Plan to topple coalition formed during Eagleton stay: K’taka rebel Ramesh Jarkiholi

Politics

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who started the rebellion, allegedly convinced 16 other MLAs to resign and bring down the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy in July this year.

TNM Staff

Amidst much fanfare and pomp, disqualified MLA from Karnataka’s Gokak, Ramesh Jarkiholi, on Friday received a warm welcome in Belagavi. Known as the man who conceived the plan to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he first conceptualised the idea during his stay at Eagleton resort on May 17. During his speech at Gokak, a video of which has been released, he revealed the details of how he conceptualised and carried out the plan to bring down the coalition government. Ramesh Jarkiholi’s statement comes even as BJP leaders have consistently insisted that they had no role in toppling the government. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who started the rebellion, allegedly convinced 16 other MLAs to resign and bring down the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy in July this year. Addressing constituents in Gokak, he said, “When we were taken to Bidadi to stay at the resort on May 17, R Shankar and I did not like the atmosphere there. I was not happy about the way MLAs were being treated like pawns in a game by DK Shivakumar.” Calling former Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah “arrogant” and former Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar “corrupt,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he was convinced he had to “teach both these leaders a lesson.” “Siddaramaiah’s arrogance and ego was one of the reasons why I decided to leave. Siddaramaiah thought that he could sack me easily from the cabinet. He appointed me to get back at my brother. He wanted to finish off the Jarkiholis and our political career. He never wanted a leader from the backward caste to grow,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said. How Ramesh claims he conceptualised the plan In an emotional appeal to BJP party workers and his supporters, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he met BS Yediyurappa a few days after the coalition government was formed. Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he met Yediyurappa in Bengaluru and informed him that he wanted to bring in 17 MLAs to topple the coalition. “He was not sure whether I could be trusted because I had remained loyal to Congress for over 20 years. But he believed me and I met Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) and Muralidhar Rao in Hyderabad later, where I them about my plan,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said. Ramesh maintained that his only condition to orchestrate the rebellion was that BS Yediyurappa be made the Chief Minister. “My efforts to bring in more MLAs failed eight times. Yediyurappa also told me that it may not be wise to continue and that I must stay back with the Congress. But I decided to persist and I succeeded,” Ramesh Jarkiholi added. Ramesh Jarkiholi also said that former Water Resource Minister Dk Shivakumar and Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar tried to finish him off politically. “DK Shivakumar’s corrupt ways was also one of the reasons I was unhappy. He and Lakshmi Hebbalkar tried to end my political career,” he added. The former Gokak MLA said that he felt betrayed by his brother, Lakhan, who may contest on a Congress ticket from Gokak. “I feel betrayed by my own brother. I had told him to wait another term before entering politics. Now he is going against me. Until December 5, he is not my brother but political rival. Let’s see how he can win,” Ramesh said.      

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CBI conducts search on Amnesty India in Bengaluru, Delhi, NGO denies wrongdoing

Controversy

The search was reportedly based on an alleged violation of regulations related to foreign funding of NGOs in India.

TNM Staff

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday carried out searches at the offices of Amnesty International India Private Limited and Indians for Amnesty International Trust in Bengaluru and New Delhi. The search was reportedly based on an alleged violation of rules and norms related to foreign funding on NGOs in India. Media reports speculated that recently the Ministry of Home Affairs had sent a list of NGOs which had allegedly violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regulations to the CBI, and Amnesty was part of the list. Reports also suggested that the CBI would file a separate case against Amnesty. Reacting to the searches by the CBI, Amnesty said, “The Central Bureau of Investigation today conducted searches at the offices of Amnesty International India Private Limited and Indians for Amnesty International Trust in Bengaluru and New Delhi. Over the past year, a pattern of harassment has emerged every time Amnesty International India stands up and speaks out against human rights violations in India.”  Claiming that the organisation is compliant with all norms, the statement said, “Amnesty International India stands in full compliance with Indian and international law. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold and fight for universal human rights. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and flow from a long and rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance, and dissent.” It added, “As part of the Nobel Prize-winning movement, Amnesty International India holds itself to the highest evidentiary standards. Over four million Indians have supported Amnesty International India’s work in the last six years and around 100,000 Indians have made financial contributions. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold universal human rights and build a global movement of people who take injustice personally.“ In October 2018, the Enforcement Directorate had carried out similar searches at Amnesty's office in Bengaluru. At that time too, it was reported that ED conducted the search due to an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). In 2016, the Bengaluru police registered a sedition case on Amnesty India based on a complaint filed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for organising a programme which sought to project the human suffering of the Kashmir conflict. The police charged Amnesty India under section 124A of the IPC (Sedition—Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law). Cases were also filed on the representatives of Amnesty under sections 142,143, 147, 149 (unlawful assembly and rioting) and Section 153a (promoting enmity between groups).

