Several Democratic senators were absent for the vote, contributing to its wide margin of defeat.
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Bengaluru residents blame metro authority for damaging roads in Jayanagar
Responding to the protests, the BMRCL said they will fix the issue within two weeks once the rain stops.
An angry group of residents in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar on Wednesday gathered in protest against the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) at the Bannerghatta Raod-Swagath Road junction near Sagar Hospital. The protest was on the issue of the poor condition of the 1 km-long stretch of road from Dairy Circle Junction to the Sagar Hospital Junction for over a year. BMRCL is building the Dairy Circle Metro Station in the vicinity and has turned the 3+3 lane road to a 2+2 pothole-filled road. In addition to the bad roads, there is no safe space for pedestrians as well. Protestors said the BMRCL had taken over a major part of Bannerghatta Road for the construction of the Metro Phase-II (Reach 6), leaving the reduced road space in a very bad condition. Wednesday’s demonstrations come two weeks after Mayor Gowtham Kumar inspected the stretch and asked the BBMP officials to repair the roads following complaints. But he was told it was the BMRCL’s responsibility as it has started the metro expansion work. Even BTM Layout MLA and former minister Ramalinga Reddy (formerrly MLA of Jayahanagar) had written to the BBMP and BMRCL to repair the roads. With rain, the situation has become worse as the dusty roads have turned to a patch of untarred mud road and another part full of potholes. This naturally has resulted in slowing down of traffic movement in the already clogged roads for more than a year now. Girish Smith, a regular commuter of the stretch says due to the present condition of the road, travelling between Dairy Circle and Jayadeva junction (2.5 km) via this stretch sometimes takes an hour. The BMRCL has taken over the Tilak Nagar side of the road for the station and had made a temporary road but did not make any amenities for walkers. Arun Prasad, one of the organisers of the protests by Bahujan Samaj, said, “We have been demanding that the BMRCL repair the roads and make minimum facilities. The condition of the road is leading to two-wheeler riders falling down and slowing down of ambulances. The road leads to Jayadeva and many other hospitals. We know how crucial the ‘golden hour’ is for heart patients. But they (BMRCL) are saying now that they are not being able to lay roads as it is raining. But where were they when it was not raining?” Ramaiah, Security Officer of a car showroom on the road echoed Arun’s views. “We are daily suffering because of this. There is so much road dust and once it rains, there is slush which slows down traffic even further. This is continuing for more than a year now and people are suffering.” BMRCL promises remedy The protests on Wednesday however, prompted the BMRCL to respond swiftly. M Ramesh, Deputy Chief Engineer of the BMRCL (Reach 6), said, “Our MD (Ajay Seth) has already surveyed this stretch and instructed for road restoration. But now due to rains, we cannot start the work. As soon as the rain stops, then within two weeks’ time, we will make the road motorable and fix the footpaths.” He added, “You can see, we have already finished some of the other stretches. In addition in the entire stretch we are carrying out patchwork but the rain has been relentless.”
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Forced to stay onshore due to Cyclone Kyarr, Udupi fishermen face huge losses
The impact of the cyclonic storm meant that fishermen in Karnataka's coast had to return to the nearest harbour at a time that is considered peak fishing season.
