Yeddyurappa loyalist and Umesh Yadav’s son named BJP candidates in K’taka bye-poll

Bye-elections

The bye-elections come at a time the BJP is attempting to usurp power from the coalition government.

TNM Staff

The  BJP in Karnataka finalised their candidates for the May 19 Assembly bye-polls in two seats in north Karnataka after the Congress had already named their candidates on Saturday. The last date for filing nominations for these two seats is April 29. Counting of votes will be done on May 23, the same day the nationwide results of Lok Sabha elections will be declared. In Kundgol, the BJP has gone with SI Chikkanagowdar, a key aide of BS Yeddyurappa in the hope of succeeding late sitting minister CS Shivalli who had won from the constituency two times successively. He will face Kusumavati, wife of former Municipal Administration Minister. Shivalli, who was the former MLA of Kundgol, passed away in March 2019. The Congress is hoping to bank on the goodwill enjoyed by Shivalli in the region by fielding his wife Kusumavati. Another seat which is going for bye-polls is Chincholi in Kalaburagi district after Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav resigned from his position and had contested the Lok Sabha elections against Congress heavyweight Mallikarjun Kharge as the BJP candidate. The BJP has fielded Umesh’s son Avinash from the seat in the hope of adding their tally of 104 seats in the state Assembly. Avinash will face Subhas Rathod, the Congress candidate. Incidentally, Rathod was in the BJP until late March before joining the Congress. Both the Yadavs and Rathod belong to the same Lambani community who are influential in the region. The bye-elections come at a time that the BJP is attempting to usurp power from the coalition government in the state. The coalition government has been on shaky ground ever since four Congress leaders including Ramesh Jarkiholi skipped a crucial party legislature meeting in January. The coalition government has managed to ward off BJP's reported attempts to convince more members of the alliance to defect. Shivalli's death means that the strength of the coalition in the Assembly is now 117 which includes 79 Congress MLAs, 37 JD(S) MLAs and 1 BSP MLA.  

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Woman injured at ‘Avengers: Endgame’ screening in B’luru theatre due to rush

Accident

The woman’s friend said that the theatre doors were opened just three minutes before the film started, leading to a rush. The multiplex said it was an accident.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational image

A 32-year-old Bengaluru woman was injured above her lip and had to get stitches after she fell down while entering a movie hall on Saturday night to watch Avengers: Endgame. The incident occurred during the opening of Saturday night’s 10 pm show at Cinepolis Forum Shantiniketan in Whitefield. According to the woman’s friend, Khizer Ahmed Sheriff, who was with her when she fell down, the theatre doors opened just three minutes before the film started. The movie was running full house, and therefore a lot of people rushed in at the same time, leading to the incident, he said. “The show was at 10 o'clock but they opened the doors at 9.57 pm. The entire hall was dark except for the light near the stairs. Since the people in the queue noticed that the movie had started, they rushed to their seats. In that chaos, my friend was pushed and she fell face flat on the stairs. It cut her lip and she hurt her tooth,” Khizer said. Khizer further alleged that the management at Cinepolis was unhelpful. He returned to the theatre after getting medical help for his friend from Manipal Hospital to raise the issue with the staff. “Initially they were very unresponsive, but then they claimed they started the movie on time. Since they did not acknowledge their mistake, a bunch of us (customers) wrote a letter and made the manager sign an acknowledgement with the names of the complainants along with their ticket numbers,” Khizer said. While Khizer and his friends want the theatre to compensate for her medical expenses, so far he says that he has been offered 15 ticket vouchers after multiple phone calls and even a meeting at his friend’s residence. The theatre management meanwhile blamed the rush for he incident, and denied that they had not helped the woman who was injured. Yasir Sohail, the manager present on Saturday night, said, “It was a 10 o’clock show and it was Avengers and we were running housefull shows. 246 – that is the capacity of our theatre – and all of a sudden 246 customers started entering the auditorium. Although the dimmers light and the stairs light was on, she fell down because of the pressure of the crowd. After that we gave her first aid and took her to the hospital and today we went to her home to check up on how she is doing now.” He denied any wrongdoing in terms of time management stating, “We followed the Theatre Management System (an automated system) but there was a huge rush which caused the inconvenience,” he said.   

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McConnell plan to hike the smoking age could be a win for tobacco companies

Public health officials see a 'Trojan Horse' behind support for the age 21 sales limit.

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Namma Bengaluru Awards 2019: Educationist, conservationist, eco-warrior bag prizes

Awards

This is the 10th year of the Namma Bengaluru Awards.

