PM has assured to consider Karnataka’s demand for more development funds: Yediyurappa

Politics

He said the Prime Minister spoke to him personally assuring him of all help and suggested that he come to New Delhi and meet the union Ministers concerned on the matter.

PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him the Centre would consider the state's demands for more funds for development and called him a 'great visonary." He said the Prime Minister spoke to him personally assuring him of all help and suggested that he come to New Delhi and meet the union Ministers concerned on the matter. The clarification came a day after Yediyurappa sought the Centres help while addressing the 'Krishi Karman' awards event in Tumakuru, which Modi attended. In a statement the Chief Minister said a section of the media had attached a motive to his speech, "which was plain and honest in its content." Being in a federal set up, there was nothing wrong in placing the facts before the Prime Minister and making submissions, he said. He said that as Chief Minister, he placed the state's problems and need of more funds for development before Modi. Yediyurappa said he had urged the Prime Minister to grant more funds for relief work, scientific and remunerative price for farm produce, and special fund of Rs 50,000 crore for speeding up of on-going irrigation works. As it was a farmers meet, I felt it worthy and timely to plead with the Prime Minister for more funds for all the developmental activities in the state," he added. Modi not responding to request during his two day visit to the state had drawn flak from sections of the media, social media users and also the opposition parties. Noting that undoubtedly the Prime Minister was a great visionary and his concern for the poor and farmers was unquestionable, Yediyurappa said when the world is appreciating his statesmanship and visionary zeal, it is in very bad taste for the media to attribute motives to my speech and relate it to the prime minister. In fact, the Prime Minister spoke to me personally and assured me of all help and suggested I come to New Delhi and meet the concerned Ministers and apprise them about the states problems and pending projects. He also directed me to prepare a detailed report on this matter, the Chief Minster said. Yediyurappa requested the electronic and print media not to misinterpret, but support the government in the interest of development of the state and interest of the people and hoped they would respond to it. Some twitter users who trended "#GobackModi" on Thursday had used a clipping of Yediyurappa's speech about not getting additional flood relief from the Centre despite repeated requests, at a programme attended by the Prime Minister, to attack him. Yediyurappa, while referring to the flood damage had said on Thursday he had brought to Modi's notice that the loss was over Rs 30,000 crore and that additional funds had not been released despite his repeated requests to the Centre.    

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B'luru techie booked for anti-CAA protests, top cop asks for review of sections

CAA

The techie alleged that he was harassed, and the Commissioner took note of the incident when the techie's mother and sister were summoned to the police station.

Soumya Chatterjee

After Bengaluru-based techie Ashok Koyi alleged that Halasurugate Police Station booked him under stringent sections for taking part in anti-CAA protests, City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has asked for the DCP to review the sections. Ashok was part of the protest which was held on December 30, 2019, at Mysore Bank Circle in Bengaluru, and was asked by a policeman to come to the Halasurugate Police Station. While he was part of a large group of protesters, he was isolated as he was looking for others to join him in protest to march to the detention centre in Nelamangala. Following this, he was booked under stringent sections.  On Thursday, a note signed by the Commissioner, which was given to Ashok, lists the sections under which Ashok has been booked, and asks DCP Central Chetan Singh Rathore to review the sections. The note asks if Ashok’s actions warrant such “heinous sections” and Ashok is to produce the same to DCP Rathore. Ashok has been booked under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 179 (refusing to answer public servant authorised to question), 505 B (making statement intended to cause fear, or alarm the public) of the Indian Penal Code. He was granted interim bail on the same day as he had to appear for a law exam, a degree which he is pursuing alongside his fulltime job. Speaking to TNM, the DCP said, “He (Ashok) is yet to approach me with the petition. We will go through it and verify what direction the Commissioner has given. Then, we will take action as per law and rules.” Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao earlier reacted to the incident on Twitter after it was pointed out that Ashok’s mother and sister were asked by Halasurugate Police Station to report to the police station for questioning. A formal note addressing his sister was also handed over by the police at his residence. Which Police Station and who called, matter will be taken seriously.... — Bhaskar Rao IPS (@deepolice12) January 1, 2020 Speaking to TNM, Ashok said, “First, the police deceived me by telling me that first, they will just speak with me in the station. Then, they seized my belongings and threatened to book me under sections of the anti-terror law as I was not furnishing my address. They said that will teach me a lesson for the next 50 years of my life.”  However, Ashok said that he was not aware at the time that this is illegal as he was not told that it was not an official inquiry.  “...they had led me to the police station to talk to me as a brother. After I initially refused to answer, they took my driving license and reached my old address. From there, they got my sister’s number and called her. Why would they harass my family when they know that they have no involvement in the protests.” Police have seized his bike and mobile phone. In addition to this, Ashok said his hall ticket was also taken as police told him they the items have been used to commit the crime.  He added, “This is just another way of harassing me. Instead of giving me a hall ticket, they wrote a letter and sent a policeman alongside me to paint me as some kind of a criminal in front of other students. Now without the bike, I have to spend a lot of money on commuting. I don’t have a spare phone, so I have to depend on the help of others to even contact somebody.” “While the charge of not providing the information is a bit grey, the other two charges of assaulting a police officer and the other one are completely cooked up,” he said. His case will be heard again by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in the second week of February.    

