservation based on religion was unconstitutional, and asserted that the BJP would implement the quota formula adopted by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led government in Karnataka. He said BJP has given tickets for May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka on merits of winnability, and not on the basis of majority or minority, and also nowhere a non-Lingayat candidate has replaced a Lingayat. Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar who recently quit BJP and joined Congress will not win the polls this time, Shah declared, as he pointed out that Hubballi-Dharwad has always voted for BJP. “I want to assure the people of Karnataka that whatever formula of reservation that has been adopted by the Bommai government, we would implement it on the ground, including the sub category reservation (internal reservation) among the Dalits. This is our promise,” Shah said. Addressing a press conference here, he said reservation on the basis of re

Bengaluru : In a temporary relief to Kannada actor and anti-Hindutva activist Chetan Kumar Ahimsa, the Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed an earlier order of the Central government on the cancellation of his Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status. Chetan Kumar had challenged the order in the court. The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna has ordered that neither the state nor the central government should initiate any action against Chetan till June 2, 2023. The bench had also asked Chetan not to tweet anything about the judiciary. He was also directed not to issue any statement regarding pending cases. The bench asked Chetan to remove all the tweets and submit an affidavit within four days. This direction is part of the final order and if any of the conditions are violated, the interim stay order will be vacated, the court told Chetan Kumar. Senior counsel Aditya Sondhi who argued for Chetan submitted that the petitioner should have been given an opportunity to present

Bengaluru:  Congress veteran and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said “false propaganda” that he was anti-Hindu took centre stage during the 2018 Assembly elections and denied he was against the majority faith as projected by the BJP. In an interview with PTI Video, the excerpts of which were released on Monday, he further said there was nothing wrong in state Congress President DK Shivakumar also aspiring for the chief minister’s post in the event of the party winning the May 10 Assembly polls, as “healthy competition” was fine. “See, if there is healthy competition there is nothing wrong. If DK Shivakumar wants to become CM and he is an aspirant there is nothing wrong. If I become an aspirant for the CM post there is nothing wrong. Ultimately newly elected MLAs will decide and the high command will take a decision,” on the top post, he said. Asserting that the people of Karnataka want to show the door to the ruling BJP, Siddaramaiah said the saffron organisation