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Bengaluru: The political slugfest in Karnataka continues over the alleged sex video scandal involving JD-S leader Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday claiming that he doesn’t blackmail others with pen drives and CDs like former Chief Minister and senior JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy. On Tuesday morning, the JD-S suspended Prajwal Revanna, the sitting party MP and Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan, after the Congress government in Karnataka formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe allegations of sexual abuse against him. Also Read Prajwal ‘sex scandal’: NCW urges Karnataka Police to swiftly apprehend accused Kumaraswamy had earlier lashed out at Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the issue involving his nephew Prajwal Revanna, accusing the Congress leader of circulating the videos. Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said, “I fight my fights directly… I don’t blackmai

Bengaluru: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday took cognizance of the sex scandal allegedly involving sitting MP and JD-S candidate from Karnataka’s Hassan seat, Prajwal Revanna, who is also the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. The commission sought a report within three days from the Karnataka Police in the case. Also Read NCW seeks detailed action report after man sets pregnant wife on fire In a letter, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma urged Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan to take prompt and decisive action to swiftly apprehend the accused, who has fled the country. “The commission strongly condemns the incident and is deeply disturbed by its occurrence. Such events not only endanger women’s safety but also foster a culture of disrespect and violence against them,” Sharma stated. Meanwhile, the JD-S has suspended Revanna from the party and has said that if the SIT probe proves his crime, he will be expelled permanently. Get the latest updates in Hyd

Bengaluru: Karnataka Police have arrested a house owner on charges of raping an 8-year-old girl when she was alone at her rented house in Madanayakanahalli police station limits in the outskirts of Bengaluru on Tuesday. According to police, the accused man had committed the crime when the girl was alone and her parents had gone to work. The family of the victim had come to stay in the house a month ago. The victim has been admitted to the Nelamangala Private Hospital and was being treated. The police have booked the accused under the provision of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Further probe was on. Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Bengaluru: In a heart-wrenching tragedy, the serene waters of the Cauvery River near Kanakapura turned into a site of  grief  as five out of twelve engineering college students, on a leisure trip from Bangalore to Sangam, met a tragic fate, succumbing to the powerful currents and whirlpools lurking beneath the surface. The group, seeking solace from the scorching summer heat, ventured into the waters of the  Cauvery  River in  Mekedatu  in Kanakapura taluk, unaware of the potential dangers that lay ahead. Despite their lack of familiarity with the area, the allure of the cool waters proved irresistible, prompting them to embark on a swimming expedition. However, tragedy struck when five of them found themselves ensnared by a powerful whirlpool, their desperate struggles to resurface proving futile. The harrowing incident unfolded in the afternoon, sending shockwaves through the group’s tight-knit circle. Swift action ensued as their companions swiftly alerted local authorities, tri

Bengaluru: The issue of sexual harassment and exploitation of school and college girls continues to be a concerning reality, particularly within the confines of residential schools. What adds to the distress is the disturbing revelation that some teachers, who have been implicated in cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, are still employed within the education system. The state boasts a network of 850 residential schools, spread across five different models, all functioning as English-medium institutions. While these schools attract enrollment from parents seeking quality education for their children, they also harbour underlying problems that render children vulnerable to exploitation. Over the past five years, a staggering 380 cases of sexual exploitation have been reported from these residential schools, painting a grim picture of the safety and security measures in place. Shockingly, individuals convicted in these cases often find themselves t

Hyderabad: Sitting Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Monday, April 29, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over sharing the stage and campaigning for an NDA candidate in Karnataka accused of exploiting women and making thousands of sleazy videos with them. Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, hails from a prominent political family. His father, HD Revanna, currently serves as an MLA representing Holenarasipur constituency in Hassan. The JD(S) has fielded Prajwal Revanna again from Karnataka’s Hassan Lok Sabha seat. Asaduddin Owaisi, further questioned PM Modi over his claims of protecting and promoting the women of India and their “mangalsutras”, while supporting a candidate accused of exploiting women. He was referring to PM Modi’s speeches where he accused Congress of attempting to “sell away women’s jewellery”, including their mangalsutras, to distribute the wealth among Muslims. Also Read EC asks BJP to r

Bengaluru: Repolling is underway at one polling station in Indiganatha village of Hanur, which falls under Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka on Monday, amid elaborate security arrangements. Polling began at 7 am and will end by 6 pm. Also Read BJP MP, ex-Union minister Sreenivasa Prasad passes away The repolling was ordered by the Election Commission following reports that electronic voting machines were damaged at the polling booth in Indiganatha village in Chamarajanagara district on April 26 during a clash between two groups of people over whether to vote or not in the Lok Sabha elections. According to the district administration, the villagers had earlier decided to boycott the polls citing lack of adequate infrastructure development. However, after assurances and efforts by the local officials, polling was underway. As per preliminary information, one of the groups wanted to vote while the other was keen to boycott, leading to clashes between them durin