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Spectators vandalise Bengaluru Turf Club after horse racing accident

Crime

People who had put their money on one of the injured horses is suspected to be behind the vandalism.

TNM Staff

Screengrab

In an unfortunate incident, more than two horses fell during the first race of the winter season. This accident triggered off a chain of events leading to violence and vandalism in the age-old Bangalore Turf Club. Speaking to TNM, High Grounds Inspector told TNM, “Today was the first day of the winter season. Due to an injury, one horse fell during the race, this led to two other horses falling. The jockeys also suffered minor injuries.”  The injured jockeys include Srinath, Suraj Narredu and Kiran. According to many, Suraj was the favourite to win the race. The police have registered a case of vandalism against unidentified persons and are collecting CCTV footage of the vandalism incident.  An eyewitness of the incident said, “The horse which fell down had a lead of approximately 200 m but when it reached the centre of the track, it kind of wobbled and fell. That led to the other horses falling down.” He added, “Moreover, the club authority did not declare the race null and void so a less known horse won the race which meant a lot of punters lost their money which made them angry.” The inspector said this decision apparently triggered the spectators on the ground to vandalise and break things. The eyewitness said the jockeys unanimously agreed that the turf was too soft for the race to take place which led to the horse’s leg getting stuck in the soil.  Videos posted on social media showed spectators thrashing glass panels of counters, TVs and window panes amidst loud noise. According to club officials, all the seven races that were set to be held were cancelled.  Reports said that the club officials will host a mock race on November 19 and take further decisions to resume the season after holding a stakeholder meeting.

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Karnataka rebel MLA MTB Nagaraj’s assets grew by Rs 185 crore in 18 months

Politics

25.84% of this wealth was made over six days in August – just a fortnight after he helped the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government

