Congress-JD(S) seek top K’taka I-T official’s transfer over ‘selective’ tax raids

Lok Sabha 2019

On April 13, the tax sleuths raided the premises of Congress candidates B.N. Chandrappa (Chitradurga), Prakash Hukkeri (Chikkodi) and Rizwan Arshad (Bangalore Central) though nothing incriminating was found from them.

IANS

Karnataka's ruling Congress-Janata Dal-Secular alliance on Monday urged the Election Commission to transfer the state's Director General, Income Tax, B.R. Balakrishnan for "selectively" carrying tax raids on their leaders and contractors and traders close to them. "In view of the partisan tax raids on our political leaders, their relatives, contractors and traders ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the state on April 18, Balakrishnan has to be transferred outside the state," the allies said in a joint letter to Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar. Noting that ensuring free and fair elections on a level playing field for all parties was the poll panel's responsibility, the allies said the tax office was selectively raiding their candidates and associates in the state since March 28. They said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and other leaders have protested against the raids at the tax office on March 28. On April 13, the tax sleuths raided the premises of Congress candidates B.N. Chandrappa (Chitradurga), Prakash Hukkeri (Chikkodi) and Rizwan Arshad (Bangalore Central) though nothing incriminating was found from them "By selectively targeting our candidates, Balakrishnan is trying to show that only we are flush with funds and not any candidate of the BJP," said Congress state President Dinesh Gundu Rao in the letter. The combine also said, in the letter, that though facts belie the fallacious assumption of the tax office, Balakrishnan's comment that the protest by the allies was similar to the tactics of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, as per his March 30 letter to the CEO, was "disturbing". "Political or loose comments on ministers and elected leaders makes Balakrishnan's continuation in the office untenable, as they reflect his hostility and vindictiveness against our coalition government in the state," they said in the letter. The letter also referred to the arrest of a tax officer for allegedly taking Rs 14 lakh bribe from a builder in the city recently. "The tax officer's arrest reveals that the IT department was blackmailing and harassing individuals, politicians, businessmen, traders and contractors," the ruling parties alleged. Accusing the tax office of overlooking the omissions and commissions of the BJP leaders and candidates, the allies said Balakrishnan was misusing his office to target only Congress-JD-S leaders, candidates and their associates.

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Airfares to increase for all flights from Bengaluru airport for 4 months

Transport

Airport authorities said the UDF has been revised for domestic and international flights and will apply from April 16 to August 16.

TNM Staff

Air ticket prices for passengers flying out of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru are set to increase for four months from April 16 onwards, as the User Development Fee (UDF) at the airport is being revised.  According to airport officials, the UDF is being revised based on an Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) amendment, which was issued on April 4.  The UDF for domestic departures will be revised from Rs. 139 to Rs. 306 while the UDF for international departures will increase from Rs. 558 to Rs. 1226. The revised charges will be applicable from April 16 to August 16, 2019 after which the UDF charges will revert to the earlier rates.  "This incremental increase in charges would provide BIAL much needed relief as we are in the midst of a massive Rs. 13,000 crore capacity expansion to cater to the stupendous growth of the aviation sector in India. We are thankful to TDSAT, AERA and the government of Karnataka for their continued support for BIAL’s huge infrastructure outlay," said Hari Marar, MD & CEO of Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL). The additional funds collected will be used to fund infrastructure expansion projects in the Bengaluru airport. "'As mandated by AERA, the money generated from the incremental increase in UDF, during these four months, will be deposited in a separate bank account and will be used only to fund the ongoing infrastructure expansion," Hari added.  