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‘We’re 80%, you’re 17%’: Karnataka MLA ‘warns’ Muslims against anti-CAA protests

Controversy

Somashekara Reddy made the communal statement at a rally in Ballari, insinuating that minorities needed to ‘adapt’ in order to live in India.

Prajwal Bhat

Twitter

Karnataka MLA from Ballari Gali Somashekhara Reddy made communal statements and ‘warned’ Muslims in India against participating in anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests. A video of the MLA making a speech in Ballari during a pro-CAA has gone viral, where he said, “I want to caution those who are protesting… This (the crowd at the pro-CAA rally) is just 5%. If your antics grow, if 100% people come, just imagine what your situation will be.” “Bewakoofs (idiots) from Congress are lying to you,” he continued, “and you’re believing them and coming out onto the streets. Hey, we’re the 80%! You’re just 17%. If we turn against you what will your situation be?” If any part of the statement seemed unclear, the MLA confirmed the meaning of his statement, speaking to TNM. Defending his statement, Somashekhara said, “I have not stated anything against anybody. I just said we Hindus are 80% and if the 20% Muslim population damages our property, we cannot just stand by and watch,” Somashekhara said. "We are 80%, you are just 17%. Imagine what will happen to you if we fight back. Beware. You shud be mindful of this if you want to live in our country," @BJP4Karnataka MLA Somashekhara Reddy warns Muslims over #CAAProtests in Ballari @NewIndianXpress @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/4elE14ViIx — Anusha Ravi Sood (@anusharavi10) January 3, 2020 The MLA made the provocative statement at a gathering organised in support of the CAA and the BJP cadre and ABVP members present there were heard cheering the MLA on. Somashekhara Reddy is the youngest brother in the Reddy brothers trio: Karunakara, Janardhan (the mining baron) and Somashekhara. In his speech on Friday, Somashekhara further insinuated that minorities need to ‘adapt’ if they wanted to live in India.   "Caution, tread with caution. This is our country. You have to live in our country. This is my country. My country,” Somashekhara orated to loud cheers, “If you want to live in this country… the Australian Prime Minister had given a statement once. You know what she said? “If you want to stay in this country, you have to live as per our customs. Caution. If you don’t, I will send you back to your country.” Make sure that you don’t bring such a situation in this country," he said. "We are 80 percent and you are just 17 percent. Imagine what will happen to you if we turn against you," Karnataka MLA Gali Somashekhara Reddy issues warming against #CAA_NRC_Protests pic.twitter.com/i10TSxmXeA — Arun Dev (@ArunDev1) January 3, 2020 Somashekhara Reddy was referring to an old viral WhatsApp forward that had claimed that Julia Gillard, who was the Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, encouraged Muslims to leave the country. However, that message was debunked and proved to be fake. The Congress, meanwhile, has lashed out against the BJP MLA over his statement and said that the leader should be booked by the police. “This shows the mentality of the BJP and their leaders. These statements are inflammatory and are punishable under the Indian Penal Code and other provisions of law. These are targeted at the minorities and other weaker sections of the society. The concerned police should book him after taking suo motu cognisance. This is the duplicity of the BJP government. They booked UT Khader even though he did not make any provocative statement,” VS Ugrappa, former Congress MP, told TNM.

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After Kerala and Tamil Nadu, 'Go Back Modi' accompanies PM on 2-day K'taka visit

CAA

On Thursday night, a campaign was organised by activists and citizens opposed to the CAA and NRC in Bengaluru, to make #GoBackModi trend on Twitter.