TNM Staff

Ashok Kamath of Akshara Foundation was presented the ‘Namma Bengalurean of the Year’ 2019 award on Saturday for his work on revamping the public education system in Bengaluru and the rest of Karnataka. This is the 10th edition of the Namma Bengaluru Awards presented by Namma Bengaluru Foundation, a non-profit founded by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Kamath had started the Ganitha Kalika Andolana (GKA), or Learn Math Movement, in partnership with the state Education Department to make Mathematics fun for children who otherwise fear the subject. He and his organisation have also developed an app called Building Blocks, available for android phones, and make simple math problems fun for children to grasp. Along with Kamath, the other recipients of this year’s awards were – Udaya Kumar, history and stone inscription enthusiast who won the Citizen Individual of the Year; Deputy Chief of Bureau, Times of India Rohith BR won the award for the Media Person of the Year; Ravindra Kumar N, an Assistant Conservator of Forests-rank IFS officer, who won the Government Official of the Year; Rajesh Babu and Victoria Joslin D’Souza, co-founders of Swachha Eco Solutions who won Social Entrepreneurs of the Year award; and Meghana Murthy, founder, Smitam, who was accorded the Rising Star of the Year award. The award ceremony was presided by Justice (Retd) MN Venkatachaliah. Udaya along with his fellow enthusiasts are accidental historians and have been preserving overlooked Bengaluru history hidden in inscriptions on stones and carvings. He has restored inscriptions as old as 900 AD. So far, the team has managed to save 9 of 11 critical endangered stone inscriptions and they are trying to digitally secure all inscriptions via very high resolution 3D optical scans. Rohith BR has actively reported on pressing civic, social and environmental issues, including the citizens’ fight for transparency and accountability in local governance. He also covered the environmental degradation of Bellandur and Varthur lakes in the city. Ravindra Kumar N is popular among environmentalists; the state government was faced with protests when he was transferred from Bengaluru Urban Division. He had recovered 130 acres of Turahalli forest land during his brief tenure and initiated action against 60 encroachers irrespective of their political influence. Swachha eco solutions are utilising technology in converting plastic waste into innovative durable products, which include products such as drip irrigation pipes, HDP water pipes and interlocking recyclable plastic tiles. They collect plastic waste across 54 wards in Bengaluru and recycle over 150 tonnes of plastic every month. Meghana and her colleagues, mostly volunteers, work with school children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and help them excel in studies. She also deals with subjects like the menstrual hygiene targeting school girls who are generally unaware or shy to discuss the subject. Through the #NoHesitation programme, Smitam conducted workshops for over 1,200 girls from government schools about mensuration and highlighted the consequences of improper menstrual hygiene. The theme of this year’s awards was Awakened, Aware, Active, Informed and Determined citizens can create change. Other than the awardees, NBF also felicitated individuals and organisations for their demonstrated passion and compassion. Uday Kumar, Shiva Kumar, Chetan Kumar BM and Prajwal HK, are students who were instrumental in saving the lives of two Surya Kiran pilots who crashed while training for the AERO India show in February. 'Wanted him to be OK': B'luru man who comforted Surya Kiran pilot speaks to TNM Those who were felicitated in this category include Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) - an animal rescue centre founded by Sudha Narayana and her associates which began as a shelter for 10 dogs and cats and is now home to 200 animals, including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and cattle. Sangeeta Halimani, the constable from Yelahanka Police Station who breastfed and comforted a day-old baby found abandoned on the streets of the city was also recognised for this category

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Reserve Mysuru Dasara elephant Drona dies, caretakers allege neglect

Negligence

The Mathigodu camp’s mahouts, who had tried to revive the elephant, allege that timely medical intervention could have saved Drona’s life.

By Mubarak Ailing 37-year-old male tusker Drona died at the Mathigodu elephant camp in the Nagarhole sanctuary near Titimati in Karnataka on Friday. The death of the reserve elephant for the Mysuru Dasara has created a stir among the camp’s mahouts, who had tried to revive the elephant and who allege that timely medical intervention could have saved Drona’s life. According to the mahouts, Drona was ill for quite some time and given the summer heat, his condition had further aggravated. “On Friday morning, noticing that Drona’s body movements were weak, we even took him to a water reservoir and repeatedly splashed water on him. He was slipping and unable to stand. We repeatedly called the zoo authorities to summon the veterinarian to take a look at him, but medical help did not arrive until he died,” a mahout said. Highlighting the medical neglect of the animals, the caretakers said that despite the district housing two elephant camps, one at Dubare and another at Mathigodu, the swiftest medical help for the 26 elephants has to come from Mysuru city and is not available within the camp or in Kodagu district. “Even the mandatory medical check during summer is not carried out as per schedule and the consultants have not changed the animals’ diet for the summer, which has us worried,” a mahout alleged. Once a rouge elephant, Drona was captured for raiding agricultural areas in Hassan by forest officers in 2014. From there, he was sent to the Mathigodu camp to be tamed. According to the local mahouts, Drona also aided the forest officials in tiger combing operations. “Drona was a senior elephant and his presence restored a sense of confidence among the officials, who were out to capture other rogue elephants,” they claimed. In two previous seasons of the Mysuru Dasara, Drona was positioned in the ‘reserve elephant’ squad. “Given his training, he was never troubled by sharp sounds or crowd presence and acted casually when visitors posed for a selfie with him,” the caretakers said. While the Director of Nagarahole National Park, KM Narayanaswamy, said that it was a case of heart attack, the mahouts are insistent that the neglect of animals must also be probed. Story by www.storyinfinity.com (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP).