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Audio claiming Deve Gowda family will spend crores for Nikhil’s win in Mandya emerges

Lok Sabha 2019

The voice in the audio, allegedly that of Chetan Gowda, son of incumbent Mandya MP Shivarame Gowda, is heard saying that huge amounts would be spent to ensure a JD(S) win.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Facebook/NikhilGowda

Karnataka’s Mandya has been a hotbed of controversy ever since the Lok Sabha elections were announced. With Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the son of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, and actor-politician Sumalatha, wife of the late Congress MP Ambareesh, competing for the constituency, several eyes are on the district to see who will clinch the seat. The latest controversy emerging from the district is an audio clip, allegedly that of incumbent Mandya MP LR Shivarame Gowda’s son Chetan Gowda, claiming that the Deve Gowda family is willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money to ensure that Nikhil wins from Mandya. Allegedly speaking to former Congress leader P Ramesh, Chetan Gowda claims that around Rs 5 lakh per booth will be spent to ensure that Nikhil wins the Mandya seat, to which the other person (allegedly P Ramesh) replies that the total amount to be spent will be Rs 150 crore. “The Deve Gowda family is spending around Rs 5 lakh per booth for around 2,800 booths in the district,” claims the voice, allegedly belonging to Chetan Gowda, in the clip. Responding to the allegations made in the clip, HD Kumaraswamy said that the family is not dependent on such tactics and relies on the support of the people for its win. Meanwhile, Sumalatha, who decided to contest as an independent candidate from the constituency, said in a campaign speech in Malavalli that it was now clear that Kumaraswamy was willing to go to any lengths to secure a win. The battle in Mandya is a do or die one for the JD(S). The party had won all seven assembly segments during the 2018 polls. The clear majority in Mandya seemed like the right time for JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda to introduce his grandson into politics. With the electioneering in Mandya taking centre stage in Karnataka, Deve Gowda has now created a platform for Nikhil Kumaraswamy to become a well-known face across the state. At this juncture, a loss for the JD(S) would come as an embarrassment to the party, especially in a district considered to be its stronghold. Sumalatha’s late husband, actor and Congress MP Ambareesh was a tall figure in Mandya's political scenario. Following his death, several speculations arose that she would be given the seat on behalf of the Congress, but ultimately the JD(S)-Congress coalition gave the seat to Nikhil. While both Nikhil and Sumalatha are novices in the frontlines of politics, they are not at all new faces to the public. Nikhil, being the son of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and the grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, is the third generation from the political dynasty to enter the political arena. Sumalatha, on the other hand, is a familiar face in the district, as Ambareesh was a native of Mandya and represented the district in the Lok Sabha twice for the Congress and once for the JD(S). Several Congress leaders have reportedly refused to campaign for Nikhil as they are in favour of the seat going to Sumalatha. Sensing rising tensions between the JD(S) and the Congress, senior Congress leader and former CM Siddaramaiah has asked party workers to set aside their rivalries. “The goal is to ensure that the BJP does not win and we must work towards it,” he said speaking at a gathering in Mysuru on Monday. On Tuesday, the Karnataka state government transferred Mandya Deputy Commissioner N Manjushree on the Election Commission’s direction after allegations rose of the DC favouring Nikhil. She was transferred after Sumalatha alleged that Nikhil had violated election norms by submitting a fresh affidavit after the deadline was over. Sumalatha had also approached the Election Commission and filed a complaint in this regard. Note: TNM cannot independently verify the veracity of the claims that the voices in the audio clip belong to Chetan Gowda and P Ramesh.

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'PM's Cong mukt India dream will begin from Chikkamagaluru': Shobha Karandlaje intv

Lok Sabha 2019

Shobha Karandlaje is seeking a re-election from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, a place from where Indira Gandhi had won in 1978.