Prajwal Bhat

Theja Ram

Karnataka’s richest politician MTB Nagaraj got richer by Rs 185.7 crore in a span of just 18 months, his latest affidavit shows. MTB Nagaraj was one of the 17 rebel MLAs from Congress and JD(S), whose defection in July led to the fall of the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy, making way for the BJP to clinch power in the state. Curiously, his affidavit for the upcoming bye-election in Hoskote, where he is contesting on a BJP ticket, shows 53 term deposits mainly between August 2 and 7, amounting to over Rs 48 crore. This amount is over 25.84% of the total increase in Nagaraj’s wealth in this 18-month period.  According to the latest affidavit, Nagaraj and his wife Shanthakumari are worth Rs 1201.50 crore. This is a 15.5% increase in his wealth compared to the assets he declared in May 2018, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election. A comparison of Nagaraj’s affidavits filed in 2018 and 2019 show that his movable assets increased by Rs 104.53 crore. His wife, Shanthakumari’s movable assets increased by Rs 44.95 crore. On July 27, and between August 2 and 7, there were 53 term deposits made in Canara Bank, most of them upward Rs 90 lakh each. While there are also other term deposits in his account, those are reflected in his earlier affidavits too.  So how did MTB Nagaraj accumulate so much money in such a short span of time, his detractors ask. .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-lxwd{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-b6fx{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-0pky{border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-fymr{font-weight:bold;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} MTB Nagaraj Assets 2019 (Rs) 2018 (Rs) Difference (Rs) Shanthakumari Assets 2019 (Rs) 2018 (Rs) Difference (Rs) Cash in hand 43,44,927 6,67,532 36,77,395 Cash in hand 4,50,000 4,89,999 -39,999 Savings account 4,53,32,109 5,39,58,205 -86,26,096 Savings account 27,04,502 62,19,616 -35,15,114 Term Deposit 1,34,56,45,966 1,21,85,13,172 12,71,32,794 Term Deposit 32,40,00,000 20,13,97,420 12,26,02,580 Capital Investment 5,85,42,394 48,00,84,661 -42,15,42,267 Capital Investment 94,69,15,241 93,55,39,055 1,13,76,186 Capital investment 2,84,60,605 2,87,75,817 -3,15,212 Capital Investment 4,49,08,558 4,49,08,558 Nil Personal loans given 2,71,80,65,734 2,33,79,47,741 38,01,17,993 Personal loans given 31,27,38,486 26,00,000 31,01,38,486 Motor vehicles 2,54,13,964 2,14,46,887 39,67,077 Motor vehicles 1,72,82,434 1,72,82,434 Nil Jewellery 2,23,32,813 2,23,32,813 Nil Jewellery 1,72,82,434 1,72,82,434 Nil Any other assets 6,46,429 6,46,429 Nil Any other assets Nil Nil Nil Total movable assets 4,24,97,84,941 3,14,75,54,785 1,04,53,08,946 Total movable assets 1,67,34,57,406 1,22,40,09,258 44,94,48,148 Agricultural land 31,09,73,302 30,86,75,504 22,97,798 Agricultural land 26,40,00,000 24,00,00,000 24,000,000 Non-agricultural land 3,09,86,16,103 2,81,26,45,728 28,59,70,375 Non-agricultural land 94,47,07,500 85,88,25,000 8,58,82,500 Commercial buildings 39,65,30,431 39,65,30,431 Nil Commercial buildings 28,10,00,000 28,10,00,000 Nil Residential buildings 39,14,89,146 42,85,01,646 -3,70,12,500 Residential buildings 40,44,87,000 46,02,87,000 -5,58,00,000 Total immovable assets 4,19,76,08,982 3,94,63,53,309 25,12,55,673 Total immovable assets 1,89,41,94,500 1,84,01,12,000 5,40,82,500 Total assets 8,44,73,93,923 7,09,39,08,094 1,29,65,64,619 Total assets 3,56,76,51,906 3,06,41,21,258 50,35,30,648 *In MTB Nagaraj's affidavit copy, the gross total value of movable assets was mentioned as Rs 4,19,28,63,731. However, when TNM calculated the total value, we got the figure of Rs 4,24,97,84,941 Sources in the BJP, who are opposed to Nagaraj’s candidature, say that MTB Nagaraj was paid close to Rs 50 crore for his defection from the Congress. Nagaraj and another former Congress MLA, Dr K Sudhakar, had resigned from their posts as MLAs on July 10. Between July 10 and 15, Nagaraj had held talks with senior Congress leaders and had said that he would withdraw his resignation, if Sudhakar did too. Just when Congress leaders were expecting Nagaraj to stick by the party, on July 15, he announced that there was no question of him taking back his resignation. He also boarded a private charter plane along with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s assistant Santhosh after making the statement. MTB Nagaraj boarding the private charter plane to Mumbai on July 15 The coalition government fell after Kumaraswamy lost the vote of confidence on July 23. BS Yediyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister on July 26. Three days later, the rebels returned to Bengaluru from their luxury-hotel stay in Mumbai.  Four days later, the first string of transactions amounting to Rs 13.91 crore were made in the form of 15 term deposits in MTB Nagaraj’s name. A couple of days later, Rs 18.61 crore was deposited as 21 different term deposits. On August 5, Rs 14.86 crore was deposited as 16 term deposits, and finally on August 7, Rs 92.91 lakh was deposited as a term deposit. Each deposit that was made into these bank accounts was over Rs 90 lakh, but short of Rs 1 crore. .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;} .tg .tg-lxwd{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-rva0{background-color:#9a0000;color:#ffffff;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top} Date Amount Number of bank accounts Total 02.08.19 92,77,316 5 4,63,86,583 02.08.19 9276471 5 4,63,82,355 02.08.19 92,74,780 5 4,63,73,900 04.08.19 9275613 7 6,49,29,291 04.08.19 9,34,27,98 10 9,34,27,980 04.08.19 92,64,844 2 1,85,29,688 04.08.19 83,47,292 1 83,47,292 04.08.19 9,27,477 1 9,27,477 05.08.19 92,87,457 16 14,85,99,312 07.08.19 92,91,264 1 92,91,264 Grand total     48,31,95,142  

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‘Scared to go back to college’, says Bengaluru student ragged, assaulted by seniors

Ragging

The fourteen accused allegedly physically assaulted Ameen, locked him in a room and extorted money from him.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Courtesy: Picxy

