Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge's dig at Home Minister Amit Shah sparks row

Politics

Kharge’s tweet elicited responses from state BJP leaders including state president BS Yeddyurappa and Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda.

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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led council of ministers took oath earlier in the week, former BJP state president Amit Shah being given Home MInistry has turned into Twitter spat among politicians from Karnataka.  Karnataka Minister for Social Welfare Priyank Kharge tweeted on Saturday: “Now that we have a new home minister, I think it is better to rename the Ministry of Home Affairs as Ministry of Providing Clean Chits.”   Now that we have a new Home Minister, I think it is better to rename the Ministry of Home Affairs as Ministry of Providing Clean Chits. — Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) June 1, 2019    The tweet by Priyank does not divulge any details but attracted strong opposition from BJP stalwarts in the state including that BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa and Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda.  Reacting to the same tweet, Yeddyurappa said, “It is because of Mr Priyank, Mallikarjun Kharge lost less than a lakh votes. He is speaking non-sense without any bases.”  Union Fertilizer Minister DV Sadananda Gowda in a cheeky tweet, said, “Dear Priyank Kharge, you should stop showing your palm to astrologers for them to tell you that you have bad fortune. Your party's “Hand” symbol has been rejected by the people of our state. Just ten days ago people of the country have decided your fate. First, set your house in order before commenting on others.”   ಮಾನ್ಯ @PriyankKharge ರವರೇ ಕೈ ತೋರಿಸಿ ಅವಲಕ್ಷಣ ಹೇಳಿಸಿಕ್ಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಡಿ , ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಚಿನ್ನೆ “ಕೈ” ಅದರ ಅವಲಕ್ಷಣ ದೇಶದ ಜನ ಹೇಳಿ 10 ದಿನವೂ ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ . ಆಗಲೇ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ್ರಲ್ಲ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹಿರಿಯಕ್ಕನ ಚಾಳಿ . ಮೊದಲು ನಿಮ್ಮಮನೆ ಸರಿ ಮಾಡ್ಕೊಳಿ ಆಮೇಲೆ ಊರು ಉಸಾಬರಿಗೆ ಬರುವಿರಂತೆ . — Sadananda Gowda (@DVSBJP) June 1, 2019    Amit Shah, the former Home Minister of Gujarat during current Prime Minister’s chief ministership was alleged to be part of the Ishrat Jahan encounter case. As part of the legal proceedings, the Central Bureau of Investigation gave him a clean chit in May. 2014. Other than this, Amit Shah was accused of sidelining police officers who spoke up against the government during the 2002 Gujarat riots. He was also alleged to be part of other cases related to snooping on a woman in 2009 during his tenure as Home Minister.  In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, amidst opposition, Shah got a clean chit from the Election Commission after being accused of violating the Model Code of Conduct for using the term “Modi’s Airforce”  

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IT sector exempted from Industrial Employment Act for five more years in Karnataka

Policy

The Industrial Employment Act protects employees from arbitrary suspension, discharge, termination, demotion, and dismissal.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government has once again exempted the IT/ITeS sector from the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, for five years despite stiff opposition from trade unions and other labour rights organisation. Other than IT/ITes, the other sectors that have been given exemption are startups, animation, gaming, computer graphics, telecom, BPO, KPO and other knowledge-based industries. The Industrial Employment Act is important as it protects employees from arbitrary suspension, discharge, termination, demotion, and dismissal. While there is opposition from trade unions, the exemption was sought by trade bodies like NASSCOM. The exemption for the IT/ITeS was in place for the last 20 years, ending January 24. On May 25, a new notification was issued, extending the exemption for another five years. Like the previous two decades of this exemption, companies have been asked to form internal committees per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and other employee grievance redressal forums. Companies also have to mandatorily inform the Labour Department in case of any such action. “Barring one consultation meeting that was not inclusive, the government did not hold discussions with all the stakeholders. It is disappointing that despite several representations to implement the Standing Orders in the IT sector by trade unions, the government has chosen to exempt the sector,” told The Hindu. He added, “We will seek a legal recourse against this order as it is anti-labour welfare.” The argument put forward by trade bodies was that unlike traditional factory jobs, the IT sector has robust HR policies and everybody has an opportunity to be heard. “Companies have devised robust internal employee feedback mechanisms which have been evolving over the years. Every employee has a right to be heard, and has access to open door policies, 360-degree feedback, escalation metrics, etc, for grievance redressal.” an earlier statement of NASSCOM said.