Prajwal Bhat

In the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency, the lone woman MP from Karnataka - Shobha Karandlaje - is fighting a perception that she has neglected the constituency since 2014.  Shobha is not just an MP but also the General Secretary of the BJP in the state. She is seeking a reelection from the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency despite voices within the BJP appealing to the party's high command for a different candidate. TNM caught up with Shobha on the campaign trail at Saibrakatte in Udupi about her renomination, discord within the BJP, and her opponent - Pramod Madhwaraj contesting on a JD(S) ticket.  Before your nomination was confirmed, a 'Go Back Shobha' campaign was initiated in which social media users appealed to the BJP to change the party's candidate in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru. What are your thoughts on BJP workers unhappy with your nomination and do you think it will affect the upcoming elections? It is normal when there is an indication that the party will win from one Lok Sabha constituency, many aspirants will expect a ticket. This is not wrong and there is a democratic set up in BJP. Anyone can ask for a ticket and some of them started a campaign like this but today, all workers of the BJP are working together as one unit to ensure Narendra Modi is Prime Minister again. What are the works that you have taken up in your tenure as MP? For this constituency, we have turned state highways into national highways. There was a request from people to complete double-railway track and electrification of Konkan railway and work on it has begun starting in Madgaon. It will be completed in one-and-a-half years.  CRF (Centra Road Fund) road development works have been taken up. The first Sakhi centre in Karnataka has been inaugurated in Udupi. A Government Tool Room & Training Centre (GTTC) and Kendriya Vidyalayas have been built in this constituency for the first time.  Also, the Ramakrishna Skill Development College is being built in Udupi Railway Station. The first Gems and Jewellers certification institute in India has been built in Udupi and admissions are beginning now. But in spite of this, there is criticism that you have focused on state and national issues more than the issues affecting the constituency.  We have paid attention to a lot of developmental work in this region but there is work that is remaining. There is scope to build tourism here. There are problems faced by the fishermen community, coffee growers, areca nut growers and we have to give them their due and we should complete the works we have begun and we will do this in the next five years. Were you surprised by the fact that the Congress handed over the seat to the JD(S) despite the latter's limited presence in the two districts? Chikkamagaluru is a constituency that had given a rebirth to Indira Gandhi. But this time, there is no Congress symbol to vote for. This shows their weakness since they have stooped to this level. There is no Congress candidate from here and it is a surprise because at one point, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru was considered a Congress bastion. But now, in 10 Assembly seats, nine of them are held by BJP. So the BJP has emerged here and the dream of making India Congress-mukt which is shared by PM Modi can begin from here.  You have argued in Parliament about the cycle of political murders in coastal Karnataka. But critics have claimed that you are making the issue communal. What do you have to say about this? Today, the youth have been killed by jihadis and people do not talk about this. Not even the government. Today I ask Congress and JD(S) leaders when these people died, weren't they the youth of Karnataka?  You have been accused of selectively raising your voice to highlight deaths of Hindu workers. What about the deaths of RTI activist Vinayak Baliga from Mangaluru or Prashant Poojary from Udupi? Why haven't they (Opposition) raised their voice for them? Why haven't they given them solutions? Why are they waiting and saying that we should raise our voice? Because they haven't raised their voices, we had to raise it and give them justice. There is a need to raise the voice for everyone and particularly when there is injustice against our workers, we will do this. There have been repeated protests over the long-standing issue surrounding sand mining in Udupi. Last year, protestors demanded that 171 persons be given permission to extract sand from Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas in the district while an NGT ruling has banned sand mining in CRZ areas. How do you propose to resolve this issue? I have told the government clearly that the (state) government should take the sand and sell it. I have spoken about this with ministers, state representatives and in meetings with MLAs and Deputy Commissioner. If they (state government) don't want to give sand to private operators, then the government can take the sand and under the AC or tahsildar's directive and the sand can be given for the poor and for government related construction work.

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If coalition loses in Lok Sabha, alliance may not last in K'taka: Siddaramaiah warns

Lok Sabha 2019

Siddaramaiah was addressing party workers in Mysuru when he urged party workers to set aside their rivalry and work together.