Bengaluru: BJP MP from Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar and former Union minister V Sreenivasa Prasad, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital here, died on Monday, family sources said. He was 76. Prasad is survived by his wife and three daughters. Also Read LS polls: Three-stage security provided to EVMs in Karnataka The six-time MP from Chamarajanagar and two-time MLA from Nanjangud in Mysuru district was ailing for some time. On March 18 this year, Prasad announced his retirement from electoral politics, marking an end to his almost 50 years in public life. He started his political career with the erstwhile Janata Party in 1976 and joined the Congress in 1979. He also had a stint with the JD(S), JD(U), and the Samata Party before joining the BJP. Prasad served as the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004. He joined the Congress later, got elected as an MLA in 2013 and becam

An ex-head cashier of the State Bank Of India (SBI) and an LIC agent were sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a case pertaining to demonetisation by a trial court Special Judge for CBI Cases, Bangalore. S. Gopalakrishna, then head cashier at SBI’s Dam Road Branch, Hospet,(Karnataka) and K.S. Raghavendra, the LIC Agent, were also fined a total of Rs.3,70,000 in a case related to demonetisation. During and after demonetisation, several instances of malfeasance across the country had come to light. In Hyderabad, a senior Postal department official was also arrested by the CBI for exchanging old currency notes with new ones for a commission instead of giving relief to the public. The CBI had registered a case on March 30, 2017 against both the accused and others on allegations that the Swachh Bharat that the SBI cashier had given ‘undue favour’ to the accused LIC agent, by violating the RBI Circulars and government rules and issued 101 Bankers Cheques without obtaining any ID pro

Bengaluru : Karnataka’s Congress government staged a protest on Sunday in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the premises of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, against the Central government over drought relief. The protest was led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM and Karnataka Congress President D. K. Shivakumar. AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, Cabinet Ministers and prominent leaders also took part in the protest. Shivakumar stated that the “struggle will not end here.” The state had given a memorandum over drought in September 2023. From September till date, the state has incurred a further Rs 50,000 crore worth of damages. “No one has got work and the Centre has not given funds under NAREGA. This has to be released,” he said. “The Central government had released over Rs 3,000 crore after being slammed by the Supreme Court. The money should have been released during the crisis. Now, in some time, rains will pour. If guarantees were n

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar along with several ministers and legislators on Sunday staged a dharna here, alleging injustice done to the state by the union government while releasing the drought relief funds. Holding ‘Chombu’, the round water pot symbolising emptiness and deception, the leaders charged the Centre with “cheating” Karnataka by not releasing adequate relief to face acute drought, the kind of which was not witnessed in the past several decades. They held the symbolic dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the premises of “Vidhana Soudha”, which houses the Legislature and Secretariat. The state government has declared 226 out of the total 236 Taluks in Karnataka as drought-hit and said there was a crop loss in 48 lakh hectares of land. According to Siddaramaiah, against the demand for Rs 18,171 crore for drought relief, the union government ordered release of only Rs 3,454 crore, that too after the state approach

Bengaluru: The Congress-led Karnataka government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe a sex scandal allegedly involving sitting Hassan MP and JD-S candidate from the seat, Prajwal Revanna. Revanna is the grandson of JD-S chief and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. His father H.D. Revanna is an MLA from Hassan’s Holenarasipur constituency. Also Read Karnataka LS polls: JD(S) once again banks on first family members The polling for the Hassan parliamentary seat was held on April 26. The development is likely to stir a huge controversy in the state ahead of the second leg of the Lok Sabha polls on remaining 14 seats, slated for May 7. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that the purported obscene video clippings are in circulation in Hassan district. It is prima facie found that there are atrocities committed against women. The SIT was formed in the backdrop of a letter written by the Karnataka Women’s Commission chief to the state government, th

Bengaluru: The parched landscapes of Karnataka bear the heavy burden of a lingering drought, aggravated by the meagre rainfall of the preceding year, severe summer conditions, and substantial evaporation. As a consequence, the water levels in the state’s major reservoirs have plummeted alarmingly, reaching less than 25% of their total storage capacity. The repercussions of this water scarcity ripple through various sectors, affecting both urban and rural communities. Recent data reveals a stark reality as the 14 major reservoirs across Karnataka collectively hold a mere 217.75 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic) feet of water, a drastic decline from the 269 TMC feet recorded during the same period last year. To put this into perspective, this current water volume accounts for just a quarter of the reservoirs’ combined capacity, which stands at 895.62 TMC feet. Among the worst-affected reservoirs is the Tungabhadra Reservoir, with a cavernous gap between its total storage capacity of 105