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‘Pray for rain’: Karnataka Muzrai dept issues order to temples in state

Drought

The Muzrai department issued a notice asking temples in its jurisdiction to conduct rituals to invoke the Hindu rain god.

TNM Staff

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It seems that the Karnataka state government has recently decided to take all and any possible measures to end drought in the state. Leaving no stone unturned, the Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (commonly known as the Muzrai Department) has announced that all temples falling within its jurisdiction will be performing a ceremony to appease the ‘rain god’ on June 6. (Translation) “Due to a lack of rainfall, people and wildlife in the state are struggling for drinking water. For the state's prosperity and for the growth of crops grown here, prayers have been offered in the past in the temples under the Muzrai department in the state," circular states. "So, to help the state in the time of drought, the state government has deemed it necessary that all temples under Muzrai department begin 'parjanya japa' and special prayers. The state government has also asked for the prayers to begin on 6 June during the Braahmi Muhurta,” it continues. Temporary measures have already been in effect in several parts of Karnataka, in view of the water crisis. The state had earlier launched a district-wise call centre for citizens to issue complaints regarding water scarcity in their localities. However, K Nagesh, a geologist at the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department had stated that the call centre was a short-term solution which would act as a band-aid until rainfall increases groundwater levels. Over 150 of 176 taluks in the state of Karnataka are experiencing a severe drought, with many villages in north Karnataka facing the brunt of the situation. But it seems that the state is willing to go to any lengths to ensure that rain does fall, stating that chanting the ‘Parjanya japa’ was necessary as the chant would invoke Varuna, the Hindu god of rain, in addition to performing certain rituals which would allegedly lessen the drought in the state. It has been reported that the temples will be allowed to take Rs 10,001 from the donation boxes towards the ceremony, stating that similar orders had been issued to tackle similar crises in the past. Earlier, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department in Tamil Nadu had also issued a circular on April 26 asking for special rituals and prayers to be conducted in the temples it oversaw.  

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Mysuru gangrape case: Police arrest 3 suspects, on the lookout for others

Crime

Police confirmed that the incident was a pre-planned attack and the accused was known to the survivor.

Prajwal Bhat

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More than three weeks after the brutal case of a 23-year-old woman gangraped in Mysuru came to light, police have arrested three suspects involved in the case.  "We can confirm that three persons were arrested and taken into police custody after being produced in a court. The suspects planned the crime in advance to take revenge. We cannot reveal anything more at the moment since there are still 3 or 4 more suspects we are looking to arrest," confirmed M Muthuraj, DCP (Law and Order), Mysuru. The case was reported at Lingambudhi Palya, an area on the outskirts of the city on May 8 when the woman and her colleague set out to return money borrowed from a person in the area. The woman, who works as an assistant in a lodge in the city, was left in a critical condition following the incident. Officials from Kuvempunagar police station in the city confirmed the arrests but refused to disclose the names of the arrested persons as the case is under investigation and the police are on the lookout for three more suspects involved in the case.   The DCP further added that the survivor was working in a lodge as an assistant and that the accused knew her. "There was a feud between one of the accused and the girl. The two used to be on good terms in the past but fell out recently," added the DCP.  The police had earlier stated that the attackers were inebriated and surprised the woman and her colleague when they were waiting to return the money. Despite the colleague's cries for help, the woman was dragged to an empty plot of land and gangraped.  While the man received three stitches on his forehead, a fracture on his right leg and bruises on his arms, the woman was in critical condition and underwent treatment at KR Hospital in the city.  

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Manjushree N reinstated as Mandya Deputy Commissioner following elections

Administration

PC Jaffer, who temporarily replaced Manjushree, returned to his role as the Head of Department of Public Instruction.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government has reinstated IAS officer N Manjushree, who was transferred out by the Election Commission of India during the Lok Sabha elections, as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Mandya district.  She was among 16 officers transferred on Friday with PC Jaffer, who temporarily replaced Manjushree, returning to his role as the Commissioner of Department of Public Instruction. During the intense election campaign in Mandya, independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh accused Manjushree of helping her opponent Nikhil Kumaraswamy in changing his nomination affidavit. The Election Commission of India (EC) had stepped in to transfer Manjushree from her post temporarily in April. Chief Electoral Officer Sanjeev Kumar went to Mandya to probe the allegations made by Sumalatha. The independent candidate had alleged that the DC did not act over alleged errors made in the nomination papers submitted by Nikhil. Polling in Mandya took place on April 18 and Sumalatha emerged victorious by 1.3 lakh votes.  Manjushree's transfer came after the EC had earlier transferred Hassan DC Akram Pasha following a complaint raised by Hassan BJP MLA Preetham Gowda accusing the DC of favouring Prajwal Revanna. Priyanka Mary Francis was posted as Hassan DC but after the Lok Sabha elections concluded, she was removed from the position and Akram was reinstated.    Meanwhile, Tushar Giri Nath was put in charge of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), TK Anil Kumar as tourism secretary, and D Randeep has been reinstated as additional commissioner in the BBMP.