Theja Ram

“If we lose (Congress-JD(S)), will the coalition government last?” These were the words spoken by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while addressing party workers in Mysuru on Sunday. For nearly 13 years, Siddaramaiah has remained a staunch opponent of the JD(S) and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. However, he has now had to shed his long-standing rivalry with the JD(S) first family in order to ensure that the Congress candidate CH Vijayshankar wins the Lok Sabha polls from the Mysuru-Kodagu segment. “The coalition government should last for five years. But the question is – will the coalition survive if we lose? I am not a minister. I was the CM and my time is coming to an end. Now Kumaraswamy is the Chief Minister. GT Deve Gowda, Sa Ra Mahesh, CS Puttaraju (JD(S) leaders) are all ministers now. The goal is to ensure that BJP does not win and we must work towards it,” Siddaramaiah said. Siddaramaiah also said that “a few people” had worked against him during the Assembly Elections to ensure that he does not become Chief Minister for a second term. He also said that his interest in electoral politics is waning and that he would not want to contest any more elections. “In the last election (referring to 2018 Assembly polls) a few people had worked against me to ensure I do not become CM again. My defeat in Chamundeshwari is a reminder of who was slated to become the Chief Minister. I have lost interest in electoral politics and I will not contest elections in the future. Rahul Gandhi must become the Prime Minister and I will work to ensure that happens. Hence, the coalition’s candidate must win in Mysuru,” Siddaramaiah told Congress party workers. Siddaramaiah, however, stated on Monday that he would not contest from the Chamundeshwari segment again, but may think about contesting from another segment if the party high command wants him to.  During the 2018 Assembly Elections, the contest was between the Congress and JD(S) across various segments in the Old Mysuru region in Karnataka. One of the most crucial battles was between the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his mentee-turned-foe GT Devegowda of the JD(S) in the Chamundeshwari segment. GT Devegowda had emerged victorious and this was a bitter experience for Siddaramaiah as he had suffered defeat in his stronghold. With the Congress and JD(S) coming together to form a coalition, Siddaramaiah is now being forced to shake hands with his longstanding rivals – JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and Chamundeshwari MLA GT Devegowda in order to ensure that the Congress candidate for Mysuru, CH Vijayshankar wins. Sources in the Congress party say that the top state-level leaders fear defection of MLAs to the BJP if the coalition’s candidates suffer defeat in key constituencies. “If the BJP wins in Old Mysuru region, it will be a blow to top Congress leaders. There are rumblings among certain Congress MLAs that it would be risky to continue with the coalition if the party does not win enough seats. Everyone is worried. A lot of party workers rebelled and now the leaders have realized what impact it could have. Just a week before polls, they ran into damage control. Now they are trying to ensure that their candidates win,” the source added.   

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13-year-old boy electrocuted while trying to pluck mangoes in Bengaluru

Death

Bharat used a wet stick to reach the fruit and touched a live wire passing through the tree.

TNM Staff

A 13-year-old boy was electrocuted in Jeevan Bhima Nagar in Bengaluru on Sunday while trying to pluck mangoes from a tree. Bharat, who was enjoying his summer holidays with friends, spotted a mango on a tree and climbed it. However, he did not notice a live electric wire passing through the tree. He was electrocuted when he used a wet stick to reach the fruit. “An 11 KV line of Bescom is covered by the tree. The boy was probably not aware of the live wire passing through the tree. He touched the wire with a stick and got electrocuted,” a senior police officer at JB Nagar police told Deccan Herald. Bharat was rushed to the hospital by G Vinod who witnessed the incident. He was declared brought dead by hospital authorities. "I managed to lay my hands on a wooden stick lying nearby, rushed towards the transformer and hit its fuse with force. The power supply was disconnected but the damage had already been done. Bharat hung limply on the tree. He was unconscious or perhaps dead," said G Vinod, speaking to Times of India. His parents Aiyappa and Maralamma, a couple from Andhra Pradesh, shifted to Bengaluru four years ago to work as daily-wage labourers. The incident comes less than two months after a 7-year-old boy was electrocuted after he stepped on a live wire in a park in the city. Read: 7-yr-old electrocuted to death after he steps on live wire at a Bengaluru park Experts say say live wires should never be touched and that insulating yourself is important to avoid electrocution. It is also advised to keep wires away from a child's reach and provide adult supervision whenever children are in an area of a potential electrical hazard.   In case a person touches a live wire, it is advised to immediately disconnect the power before dealing with the injured person. Do not move them with bare hands but use insulated material like rubber or wood to touch the person and after they are safely removed from the source of current, it is better to not move them much as they might have suffered spinal injuries. If the person is not breathing,  administer CPR immediately and call for help to take the person to the nearest hospital.