Prajwal Bhat

It started in Tamil Nadu, with #GoBackModi trending pretty much every time the Prime Minister came to the state. Then, Kerala followed with #PoMoneModi. Now, for perhaps the first time, the hashtag #GoBackModi trended in Karnataka during the Prime Minister’s two-day visit to the state, on Thursday and Friday. And activists who are part of the protests against CAA and NRC, and who have been organising the trends say, that this hashtag and slogan has become a mark of dissent against the Prime Minister, wherever he visits.  The hashtag appeared on Twitter before the Prime Minister arrived in Karnataka for a two-day state visit on Thursday. On Thursday night, a campaign was organised by 'Hum Bharat Ke Log', a collective of organisations protesting against the CAA and NRC in Bengaluru, to make #GoBackModi trend on Twitter. As of Friday, the hashtag had been used over 66,000 times on the social media platform. Later in the day, a group of protesters held up placards displaying #GoBackModi at a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) held at Town Hall in Bengaluru. The protesters also chanted "Go Back Modi" slogans. The protest took place after PM Modi left the city, since police denied permission for it to be held earlier in the day. The protest in Town Hall on Friday is the first sign of the slogan and the hashtag being used in Karnataka during a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The history of resistance against the government is weak and what is happening now is that networks are being formed and people are meeting despite their political differences to stand together and say Go Back Modi," says Avani Choksi, one of the protesters.  Avani says that this is also a sign that Bengaluru residents are increasingly speaking out against the government's policies. "In the last two days that Modi was in Karnataka, his speeches have focused on Pakistan and not on India. You see the increasing inequality faced by the citizens of India and you see that combined with the divisive politics which has led to polarisation of people. People in Bengaluru are coming out to protest and increasingly speaking out against this," adds Avani. While speaking in Tumakuru on Thursday, Modi had said that those protesting against the CAA were protesting against those who fled Pakistan for fear of persecution on religious grounds. The many instances of #GoBackModi The hashtag 'Go Back Modi' trended on Twitter when the Prime Minister was in Chennai in September 2019 to attend the convocation at IIT Madras. Tweets with the same hashtag had appeared as early as May 2016 when Prime Minister Modi had compared Kerala to Somalia during his visit to the state. In April 2018, protesters who demanded the formation of the Cauvery Management Board raised black flags and released balloons with the slogan 'Go Back Modi' in Tamil Nadu. By then 'Go Back Modi' had become a recurring theme during Modi's visits to the state.  In the last year, the hashtag 'Go Back Modi' has accompanied Modi on many of his visits to Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ('#Modi_Parat_Ja), and now Karnataka. The hashtags trended both in Maharashtra and Karnataka when they had BJP governments.   Vinay Sreenivasa, an activist and also a part of Hum Bharat Ke Log campaign, says that young protesters are looking at the resistance in Tamil Nadu and applying it in other cities. "At the protest in Bengaluru, there were a lot of young students and working professionals taking part. Many of them are also on Twitter and are observing the resistance in other places. This shows that there is anger against the government for its policies. This was amplified by the fact that the Karnataka Chief Minister had to appeal to the Prime Minister for flood-relief funds on stage," Vinay says. Sharing the stage with PM Modi on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa once again requested him to release a special package of Rs 50,000 crore for the state. The anti-CAA protest planned at Town Hall on Friday was delayed by two hours after police officials denied permission for the protest until the Prime Minister had left the city. He inaugurated the Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru before departing around noon on Friday.  Activists and citizens read out the preamble of the Constitution during the protest before placards showing 'Go Back Modi' were displayed. "The reason why protests in Bengaluru have sustained nearly 20 days is because there is a young crowd turning up here. I don't know if it is the case in other cities but people from all walks of life including students are turning up here spontaneously," Rajesh Umadevi Srinivas, an activist based in Bengaluru says.  Read: Sharing stage with PM, Yediyurappa reminds him K’taka hasn’t got enough flood relief Read: Anti-CAA protest in Bengaluru pushed to 2pm as PM Modi set to leave city

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'Rajeeva' review: This pale imitation of a classic fails to excite

Review

The film tries too hard to be like 'Bangarada Manushya' and has little to offer beyond the similarities.

