7 Karnataka Congress leaders sacked for supporting Sumalatha in Mandya

Lok Sabha 2019

The alliance candidate Nikhil K, son of CM HD Kumaraswamy is up against widow of Rebel Star Ambareesh, who is getting support from the BJP.

IANS

The Karnataka unit of Congress has suspended seven block leaders in the Mandya district for anti-party activities and not campaigning for JJD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, contesting from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, a party official said on Thursday. "As the district block leaders refused to campaign for Nikhil, defying high command's diktat (order), state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao has suspended them for indiscipline and anti-party activities," party official Ravi Gowda told IANS. "As they refused to fall in line and obey the party's order for the cause of coalition dharma, the party had to suspend them and seek explanation for defying the diktat," said Gowda. Mandya district is about 100 km southwest of here on way to Mysuru. "The rebels were also suspended for campaigning on the sly for our rival candidate (Sumalatha Ambareesh) contesting as an Independent with the BJP support," said Gowda. The suspended block presidents are H. Appaji of Mandya Rural, A.S. Rajeev of Bharati Nagar, Putramu of Malavalli Rural, K.J. Devaraj of Malavalli City, M. Prasanna of Nagamangala, K.R. Ravindra Babu of K.R. Pet and S.B. Prakash of Melkote. As part of pre-poll alliance, the JD-S and the Congress have agreed to field joint candidates in all 28 parliamentary seats and campaign jointly to prevent division of votes in a straight contest with the BJP. Though hundreds of party workers have refused to campaign for 29-year-old Nikhil, an upcoming Kannada film actor, the party hopes suspension of their leaders would make them (cadres) stop from seeking votes openly for Sumalatha and campaigning for her on the sly. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the Congress is contesting 21 seats and the JD-S 7, including Mandya, Hassan, Tumkur and Udupi-Chikamagalur in the first phase of polling. "The block presidents were warned against anti-party activities on receiving complaints from JD-S leaders that they were campaigning for the rival (Sumalatha) and seeking votes in the name of Ambareesh," said Gowda. Kannada rebel star M.H. Ambareesh, 66, who died on November 24, 2018, was a native of Mandya and represented it in the Lok Sabha thrice, twice as the Congress member and once as the JD-S member. "Though we all have respect and love for Ambareesh as his ardent fans, we cannot violate party discipline and coalition dharma," Gowda said. Polling will be held in two phases for 14 seats each on April 18 in the central and southern regions and on April 23 in the coastal and northern regions.         

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Finding it tough to get cabs in Bengaluru? It's because of elections

Transport

The long waiting time for cabs has prompted commuters in the city to look for alternatives to commute within the city.

TNM Staff

Finding it difficult to book a cab in Bengaluru today? The reason could be due to lesser number of drivers on the road in the city due to elections. Tanveer Pasha, President of the Karnataka Auto and Taxi Drivers and Owners Federation, said that as many as 1500 to 2000 Ola and Uber drivers had not logged in on Thursday due to elections. "The number of drivers on the road today has reduced by 1500 to 2000 drivers. While many have left for Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to vote in the elections, others have given their vehicles for election related work and are also taking up outstation trips as they do not want to be in the city at this time. This means that there are lesser cabs on the roads today," explains Tanveer. This has prompted commuters in the city to look for alternatives to commute within the city. Users have had to wait longer to avail cabs in many parts of the city. Tanveer further adds that drivers are engaged in work in their home towns as well. "Many drivers have asked to drive their car in their hometowns by people known to them for political work. All these factors add up in reducing the number of options available for users," adds Tanveer. Krishna, a cab driver with Uber, claimed that the availability of drivers would be an issue until the end of the elections in Karnataka since many drivers will go home during this time. "I have to go to vote in any case, so I will go early to my home town. I will drive my car there for a few days and come back after the elections," Krishna, who lives in Chintamani said. Meanwhile, both Ola and Uber representatives refused to disclose the number of drivers working in the city.

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Will retire from politics if Narendra Modi becomes PM again: HD Revanna

Lok Sabha 2019

HD Revanna was speaking to reporters at Hassan where he is campaigning for Congress candidate CH Vijayshankar.

IANS

Karnataka's PWD Minister and senior JD(S) leader HD Revanna on Thursday said he will quit politics if Narendra Modi got re-elected to become the prime minister again. "I will retire from politics if Modi gets re-elected from Varanasi and becomes Prime Minister again. The BJP will not come to power this time," Revanna told reporters at Hassan, about 150 km away from Bengaluru. Revanna, second son of JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and elder brother of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, is in the city to campaign for Congress candidate CH Vijayshankar, contesting against outgoing BJP member Pratap Simha from the Mysore Lok Sabha seat. "Our party JD(S) has joined the Congress as a pre-poll alliance to bring the UPA back to power and keep the 'communal' BJP out as we have to protect the interests of distressed farmers across the country," said Revanna. "I would like to know what Modi has done for farmers in the last 5 years. Though the state government sent a list of 15 lakh farmers to the central government for including them in the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Modi claimed that the Centre was yet to receive it. This is a lie," said Revanna. Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka will be held in two phases of 14 seats each. Polling will be held on April 18 in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru-Kodagu, Chamarajanagara, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru South, Chikkaballapura and Kolar. The remaining constituencies of Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkote, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Ballari, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shivamogga will vote on April 23.

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Cong’s Rizwan Arshad alleges vendetta after I-T raids on campaign office, aides

Lok Sabha 2019

Although the I-T Department is yet to issue an official statement, sources have confirmed to TNM that three businessmen connected to Rizwan were searched.