“My mother is afraid to send me back to college, after what all they did to me,” Ameen says, “She is scared that they might do something worse to me.” This 22-year-old Bachelor of Business Administration student was threatened and assaulted by seniors in his college. Ameen Anzari still he wants to go back to college and study but he is scared to go. In October, the ragging went on for over a period of one week. Emboldened by their actions, his seniors from East Point College of Engineering and Technology in Avalahalli in south Bengaluru went to the extent of physically assaulting Ameen. The fourteen accused allegedly physically assaulted Ameen, locked him in a room and extorted money from him. They issued death threats while demanding money. He sustained injuries all over his body, and his doctors in a Kerala hospital found three blood clots in his brain. He was in the hospital for almost a month due to his injuries and infections. Ameen is still recovering in a relative's house in Bengaluru. The police have nabbed one person in connection with the case in the wee hours of 15 November. Other than accused number one Amir, the police have been unable to arrest any of the others involved in the case. With thirteen of his seniors still on the loose, Ameen’s family is scared for his safety.  Ameen who joined the college just a few months ago, in August, wants to complete his course. The Bangalore Mirror reported on Thursday that the victim of ragging has quit his studies and gone back to Kerala. However, Ameen says that though he is under pressure to quit, he had come back to the city earlier this week, to file a police complaint against his harassers. Ameen is now staying with his uncle, Shimi Anzari. Shimi told TNM that the college offered no support to the family, and that they were not addressing the problem. “The entire administration knows about this case, from the Director to the Principal, but no action was taken. The college only gave us the accused students’ contact details. They told us that the accused students have only four percent attendance, and they are not attending classes. Vijay Bhaskar, principal of the Higher Education section of the college which offers BBA, said, “The incidents have taken place away from the college campus, and the matter is now with the police.” When asked if any action has been taken against the students, he requested that TNM meet with him in person next week. The Karnataka Education Act of 1968 says that any individual guilty of a ragging offense must be jailed for up to one year, along with a fine. Ameen says that while the assault took place outside the campus, the first instances of ragging began within the campus. It isn’t just the college’s lacksaidal response that has disheartened the family, but the police’s attitude too has caused dismay. Ameen says the Avalahalli police at first refused to take a case, and finally registered a case only on 11 November. “We had to sit in the police station for three days to ensure an FIR was registered,” Ameen said. The accused persons, Ameer, Rahil, Mubazil, Shahin, Musthafa and 9 other persons were not to be found in their usual hangouts. When asked if he would leave college, he said only two words: "No way."

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Authorities plan paid parking inside Cubbon Park, but activists say no to vehicles

Civic Issues

Walkers and environmentalists who have been lobbying to make the park car-free warn that the air inside the park will get as polluted as the rest of the city.

TNM Staff

Just days after Bengalureans gathered to oppose the construction of a seven storey building inside Cubbon Park, the Horticulture Department has floated a tender to collect parking fees from five sites in the lung space. The Horticulture Department expects to earn around Rs 60 lakh annually from the five parking spots inside the green zone, but park users claim that this goes against their plan of making Cubbon Park vehicle-free similar to Lalbagh. One of the key reasons for opposing the multi-storey structure was that the new building will bring close to 300 additional cars to the park. Umesh Kumar, a lawyer and president of the Cubbon Park Walkers Association said, “Why do they want to float tenders for two years when they know very well we’re trying to ban all vehicles from the park? What is the point if people come here to walk and exercise but breathe polluted air?” He added, “Already all our city’s lung spaces are shrinking and the city is getting more polluted day by day. Why is the Horticulture Department interested in making money rather than preserving the park?” He also said that he would move the High Court to oppose the decision to open parking sites as it would harm the park further. Read:  The fight to protect Bengaluru's precious Cubbon park and its heritage If built, the multi-storey structure will not only be the first new building to come up inside the park premises since 2001 thanks to the same HC-enforced ban, but a heritage structure will also be lost. Another protest similar to that held on November 1 is planned for Sunday. Due to concerted efforts from the Walkers Association and environmental activists, currently a blanket ban on vehicles in Cubbon Park is enforced on all national holidays, Sundays and fourth Saturdays (being a government holiday). Former IFS officer and environmental activist AN Yellappa Reddy said ideally there should be no vehicles inside the park. “It’s a park, not a parking area. Hundreds of vehicles are coming inside now and raising the temperature by 2-3 degree C in the day time, this impacts the entire ecosystem. The second point is that when you come to the park, there is a lot of ‘idle running’ of the engine, which means there is a lot of unburnt hydrocarbons released in the atmosphere. This with the atmospheric NOx and bright sunlight will create a lot of ozone in the atmosphere. This ground-level ozone is a secondary pollutant and is very harmful to the flowering, fruiting processes. This is not only harmful to the plants but also to butterflies and other animals,” he explained. Additionally, he said abrupt braking and starting of cars will also increase 2.5 PM particles in the air inside the park due to the wear and tear of engines and tyres. “So those who walk there won’t be breathing any good air. People go there as they want some good quality air but if you allow this there won’t be much difference from the rest of the city,” he added. But the Horticulture Department rejected claims that the decision to float tenders was directed at generating more revenue. “Currently we cannot stop vehicle entry into Cubbon Park like at Lalbagh. But we are exploring the possibility. But for practical purposes, as there is good vehicular movement, we want to regularise the whole system and curb haphazard parking. If there is a decision to enforce a blanket ban, we will revoke the tender. The tender includes such conditions, it won’t be any hindrance,” Deputy Director of Cubbon Park Kusuma G told TNM. Kusuma also said there was no pressure on the department to generate revenues.