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Man dies in Bengaluru after high-tension wire electrocutes him

Crime

The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited is blaming the BBMP for approving construction of the multi-story building near a high-tension tower.

TNM Staff

A 23-year-old construction worker from Tamil Nadu, who accidentally came into contact with a high-tension wire on May 27 in Bengaluru, died on Friday night at Victoria Hospital. Satish, who was working at a construction site in the city’s Manjunath Nagar, was carrying out centring work, when a high-tension wire snapped and touched him. Satish was electrocuted lost consciousness and was immediately rushed to Victoria Hospital. He was admitted to the intensive care unit and was undergoing treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries late on Friday night. The Basaveswara Nagar Police arrested the owner of the under-construction building Jayakumar and the supervisor Ramachandra on Saturday. They have been booked under section 304A (causing death by negligence of the IPC). The building, which was under construction, is located about 50 metres away from a high-tension tower. Bengaluru Mayor, Gangambike, who had visited the area on May 28, had taken the officials to task. As per building bye-laws, the BBMP cannot grant permission to construct multi-story structures in areas that have the presence of high-tension towers. The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited is now laying the blame on BBMP’s shoulders, stating that officials in the civic body had approved building plans despite knowing that the site was located a few metres away from the tower. “There is always a possibility that high-tension wires snap. Our job is to fix it. It is BBMP’s job to ensure that houses that are constructed in such areas must only have ground floor. They gave permission to construct the house. They knew about the danger and yet they did not do anything about it,” a KPTCL official said. Speaking to TNM, Rajaji Nagar councillor Krishnamurthy, however, placed the blame on the home owner Jayakumar’s shoulder. Krishnamurthy said that the BBMP had approved the building plan for construction of a ground floor structure. “The owner has constructed the house illegally. We were busy with the BBMP bye-election in two wards and I did not know about the illegal construction until the incident occurred,” he added. Basaveswara Nagar Police, who interrogated the home owner Jayakumar, said that the BBMP officials had learned of the illegal construction and sent Jayakumar a notice to stop the construction. However, that did not deter him from going ahead with constructing the house. “The officials did not follow up on it after the notice was issued and Jayakumar too went ahead with the construction work. We are still questioning both accused,” the police added. This is not the first such incident that occurred this month. On May 20, 14-year-old Nikhil succumbed to burn injuries after being electrocuted by a live high-tension wire on May 16 in the city’s Mathikere area. The boy who was playing with his friends came into contact with a live wire dangling onto the terrace of his neighbour’s house when he went to fetch a cricket ball.    

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'Have orders to not topple coalition govt in Karnataka': Yeddyurappa

Politics

Yeddyurappa's statement comes at a time when there is uncertainty over the future of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka.

TNM Staff

Karnataka BJP President BS Yeddyurappa has stated that the party’s state unit has been told by the high command to not topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government currently in power in the state.  "Our Delhi leaders have told us to not destabilise the state government in Karnataka. We are not power hungry and we don't need it. We have the strength to work as the opposition. Our government is in power in New Delhi. As long as development happens we don't say anything," he said speaking to reporters on Friday.  Yeddyurappa's statement comes at a time when there is uncertainty over the future of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka. He said that recent reports about the future of the state government is linked to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's attempts to destabilise the government.  "At the outset, it looks like Siddaramaiah is sending legislators and playing a game with himself to prove his importance to Congress. Taking note of this, party high command has directed us to not destabilise the government", Yeddyurappa added.  Yeddyurappa, whose term as BJP state president will be completed this year, met national BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi on Thursday.  Senior Congress and JD(S) leaders have held multiple meetings ever since the Lok Sabha Election results declared on May 23 confirmed a rout for the two parties in Karnataka. Each party was able to win just one seat each with the BJP sweeping 25 out of the 28 seats in the state.  Meanwhile, the BJP has 105 MLAs in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly. The coalition has 116 MLAs and holds the support of the lone BSP MLA and two independents. 

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