Malpe Fishing Harbour/ Photograph by Akshay Pai
The end of the monsoon season usually brings cheer for Shankar and his family, residents of Bengre, a coastal village in Karnataka's Udupi district. But this year, the onset of Cyclone Kyarr meant that fishermen like Shankar, 60, had to refrain from entering the sea in the past week. "The sea is too rough and we are unable to send boats for deep-sea fishing," says Shankar, pointing to a colorful line of boats jostling for limited space at the fishing harbour in Malpe. "These are boats which would naturally be in the sea at this time for 5-7 days but instead, we either have to go fishing in the river where the catch is not very high or find other jobs." The cyclonic storm Kyarr was centered in the Arabian Sea for much of last week but its impact in Karnataka was highest in the state's three coastal districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. The rains began as early as October 18 and continued till October 27 forcing fishermen to abandon fishing and return to the nearest harbour. Most of the boats which returned are still docked at the harbour as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) continued to advise fishermen against venturing into the sea. The IMD forecasted fresh rains in Udupi from October 31 . "This (break in deep-sea fishing) represents a loss of anywhere between Rs 8 to Rs 15 lakh per boat because the fishermen have missed at least one fish landing," explains Yathish Baikampady, a former President of the Moguveera Vyavastapaka Mandali, an organisation working for the welfare of fishermen in the coastal districts. Fish landings are catches of marine fish landed in a domestic port. According to Yathish, almost all fishing boats in the three major ports - Mangaluru, Malpe and Karwar - in the three coastal districts have returned to the nearest fishing harbour. In Udupi district alone, around 2,000 boats are registered as deep-sea fishing boats in the Arabian Sea. All of them returned to the harbour after the IMD initially warned fishing boats against venturing into the sea on October 20. Some fishermen registered in Udupi were fishing off the coast of Karwar and Goa when they were forced to return to the harbour nearest to them. Fishing harbour in Malpe The rains reduced in Udupi on Monday and clear, sunny skies were reported across the district. Fishermen were keen to take advantage of sunny conditions and set out for deep-sea fishing. "These are forces beyond our control but if the boats are not at sea, then the earnings are reduced. This will be a burden on everyone connected to the fishing industry including the boatowners, crew workers and their families," adds Yathish. However, officials in the district issued fresh advisories to fishermen against venturing out into the sea. "We are urging fishermen not to venture out into the sea until the weather is clear for a few days since there is forecast of fresh rains on October 31," says Ganesh K, Deputy Director, Udupi Fisheries Department. Fishermen lamented the timing of the cyclone's impact in Karnataka. It comes just two months after heavy rains delayed the traditional resumption of deep-sea fishing activities in the coastal parts of the state. Fishermen in Karnataka's coastal districts are barred from venturing into the sea for two months of the year in June and July. The deep-sea fishing activities resume in earnest from the month of August and reach a peak in September, which is marked by 'Palke Booruni', a day on which the resumption of fishing activities is celebrated by fishermen. However, a spell of heavy rains in Karnataka at the start of August caused floods and landslides in coastal, Malnad and northern parts of the state. The rains meant that the resumption of fishing activities were delayed till September. "Fishermen usually have multiple jobs since the fishing season does not go on for the whole year. So many fishermen are either doing agriculture, coolie work or business to bide their time while waiting for the weather to improve," Shankar adds.
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11 Bengaluru youth performing ‘wheelies’ on airport road detained by cops
The police officials in plainclothes filmed the youth performing stunt before detaining them.
Eleven men who were caught performing wheelies and other bike stunts were detained on Monday by Bengaluru rural police officials who posed as unsuspecting motorists. The police officials filmed the youth performing stunts between Doddaballapura and Devanahalli before detaining them. Police officials at Doddaballapura Town police station received information about a group of men speeding towards Devanahalli in bikes. A team of 10 police officers in plainclothes led by inspector S Raghavendra and sub-inspector Venkatesh reached the spot on two-wheelers and waited for the bikers. Raghavendra explained that in a short while, a gang of bikers arrived and began performing stunts like wheelies and riding without holding the handle. Police officials followed them posing as interested motorists and filmed their act. On reaching Doddaballapura town, police officials blocked them and revealed their identities before detaining them and seizing their vehicles, reported Times of India. Police said that there was a total of 17 bikers and six of them are still absconding although their bikes were seized. All arrested men were between the ages of 18 and 23 and residents of RT Nagar, Hebbal and Nagawara, reported Deccan Herald. It included eight bikers who were students while the rest were recent graduates seeking jobs. The men were arrested but later on Tuesday, they were let off with a stern warning and told to return to the police station with their parents. The operation by Bengaluru police comes amid a crackdown on men performing dangerous wheelies on the road to the Bengaluru International Airport leading out of the city. Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police Ravi D Channananavar said that the police will continue the operation and keep a vigil on the roads on the city's outskirts.
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'Trying to remove chapter on Tipu Sultan from textbooks': Karnataka CM to TNM
Madikeri MLA Apachu Ranjan has written to the government asking for an order to remove the chapter from history textbooks.