Aravind Shwetha

2019 ended with a bang for Kannada cine-goers with Avane Srimannarayana running to packed houses. But the 2020 opening film has come as a huge let-down. This week's film, the Mayur Patel starrer Rajeeva, has failed to be a crowd-puller, thanks to the lacklustre narrative. Rajeeva - the very name is special for Kannadigas, thanks to the iconic role played by Dr Rajkumar in the film Bangarada Manushya. The hugely entertaining 1972 Eastman colour movie ran houseful shows in theaters for almost two years. The impact of the movie was such that many youths went back to their villages to cultivate their lands, which they had once given up for the conveniences of urban life. The movie, still one of the best films of the Kannada film industry, enjoys the status of a classic. Rajeeva, on the other hand, is just an unpolished imitation. Rajeeva (Mayur Patel) is a happy-go-lucky lad who has completed his education in the city. He always follows the path laid down by his father Bheemanna (Mayur Patel in a dual role) and earns the villagers' respect. Having studied for the IAS, he gets back to his village during the vacation. But following a heart-wrenching incident, he backs out and decides to take up farming. Not only does he experiment with new technology in agriculture, he also succeeds in persuading many youths to quit going to the city looking for a job and take up agriculture instead. Amid this, he also supports his four brothers reach high places in life. But, things start to change when one of his brother takes a wrong route to earn money. He also suffers another personal tragedy and ends up losing the respect of the villagers. How he overcomes his hurdles forms the rest of the story. Actor Mayur Patel and director Manu seem to be so inspired from Bangarada Manushya that they have come up with a very similar movie. The plot, the narration, even the hero's outfits seem to have been heavily inspired from the 1972 classic. But, the imitation remains cheap. Mayur simply cannot be another Rajkumar, and if he had understood this sooner, the film would not have been made. The storyline is relevant even today, with many youths from villages migrating to the city, looking for jobs. The movie could have addressed their concerns. But, the director's copy- paste job does nothing for the film. Mayur Patel has done a decent job as Rajeeva and to an extent as Bheemanna. But, we hope he takes up powerful roles like Mani and proves his calibre once again. The film also sees Mayur's father Madan Patel in a guest appearance as the Chief Minister. There’s nothing much to talk about the slew of characters who make their presence in the film. Heroine Akshatha Sreedhar Shasty hardly has any role and is more of a sidekick for the lead actor. The songs are forgettable too. Rajeeva is yet another film that attempts to put farmers in the limelight but fails in the execution because the makers were too involved in the imitation game. Here's hoping that the makers realise there can only be one Bangarada Manushya, and try out other genres in their next film. 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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Why 15,000 women descended on the streets of Bengaluru in a sea of pink

Every time we ask for money, they give us excuses, say these ASHA workers from Karnataka.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The Anand Rao Circle flyover in the heart of Bengaluru was a sea of pink on Friday. At least 15,000 women from across Karnataka had descended on the streets of the city, taking a rally out from the Bengaluru City Railway Station to Freedom Park in Gandhi Nagar. The women are ASHA workers – ‘honourary volunteers’ according to the Government of India – who do the crucial job of ensuring that the health and nutrition of people in our villages is up to mark. However, these women have not been paid properly for the past 15 months in Karnataka.  “They expect perfection from us in our work,” says Jyothi R, who lives in a village in Shivamogga district, “But when the time comes to pay us, they just keep giving us excuses.” “In my case, they have been saying that there is a software error in their computer for 15 months now. What kind of computer doesn't work for so many months?” Jyothi asks. “We feel the government is taking us for granted. I have been struggling to survive on the paltry sums I have been getting for the past 15 months. Some months, I got just Rs 2,700. Other times, I didn't even get that. And even this money is not even half of what I am entitled to,” she says.  A bad policy made worse in implementation ASHA workers – or Accredited Social Health Activists – are employed by the government in villages across India as ‘honourary volunteers’ to work on meeting the government’s health targets. This includes immunisation, institutional births, family planning, nutrition etc. In most states, ASHA workers are paid ‘incentives’ for the specific targets that they meet, and do not get a standard salary.  In Karnataka, ASHA workers are paid a fixed sum of Rs 6,000, which includes Rs 4,000 from the state government, and Rs 2,000 from National Health Mission funds. They are also eligible for incentives between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000 per month.  But for several months now, they haven’t been paid their dues properly, say ASHA workers.    Thousands of women Asha workers in a rally this morning in Bengaluru. They are on strike demanding their pending dues of 15 months. Watch how they have taken over a flyover in a sea of pink! pic.twitter.com/WCnCagtztc — Alithea Stephanie Mounika//ಅಲಿತ್ಯ ಮೌನಿಕಾ (@alitheasm) January 3, 2020   Srilatha from Ballari says that she has been forced to take up odd jobs just to make ends meet. "I am the only earning member in my family, and my mother is sick. When I get only Rs 3,000 as salary, what should I do? I have taken loans listening to promises that we will be paid quickly, and I’m now in massive debt.” The workers gathered in Bengaluru are demanding that their dues be cleared immediately; that their salaries be increased to Rs 12,000 per month so that they have a living wage; and that they be made permanent employees so that they can have job security.  “The government must give us an increase in payment and pay us all our dues so we can live in peace," Srilatha says.  The strike was called for by the All Indian United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) to bring to the state government's attention the plight of the health workers, all of whom are women. The women arrived from all over Karnataka in buses, trains, and cars, and rallied from the Bengaluru City Railway Station to Freedom Park – and they plan to strike work indefinitely while protesting at Freedom Park until their demands are met.  Government denies non-payment of dues However, the government of Karnataka has denied the allegations by the health workers. “The allegation and reports that remuneration to ASHA has not been paid for 15 months is wrong. The remuneration under state government component of Rs 4000 as well as NHM component of Rs 2000 performance-based incentives which ranges from Rs 3000 to 4500 has been paid to ASHAs upto November 2019 and December 2019 payments are under process,” the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Services of Karnataka said in a statement.  Meanwhile, the state Health Minister B Sriramalu asked the workers to call off their protest and said that the government is willing to listen to their demands. The Health Minister told TV9, "The ASHA workers do some important and good work. They are demanding that they get paid all their dues on a single date. We have already sent the file (asking for the pay hike) to the Finance department." Addressing the workers who are protesting, he said, "We are also working on a solution that we believe all ASHA workers will be satisfied with. You are all like my mothers and sisters. I respect the work that you do, and will work to save you." This is not the first time that the ASHA workers have gone on strike regarding non-payment of due and the demand for a pay-hike. They have come to Bengaluru on several occasions in the past two years. In September 2017, the ASHA workers held an all-night protest, sleeping on the roads in strike and demanding their payments. In October 2018 too, the workers conducted a protest of thousands of people, who were protesting against the non-clearance of dues. The protesters were forced to sit on the street as there was no space in the Freedom Park ground.

