The plan to cap Medicaid spending, rejected by Congress just three years ago, will face swift resistance from Democrats and legal challenges.
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Thursday, January 30, 2020
JD(S) in talks with poll expert Prashant Kishor to revive party's image
JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is slated to hold talks with Kishor soon on organising the party for the days ahead.
After facing setbacks in successive polls, the Janata Dal (Secular) leadership in Karnataka is in talks with poll strategist Prashant Kishor to revive the party for the future, party sources said on Thursday. JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is slated to hold talks with Kishor soon on organising the party for the days ahead. "Kumaraswamy will be meeting Prashant Kishor. The date and time is yet to be fixed but after seeing his strategy work out in Bihar and other places, the JD(S) wants to try it here," a party source said. "It is to discuss the strategy to build the party. Kishor is also said to have expressed keenness to meet Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy), they will meet soon," another party source told PTI. JD(S) state president HK Kumaraswamy merely said there was nothing wrong in taking such help in the interest of the party. "We can take advice from such people to build and organise the party. We have already begun work towards organising the party from the grassroots level, and it will get a boost after the national level meeting of the party on February 10 and 11," he said. The JD(S) that bagged only 37 seats in the 2018 assembly polls and came to power in alliance with the Congress with H D Kumaraswamy as chief minister managed to win only one seat in the state during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Party patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was also defeated in the parliamentary polls. The party also failed to win even a single seat during the December 2019 bye-polls to 15 assembly constituencies in the state. The Prashant Kishor-led Indian Political Action Committee (I- PAC) is currently helping the AAP in the Delhi assembly polls. The political advocacy group also helped in the electioneering campaign of Narendra Modi in 2014 when he was BJP's prime ministerial candidate. The I-PAC has worked on a number of successful campaigns since 2014, including the one that brought JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to power in 2015. The organisation also helped Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy win both state and Lok Sabha elections. Kishor, who was the Janata Dal (United) national vice-president, was on Wednesday expelled from the party following a bitter fallout with its chief Nitish Kumar.
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Karnataka cops arrest 2 Kerala men for trying to dump bio medical waste in Mysuru
The police seized 2 tonnes of biomedical waste, which was brought to Karnataka from Kerala.
Garbage trucks from Kerala dumping waste in Karnataka is a long-standing problem. On Wednesday, the police in Mysuru arrested two men from the neighbouring state for trying to dump two tonnes of hazardous bio medical waste in an empty site in Nanjangud. At around 3.30 am on Wednesday, two trucks bearing Kerala number plates crossed the check point at Mysuru district’s Nanjangud. The police, who were warned of garbage trucks coming in from Kerala, followed the truck from the check point. The truck stopped at the Adakanahalli Industrial Area and two men were allegedly trying to unload the bio-medical waste onto an empty plot of land, when they were caught red-handed. The Nanjangud Rural Police immediately arrested two men Afzal Muneer and Syed Mohammed, both residents of Kerala’s Kozhikode. However, the truck driver Kabir and two other accomplices Shoaib and Muneer escaped. Speaking to TNM, Mysuru SP Ryshyanth said that the Nanjangud Rural Police booked the five men under section 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC. They have also been booked under the Motor Vehicles Act for illegal transportation of waste. SP Ryshyanth said that the residents had complained of incessant dumping of garbage and biomedical waste in the area, after which the check point was set up. The police are now trying to track down the other three accused. Nanjangud Rural Police said that the same group of five men had allegedly dumped bio medical waste in empty plots in the industrial area around 8 to 10 times in the past. “For so many years, people of Mysuru have been facing this problem where garbage from Kerala is being dumped in several of our taluks including Nanjangud, T Narasipura and HD Kote. Initially they used to dump mixed waste and plastic waste. Now they are dumping hazardous bio medical waste, which can cause major health problems for people living here,” a police official with the Nanjangud Rural Police said. The two truck loads of bio medical waste has been handed over to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, which will send the waste to an empanelled bio-medical waste disposal facility, where it will be processed. In January last year, the Mysuru City Corporation demanded that the police set up check point to stop Kerala’s waste from entering the state. Police check points were set up last year after several protests erupted in Mysuru over the issue. The Mysuru City Corporation and residents complained that the pits were dug up in jaggery manufacturing units in Mysuru and Mandya districts, which were being used to illegally dump the garbage being brought in from Kerala, thereby turning these spaces into landfills. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board had also conducted raids on these jaggery manufactures and found that the units were accepting money in return for dumping the garbage in their plots. Bio medical waste generated in Kerala has also been dumped in Tamil Nadu several times. TN authorities allege that for four years now, cutting edge hospitals in Kerala have been disposing their medical waste in an irresponsible manner in many areas in TN. On paper, these hospitals sell the waste to agents or brokers who promise to arrange for the disposal of the bio-hazardous material. Coimbatore and Tirunelveli are the most affected in this waste war, as they border the neighbouring state, allowing for easy and quick access. In Tirunelveli, tonnes of waste was being dumped in rural areas near Valliyoor and other parts of the district. The police and revenue department officials were ordered to be on vigil.