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday said that the state government is trying its to remove material related to Tipu Sultan from middle school history text books. Speaking to TNM, Yediyurappa said, “I am against Tipu Sultan and I am against Tipu Jayanthi. Our government will not allow the celebration of Tipu Jayanthi. We are trying everything we can to remove Tipu Sultan from school textbooks.” Yediyurappa’s statement comes two days after Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Suresh Kumar released a statement regarding the formation of a committee to look into the issue. Controversy erupted over the issue of removing a chapter on Tipu Sultan from school textbooks when Madikeri MLA Apachu Ranjan wrote a letter to Minister Suresh Kumar, asking him to issue an order to remove the chapter from history textbooks. “Tipu Sultan was concerned about expanding his kingdom and his religion but he has not fought for the freedom (of the country). We cannot call him a freedom fighter. He supported the French and persecuted Kodavas in Coorg (now Kodagu) and Christians in Mangalore (now Mangaluru),” Apchu Ranjan’s letter stated. Apachu alleges that Tipu converted tens of thousands of Christians to Islam in Mangaluru, and questioned how he could be called a freedom fighter. In the letter, Apachu also alleges that Tipu was against Kannada since the language used in his kingdom was Persian. On October 28, Suresh Kumar acknowledged Apachu Ranjan’s letter and stated that a committee comprising experts and Apachu Ranjan would be formed to determine whether the chapter on Tipu Sultan must be removed. “We will discuss the issue and come out with an answer within three days,” Suresh Kumar’s letter stated. Tipu Sultan ruled the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom from 1782 to 1799 and was involved in multiple battles against the British East India Company for territory in modern-day south India. The BJP government decided to cancel Tipu Jayanti celebrations this year. The celebration has been held every year in November since 2015, started by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. Every year since, on the days leading up to the celebration, BJP and pro-Hindu groups ran a campaign against Tipu Sultan. However, the Congress government led by then CM Siddaramaiah had continued to celebrate it.
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Will ask Speaker to revoke ban on TV cameras inside K’taka Assembly: CM Yediyurappa
On October 9, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri had stated private TV channels will not be allowed to record the proceedings of the House
PTI
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday stated that the government will ask the Karnataka Assembly Speaker to reconsider the ban he imposed on TV channels on photographing and video-graphing the proceedings of the Assembly. The Chief Minister stated that he will hold talks with the Speaker and that things will go back to the way they were by the next Assembly session. "When I say something, it means that I will do as I say, 100%. By the next Assembly session, I will ensure that things will go back to the way they were. I will hold talks with the Speaker and tell him to change his decision," Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said. Earlier this month, on October 9, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri had stated that while journalists will be allowed to sit in the press gallery, private TV channels will not be allowed to bring in their cameras and record proceedings using their cameras or even phones. Similar to Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV, the output of the live proceedings will be shared by the Assembly. At the time, shortly after the Speaker announced his decision, the Chief Minister's Office tweeted from its official handle stating that Yediyurappa would request the Speaker to revoke the ban. However, a few hours later, the tweet was deleted. At the time, sources with the BJP had said that the tweet was deleted because Yediyurappa's statement could have given the media the impression of infighting within the BJP. "His statement was against party diktat so the tweet was taken down," the source added. The call on the ban was taken by the BJP national leadership, the source said. After the Speaker’s decision, print, digital and television journalists working in the state including a number of photographers and videographers of regional and national news organisations held a protest at the Gandhi Statue in Maurya Circle in Bengaluru against the ban on TV cameras. The protesters referenced the incident which occurred in 2012 when television news channels capturing footage of the then Karnataka MLA and minister Laxman Savadi watching porn inside the Assembly. The incident caused an uproar following which Laxman was forced to resign from his position as minister. He is currently the Deputy Chief Minister and the Minister of Transport in the state.
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5 dead in bus accident near Tumakuru in Karnataka, scores injured
At least 45 people were onboard the bus which was headed to Koratagere from Tumakuru.
Screenshot/Twitter/RakeshPrakash
A private bus going from Tumakuru to Koratagere in Karnataka met with an accident on Wednesday morning. At present 5 passengers are reported to have lost their lives and at least 40 others have sustained injuries. Visuals of the accident show the bus collapsed on its side with some individuals trapped inside. “The accident happened around 8.50 this morning (Wednesday). There were around 45 people onboard. There was an auto that the driver was attempting to overtake, which led to the bus losing control and toppling,” said one witness speaking to TNM. The accident occurred around 8.50 am on Wednesday morning at Koratagere taluk’s Jetty Agrahara. Over 30 people who were on board were shifted to a nearby hospital after sustaining severe injuries. The Tumakuru police control room confirmed that the current death toll is 5. JC Madhu Swamy, the Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation, who is from the Chikkanayakana Halli constituency in Tumakuru District has reached the spot. According to early reports of the incident, many of the passengers were on the way back to their homes from Deepavali holidays. As the driver was speeding and in a rush to overtake the auto, he lost control and this led to the bus collapsing on its side. (This is a developing story)
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