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‘Modi has betrayed Karnataka in a big way’: Siddaramaiah slams PM over flood relief

Politics

Siddaramaiah said the PM had not responded to it despite Yediyurappa raising the issue, which showed his "neglect" towards Karnataka.

PTI

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of betraying Karnataka in a "big way" by not announcing any flood relief for the state during his two-day visit, despite the mandate given to him by the people during the Lok Sabha polls. There was expectation from the people that Modi would announce something to the effect, but he 'did not utter a word on it.” He recalled that during the previous election, Modi had said that if BJP comes to power at both at state and the centre, the doors of good fortune will open for Karnataka. "Forget about opening the doors of good fortune, he did not even open the doors of his house to the leaders of his own party, Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he pointed out that the people of Karnataka had elected 25 BJP MPs during the Lok Sabha polls. "With 25 MPs and with their own Chief Minister, all we got was Rs 1,200 crore (flood relief). That’s why I call Yediyurappa a weak CM...he should have demanded for about Rs 36,000 crore estimated from centre and for declaration of floods as national disaster, but he didn’t have the courage, he said. Modi had begun his two-day visit to Karnataka on Thursday, which he ended after attending various programmes at both Tumakuru and Bengaluru. Noting that Modi should have at least given an assurance to examine the states demand of adequate flood relief, Siddaramaiah said the Prime Minister had not responded to it despite Yediyurappa raising the issue, which showed his "neglect" towards Karnataka. "...people of the state voted for Modi, but today Modi has betrayed Karnataka in a big way, he said. As many as 103 taluks in 22 districts of Karnataka were affected due to unprecedented floods in August, in which over 80 people were killed. Around seven lakh people were shifted to safe areas during the deluge and thousands of houses were damaged. Flaying Modi for making a political speech in front of school children at Siddaganga Mutt on Thursday, Siddaramaiah asked what was the need and relevance to speak against Congress and about Pakistan, CAA and NRC in front of them. "It was a dirty political speech, not the one to speak in front of children. For Modi everywhere it is politics,” he said. Lambasting Congress and its allies for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, Modi on Thursday had said the ongoing protests were against Parliament and called on the agitators to raise their voice against Pakistan's atrocities on its minorities for the last 70 years. Agreed that Pakistan is an evil nation..but (what) are you doing against the minorities here, Mr Modi," he asked. He sought to know if implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens "on the basis of religion" was right. "Did you have to speak about it in front of children? Siddaramaiah asked. He could instead have spoken about issues concerning the state and the country, he added. The former Chief Minister said Modi is a "good speaker" who uses his skills to divert the people's attention from real issues like the economy and other things by raising emotive issues like Pakistan, terrorism. "Congress was not opposing Parliament as claimed by Modi or the position of the Prime Minister, but agitating against the divisive politics of BJP, he said, adding that the Modi led government has lost its "sensitivity". He also questioned why Modi had not announced a "Bharat Ratna" to Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt, to whose "Gadduge' (final resting place) PM had paid respects during his visit to the Mutt on Thursday.

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