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Tejasvi Surya audio tape row: Woman demands apology from Cong for violating privacy

Lok Sabha 2019

The Congress had aired a phone conversation between the woman and her friend, in which she spoke about Tejasvi Surya.

TNM Staff

A woman entrepreneur from Bengaluru, who had taken to Twitter to allege that Bengaluru South BJP candidate Tejasvi Surya had physically harassed her, has now accused Congress spokesperson Brijesh kalappa of violating her privacy. The woman is livid at the Congress for publicly airing a private conversation she had with a friend about Tejasvi Surya. On Sunday evening, Brijesh Kalappa held a press conference and released two audio clips of the phone conversation between the woman and her friend. In the audio, the woman is heard telling her friend that Tejasvi Surya had sexually harassed three other women and a complaint was filed at the Koramangala Police Station. She has now demanded an apology from the Congress party and has accused them of violating her privacy. Brijesh Kalappa, during the press conference had questioned the BJP as to why no action had been taken against Tejasvi Surya. “If allegations made by (name withheld) are true, the facts were there before BJP and RSS leaders and yet they declared Surya as the nominee. If the allegations are to be believed, under the Supreme Court-directed Vishaka guidelines, what steps did BJP/RSS take?” Brijesh Kalappa had asked. Brijesh Kalappa had also stated that the woman, now settled in America, had submitted a complaint letter to both the BJP and RSS in addition to filing a complaint with the Koramangala Police. He also stated that Tejasvi had violated the norms and not mentioned the case against him in his affidavit. However, the woman had deleted her tweets (tweeted during the last week of March) accusing Tejasvi Surya of assault, hours after she tweeted them. She had told various media houses that she was not interested in speaking further. “Shame on Brijesh Kalappa for violating the dignity of a woman for political gains. I will soon initiate legal proceedings against him for outraging my modesty and violating my dignity,” she said in a tweet addressed to Kalappa. “Stop this political witch hunt at my cost. I have already written to the Women’s Commission, clearly stating that I am not involved in this matter and any cases initiated on my behalf is done without my will,” she added. Kalappa was quick to respond to her tweet and said that he is willing to face any legal proceedings against him.  “You’re welcome to initiate legal proceedings. Will be happy to face it. You will, however, find it an uphill task to prove how I have violated your dignity or that of any woman for that matter. My best wishes to all your endeavours including legal action against me!!” Kalappa said in a tweet. This was followed by a Twitter war between the woman and Kalappa where she demanded an apology from the Congress and Kalappa himself. “You are obviously a woman of great eminence. I respect you. This conversation has been heard by millions, having gone viral over the last 2-3 days. I had a PC (press conference) only this morning. If you think I had first-hand access to this conversation, you are mistaken,” Kalappa added. The woman also told Kalappa that she was not aware that the conversation with her friend was being recorded and that she was being coerced into giving him information. “Sir, as an advocate you know very well the conversation was private and I was egged on by the guy. I didn’t authorise him to publish it. The whole conversation was an instigated one and also private,” she said. Kalappa went on to state that by tweeting that the audio clip was a conversation she had with her friend that it was in fact authentic. “Madam, the moment you concede that the conversation is authentic, you concede that all my three demands are justified. Please don't bother to delete this tweet. There would be half a dozen screen shots taken already!” Kalappa added. On March 26, Tejasvi Surya’s nomination was confirmed after which the woman had tweeted about the harassment, she had faced at Tejasvi’s hands while they were in a relationship. She, however, deleted the tweets stating that she did not want to cause her family any trouble and that she did not wish to talk further about the issue.  

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