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Out on bail, Congress MLA Ganesh says MLA who he assaulted is like a 'brother'

Politics

Kampli MLA JN Ganesh was in jail for two months for allegedly assaulting fellow Congress MLA Anand Singh in January.

TNM Staff

File photo

“Anand Singh is still my brother and he is angry with me. I hope everything will be fine and relations will be normal,” Karnataka Congress member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) JN Ganesh said less than a week after getting bail in an attempt to murder case for allegedly assaulting fellow Congress MLA Anand in January. Ganesh, the MLA from Kampli constituency in Ballari district, said this on Saturday following a meeting with senior party leader Suryanarayana Reddy. “There are people who committed major mistakes and got away with it. In my case, it was a minor incident, blown out of proportion by some people. I will not speak much about what happened in the resort. Anand Singh knows me for the last 15 years and even today, I respect him a lot. Even if he rejects me, I will continue to remain his brother,” Ganesh added. Ganesh, who was in jail for two months in connection with the case, was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday. Ganesh was arrested on February 20, a month after he absconded when he was booked by Bidadi Police for allegedly assaulting Anand Singh that took place at Eagleton resort on January 19. The Congress legislators were holed up in the resort after a special legislature meeting was called by party leader Siddaramaiah during a time of threat to the coalition government. In his statement to the police, Anand Singh had said Ganesh had threatened to shoot him dead and even had sought his gunman’s weapon. The injuries landed Anand Singh in hospital and he reportedly had to undergo eye surgery, too. Ganesh was booked under sections 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 307 (Attempt to murder), 504 (intentional insult to breach peace) and 506 (Criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Following the incident, Ganesh was suspended by the party pending action from the party High Command. Speaking alongside Ganesh, Suryanarayana urged the party’s state leadership to restore Ganesh’s position in the party. He added, “I will urge Karnataka Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and Bellary MP VS Ugrappa to bring about a truce between the legislators Anand Singh and JN Ganesh.”

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5 people including 4 siblings drown in a pond near Bengaluru

Accident

Four of them jumped into the pond to rescue one of the siblings after he slipped and fell in.

TNM Staff

Five persons, including four from the same family, died on Saturday afternoon after they drowned in a pond near a dargah in Dobbspet in Bengaluru Rural district.   The incident occurred when 14-year-old Usman Khan apparently slipped and fell into the pond, and his three siblings — Reshma (22), Yaarab Khan (21) and Mubbin Taj (21) — jumped in to rescue him. 49-year-old Muneer Khan, who was an autorickshaw driver, also died when he jumped in to save the four siblings. All five were residents of Hegdenagar near Thanisandra. According to the Dobbspet police, the four had gone to the dargah to offer their prayers, and were near the pond to have food.   The Hindu reported the police and fire and emergency services personnel were alerted by Shakeela, the mother of the deceased siblings. The five had come to the dargah as a planned weekend getaway.   “The group lived in Hegde Nagar on Thanisandra Main Road. After their prayers at the dargah around noon, they cooked food at the spot. Between noon and 12.30 p.m., Usman ventured near the pond, slipped and fell in. His brother Yaarab jumped into the water to save him, but he too was seen struggling to stay afloat. When they saw their brothers struggling in the water, Reshma and Mubeen Taj also jumped into the water. All four did not know how to swim. At this point, Muneer tried to rescue them, but in vain,” a police source told The Hindu. “The incident occurred at 12.30pm. Muneer Khan’s brother screamed for help but they could not be rescued as there were no people around. Later, villagers got to know about the incident and alerted the police. The rescue team of fire and emergency service was called in and all the five bodies were fished out with the help of local divers. The bodies were handed over to their families after post mortem,” a police official told The New Indian Express. Following the incident, Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police Ram Nivas Sepat visited the accident spot and asked the district administration to fence the pond and erect warning boards.              

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