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'Ayushman Bhava' review: Shivarajkumar-P Vasu entertainer is formulaic

Review

'Ayushman Bhava' has several scenes that remind one of 'Aaptamitra', 'Aaptarakshaka' and 'Sakalakalavallabha'.

Aravind Shwetha

P Vasu's films are mostly commercial flicks with family sentiment, action, suspense, comedy, betrayal, revenge and redemption appearing as key themes. While Aaptamitra, Aaptarakshaka and Drishya put him in a different league in Sandalwood, over the years, it seems as though he is reluctant to get out of his comfort zone. His second outing with Shivarajkumar, Ayushman Bhava, too is very formulaic. Gopi (Ananth Nag) is a free-spirited and caring person who believes in keeping his loved ones close. The family eats, sleeps and sings together. Krishna (Shivarajkumar) enters the house as Gopi’s caretaker and wins over everyone with his wit and charm. But, every night, a shrieking loud cry coming from the outhouse keeps him awake. While he tries to get into the outhouse to find the truth, he fails. But after a few bizarre encounters, he manages to discover a secret and this leads us into the plot of Ayushman Bhava. The film opens with a train mishap and is hurriedly moved forward by three years. The first half is about Krishna, a psychiatrist, entering Gopi’s house and the second half is about how he helps Rachita Ram's character. Sounds familiar? Well, we don’t blame you. Ayushman Bhava has several scenes that remind one of Aaptamitra, Aaptarakshaka and Sakalakalavallabha. In fact, the first half can be easily labelled as a sequel to Aaptamitra and Aaptarakshaka combined. Not just the storyline but the sets, props, scares, and background score are predictable. In fact, there was no need to bring in the spooky element in the film at all. Looks like that was brought in just to establish that it is a P Vasu film. The much-hyped CGI tiger chase scene in the forest too looks fake and is unnecessary. The first half is set mostly indoors and it's only in the second half that one can see the magic unveil on screen through PKH Das’s camera. This part, set in Kerala, gives much-needed relief to the eyes. With each film, Shivarajkumar seems to be reinventing himself. However, the showstopper of the film is undoubtedly Rachita Ram. For the first time in her career, she has opted to play something different and has scored well. She plays a music lover who aspires to become a professional musician. The role has thrown her a big challenge and she has aced it. Ananth Nag gets a full-fledged role and it is always a pleasure to see the actor bring out several emotions with ease. Others in the cast include Rangayana Raghu, Suhasini, Nidhi Subbaiah, Shivaji Prabhu, Sadhu Kokila and the occasional familiar faces from the daily soap operas. This is composer Guru Kiran’s 100th film. For a musical love story, he does establish a lot with the score, but since the generation has already moved on to Harikrishna and Arjun Janya, Guru Kiran’s background music sounds pale in comparison. Overall, Ayushman Bhava is a typical P Vasu film and the team seems to have succumbed to the director’s way of working. The film was supposed to be titled after Shivarajkumar’s debut film Anand, but going by the storyline, the name would not have made any difference at all. If age-old formulaic movies are what you love, Ayushman Bhava may just work for you. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

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