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress will stage a demonstration on April 28 here against the ‘paltry’ drought relief given by the Centre to the state. Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said against the demand for Rs 18,172 crore to mitigate drought in the state, the Centre has sanctioned only Rs 3,454 crore. Also Read Polling booth attacked, EVM set ablaze in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar The union government has announced a very paltry sum of relief, which will be grossly insufficient to provide drought relief to farmers, he told mediapersons here. “In this regard, we have decided to stage a protest near the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha. We will also continue our legal battle for more drought relief. We are not seeking alms, this is our right,” he noted. Shivakumar said Karnataka had only sought 50 per cent of the estimated loss of Rs 35,000 crore, but the Centre has agreed to release only a fraction of that

Bengaluru: Barring an incident of attack on a polling booth, voting in Karnataka’s 14 Lok Sabha seats on Friday was largely peaceful, election officials said. A mob attacked a polling station at Idiginatha village in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar and set an Electronic Voting Machine on fire. Also Read About 69% turnout recorded in Karnataka’s first phase of polling According to the Election Commission, a few villagers outside the polling booth were dissuading anyone who wanted to vote. Taluka officials reached the spot at around 1.30 p.m. and tried to persuade voters to cast their vote. Meanwhile, the District Tribal Welfare Officer, Circle Inspector and four policemen reached Mandhare, a nearby tribal settlement where voters were willing to vote, but were intimidated by some people in the village. About 20 voters from Mandhare were brought to the polling booth, and nine of them besides the polling personnel had cast votes by 1:50 p.m. when a mob aggravated and started peltin

Amid the electoral process of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, an elderly man in Bengaluru has captured the attention of netizens with a powerful message displayed on a placard that reads” I’LL Vote for Change, Not Hate.” The man in the clip has been identified as Mohammad Arif Sait, reported, Deccan Herald . Mohammad Arif Sait, affectionately known as ‘patrol uncle,’ has become a symbol of optimism and unity as he walks through the bustling streets of Bengaluru, delivering his poignant message to all. The video captures Sait standing in front of the Vidhana Soudha before embarking on a journey through popular areas like MG Road, Commercial Street, and Brigade Road. The video of Sait holding his banner has sparked a wave of adoration and support on social media. Indian actor and film director Prakash Raj, known for his anti-fascist views and sympathy for minorities, has also shared the video and complimented Sait. Also Read Bengaluru goes to poll amid heat wave-like situation V

Bengaluru : Voters across four constituencies in Bengaluru, which were among the 14 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in Karnataka, came out to vote in heat wave-like conditions on Friday. Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru South are among the 14 constituencies in the state that voted in the first phase today. “Although Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has not included Bengaluru in the list of heat wave affected areas, the city does satisfy one of the heat wave conditions – the departure from normal temperatures by at least 4.5 degrees,” said A Prasad, a scientist at IMD Bengaluru. Also Read Steady polling in LS polls in Kerala; 33.4 per cent turnout at 12.20pm Bengaluru is categorised under Aw (tropical savanna, winter-dry) by the Koeppen-Geiger classification with average temperature pegged at 22 degrees Celsius. And according to Climate-data.org, the mercury in the city’s warmest month April usually never rises above 32.8 degrees Celsiu

Bengaluru : An estimated 22.34 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am during the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in 14 constituencies in Karnataka on Friday. Long queues were seen at many polling booths, as people, especially senior citizens and morning walkers, came out to vote during the early hours of the voting, which began at 7 am. According to election officials, the voter percentage till 11 am was about 22.34 per cent. Out of 14 segments that are going to polls today, highest turnout of 30.98 per cent was recorded in Dakshina Kannada, followed by Udupi-Chikmagalur 29.03 per cent, and the least 19.21 per cent in Bangalore Central. The turnout was 19.81 per cent in Bangalore South, and 19.78 per cent in Bangalore North. In the first phase, the Congress is contesting in all 14 seats, BJP has fielded nominees in 11 and its alliance partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic Alliance in (NDA) in September last year, in three — Hassan, Mandya and Kolar. Also R