Soumya Chatterjee

It seems there is no end to the parleys of charge and countercharge between the Income Tax Department and the ruling coalition in Karnataka. On Thursday, I-T raids were conducted on the campaign office and other locations in Bengaluru connected to Rizwan Arshad, the Congress-JD(S) candidate for the Bengaluru Central constituency. Most of the offices and buildings raided belong to businessmen close to him. The candidate has called it an ‘act of vendetta’ against him. “The I-T raids that have been conducted at my campaign office and on some of my associates are harassment tactics that the BJP is using to try to cripple my campaign. I see these raids as a vendetta by the ruling party at the Centre. They have consistently been engaging in orchestrating I-T raids on several Congress leaders and opposition leaders, not only in Karnataka but also across the country,” he said. “It shows that they are nervous and foresee defeat, which is why they are stooping to such low levels. It is a reflection of extreme insecurity of the BJP leadership. The Congress party will not be intimidated by such actions of the opposition. The people will give them a fitting reply as they are smart enough to see through their game plan,” he added. Although the I-T Department is yet to issue an official statement, sources have confirmed that the three persons who were raided are Kamal Pasha, Amanullah Khan and Naeez Khan. Thursday’s development comes a day after Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax in Karnataka asked Chief Electoral Officer, Sanjeev Kumar, to pursue criminal proceedings against Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and others, including ministers and political leaders The Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues on March 28 in an unprecedented move had held a demonstration against the I-T in front of their Queens Road office in Bengaluru over alleged politically motivated raids. Other than the CM himself, others who participated in the protest were former CM Siddaramaiah, Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar, Deputy CM G Parameshwara and Tourism Minister SR Mahesh. According to the I-T Department, searches on contractors and engineers involved in government contracts in the districts of Hassan, Mandya and Mysuru had unearthed unaccounted cash of Rs 8.14 crores and unaccounted jewellery worth Rs.1.69 crores.   They also clarified no person holding an office of an MLA, MLC or Minister, was searched. The letter stated, “When persons occupying high public offices, including constitutional posts, make false statements and voluntary instigate, and involve themselves in, such criminal activities with the sole purpose of adversely affecting the processes of the law and preventing government officials from discharging their duties, such activities and statements criminally intimidate and harm the personnel of the Department with greater intensity.”  

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K'taka man gets 10 yr sentence for forcing wife to perform sexual acts with dog

Crime

The man would force his wife to watch porn videos and perform similar sexual acts.

TNM Staff

A man from Karnataka’s Belagavi district has been convicted by the district sessions court for forcing his wife to perform sexual acts with a puppy. On Tuesday, Justice VB Sooryavanshi held the man guilty of forcing his wife into having 'unnatural sex' and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He was also fined with Rs 11,500. On March 25, 2017, the Katkol Police in Belagavi had received a complaint from a 25-year-old woman, who had been forced to leave home along with her three children due to severe physical and psychological abuse by her husband. According to the police, Kavita* was married to Preetham* nine years ago. For five years, Preetham and Kavita did not have any problems in their marital life. The couple also have three children. However, in December 2016, Preetham began assaulting Kavita regularly when she refused to give in to his sexual demands. “He would make her watch porn videos on his phone and force her to perform sexual acts that were in the videos. In March 2017, he got his uncle’s puppy, which was about six to seven months old, and forced his wife to perform sexual acts with it,” says sub-inspector Vittal, the investigating officer in the case. Upon investigation, the police found that Preetham had made Kavita perform sexual acts with his uncle’s dog thrice within a span of two weeks. “When the woman repeatedly refused to comply with his demands, he would threaten to throw her out of the house and also abandon their children. The woman is a homemaker and she depended on him financially. He would also beat her up if she refused to do as he says,” SI Vittal added. The Katkol Police had arrested Preetham on March 25 and he was remanded to judicial custody. Preetham had petitioned the sessions court for bail. However, the bail was rejected. “He even petitioned the High Court but the court did not grant him bail and he was in jail until the trial got over. Now he has been convicted,” Vittal added. Katkol Police say that Kavita’s parents and Preetham's uncle, whose dog was used to perform sexual acts, testified on behalf of Kavita in court. “Apart from the survivor's testimony and the testimonies of her parents and her husband's uncle, we had solid evidence. We had got medical reports for the woman and the dog, which worked in favour of the survivor. The judge called it a heinous crime and has sentenced him to 10 years in prison,” Vittal added. *Names changed to protect identity of survivor.   

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Khushbu slaps man who groped her at B'luru election campaign

Crime

The police told TNM that the man was warned and let go because no FIR has been registered in the case.

Theja Ram

A video of actor-politician Khusbhu Sundar slapping a man who groped her has gone viral. Khushbu was campaigning for the Congress-JD(S) candidate Rizwan Arshad in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar area on Wednesday, when the incident occurred. From the video, it can be seen that a huge crowd had gathered for an election campaign in Bengaluru. South Indian actor Khushbu can be seen walking alongside Shantinagar MLA NA Haris and Bengaluru Central candidate Rizwan Arshad towards her car. Suddenly, Khushbu can be seen turning around and slapping a man who is standing behind her. “He groped me once and I turned around and started walking. He groped me for the second time. That’s when I turned and slapped him,” actor Khushbu told TNM. Speaking to the media, Rizwan Arshad said that the man, who had groped Khushbu, was pushed back immediately by the police and was taken away. “It is unfortunate that such an incident has occurred. We do not know who the man is but I have asked the police to take action against him,” he added. However, Indiranagar Police told TNM that no FIR has been registered in the case and the youth was warned and let go. “We have not received any complaint yet. The police deployed for security warned the man and let him go,” the Indiranagar Police said. Khushbu joined the Indian National Congress on November 26, 2014. A prominent face in the party, she has been its National Spokesperson since March 24, 2015. Prior to this, she was with the DMK. She is one of the star campaigners for the Congress in the Bengaluru Central segment, which has a considerable population of Tamil-speaking people.    

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