Bengaluru: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, software industry icon N R Narayana Murthy, his wife and Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty, former cricketer Rahul Dravid and actor Prakash Raj were among the early voters as polling began in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka on Friday. Many booths reported brisk voting in the first hour of polling as people sought to “beat the heat”. Also Read Siddaramaiah meets Neha Hiremath”s family, offers condolences Speaking to PTI Videos, Prakash Raj said he voted for the candidate that he has faith in and “for the issues mentioned in the manifesto of the parties.” VIDEO | Here's what Union Minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman ( @nsitharaman ) said after casting her vote in Bengaluru, Karnataka. "Everyone should come out of their homes to cast their vote. Yes, it can be a hot day in Bengaluru but it is worth coming out. Choose your… pic.twitter.com/sWxRY5t5VT — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2024 “I

New Delhi: The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) would be summoning the Karnataka chief secretary over the “blanket reservation” given to the Muslim community in the state, chairperson Hansraj Ahir said on Thursday, April 25. The NCBC has criticised the Karnataka government’s decision to categorise the entire Muslim community as a backward caste for reservation purposes saying such blanket categorisation undermines the principles of social justice. “All castes/communities of Muslim religion in Karnataka are considered socially and educationally backward classes of citizens and are categorised as Muslim Caste separately under Category IIB in the State List of Backward Classes,” NCBC chairperson Ahir said. “This classification enables them to receive reservation in educational institution admissions and in appointments to posts and vacancies in the services of the State, as per Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution of India,” he said. Also Read Muslim quota

Bengaluru: The Election Commission said on Wednesday that it had made elaborate arrangements for Karnataka’s first phase polling in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies on April 26. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said on Wednesday here that 1.40 lakh polling officials, 5,000 micro observers, 50,000 police personnel, and 65 companies of para-military forces and reserves from other states will be deployed on the voting day. Addressing a joint press conference with the Additional Chief Electoral Officers R. Venkatesh Kumar and Kurma Rao M. at the State Election Commission office, Meena said there are a total of 30,602 polling booths in 14 Lok Sabha Seats among which 19,701 will be covered by webcasting. Through this system, live telecasts of those polling stations could be watched. He further stated, “The CCTV cameras would be installed in 1,370 polling stations. There are 2.88 crore (2,88,19,342) eligible voters in 14 Lok Sabha seats. The government of Karnataka has declared a pub

Bengaluru: Campaigning for 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka going to polls in the first phase on April 26 will come to an end on Wednesday evening. A total of 247 candidates — 226 men and 21 women — are in the fray for this round of voting in most of the southern and coastal districts. It is a straight electoral contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) combine in the State. Also Read BJP files complaint with EC over Congress’ protest on Vidhana Soudha While the Congress is contesting in all 14 seats, BJP has fielded nominees in 11, and its alliance partner JD(S) in three — Hassan, Mandya and Kolar. Besides the three, the segments where elections will be held on Friday are: Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South and Chikkballapur. The intense campaigning for the past about a month saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Sh

Hubballi: On a day Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah apologised to murdered student Neha Hiremath’s father Niranjan, the Congress Corporator said he issued statements against the government and police due to lack of information and out of grief. On Tuesday, CM Siddaramaiah told Niranjan Hiremath over the phone, “We are with you. Very sorry.” Siddaramaiah asked Niranjan Hiremath to have courage. The conversation took place following Minister of Law, HK Patil’s visit to the residence of the murdered student. The Karnataka CM spoke to Neha’s father on the phone of Minister Patil. Responding to the apology of the CM, Niranjan Hiremath thanked Siddaramaiah for handing over the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Minister Patil also conveyed to CM Siddaramaiah that the family was satisfied with the handing over of the case to the CID. Also Read BJP holds state-wide protests over Hubballi murder Neha’s family is also happy with the decision of the Karnataka g

Bengaluru : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Karnataka starting from April 28 where his main focus will be the northern part of the state. North Karnataka region is considered to be a bastion of the BJP and Prime Minister Modi’s visit will strengthen the party’s position. He will address six rallies across 14 Lok Sabha seats in the region. On April 28, Prime Minister Modi will address a public rally in Davanagere, Karwar and Belagavi and will also address public gatherings in Vijayapura, Koppal and Kalaburagi constituencies where Congress has pitched in fresh faces. There is tough competition in the Bidar Lok Sabha seat where Union Minister for State Bhagwanth Khuba, the BJP candidate, is pitched against Congress candidate Sagar Khandre. Also Read Cong wanted to extend reservation on basis of religion: PM Modi Former Chief Minister and Belagavi BJP candidate Jagadish Shettar is also facing stiff competition from the Congress candidate Mrinal Hebbalka