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Who demolished migrant huts claiming Bangladeshi infiltration? BBMP says it didn't
On January 19, sheds in migrant settlements in Devarabeesanahalli and Kariyammana Agrahara in Bellandur were demolished by an excavator.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) told the Karnataka High Court on Thursday that it did not carry out the demolitions in the migrant settlements in Bellandur over fears that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were staying there. The counsel appearing for the BBMP distanced itself from the demolitions. This despite the fact that Assistant Executive Engineer of the BBMP’s Marathahalli subdivision had written to Marathahalli police station seeking police protection to carry out the evictions in the migrant settlements in Bellandur. In the letter, the engineer had said that "Bangladeshi nationals have built illegal sheds and the residents here have converted this into a slum area". Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka was hearing a petition filed by the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) challenging the demolition of migrant settlements in Bellandur and Whitefield in the city on January 18 and 19. The Chief Justice questioned, "Who carried out the demolitions?," after neither the BBMP nor the Bengaluru Police came forward to take responsibility. "The BBMP's engineer (Assistant Executive Engineer, Mahadevapura Zone) had written to the police but the BBMP did not carry out demolition of sheds," the BBMP counsel told the High Court. On January 18 and 19, sheds in migrant settlements in Devarabeesanahalli and Kariyammana Agrahara in Bellandur were demolished by an excavator. Police officials from Marathahalli police station were present during the demolitions. Read: After video claims 'Bangladeshi immigrant' settlement in Bengaluru, BBMP razes 100 huts However, it turned out that many residents in the migrant settlement were from states like Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and even Karnataka. When TNM visited the spot, the residents held up their identification cards to prove their citizenship. Residents of the settlements are BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar later stated that the demolitions were unauthorised and blamed the engineer for 'going rogue' and demolishing sheds without permission from higher officials. Read: Demolition in Bengaluru migrant colony over ‘Bangladeshi’ fears unauthorised, says BBMP "Local residents came to the office of the AEE twice to complain that there are a large number of illegal sheds in the area and it was causing a nuisance, especially in the night time," the BBMP's counsel told the High Court. The complaints made by these residents eventually led to the demolition of migrant settlements behind Mantri Espana apartment. The BBMP has sent Narayan Swamy back to his parent department - Public Works Department - and recommended that he should be suspended. Police officials from Marathahalli police station were present at the site of the demolition until it was called off on January 19. However, a police notice sent to a landowner on January 11 stated that the sheds constructed behind Mantri Espana apartment in Bellandur are illegal and that Bangladeshi immigrants were illegally settled there. Residents in a migrant settlement in Kundalahalli near Marathahalli were also evicted on the day demolitions were carried out in Bellandur. Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka asked the BBMP to file its statement of objections by Saturday. The High Court also asked the state government to clarify its stance on the demolitions. The counsel appearing for the state government said that an enquiry is underway. The case will be heard again on Monday. Since the demolition, Bengaluru police have arrested three people living in a migrant settlement near Whitefield stating that they are illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Read: Migrant workers in Bengaluru live in fear as police search for Bangladeshi immigrants
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Kannada reporter-poet booked for ‘breach of peace’ for his anti-CAA poetry
Siraj Bisaralli has sought anticipatory bail even as the local BJP workers have filed a complaint against him.
Siraj Bisaralli, in a Facebook post
Siraj Bisaralli, a poet with many Kannada poetry books to his name, has been booked for reciting his poem “Ninna Dakhale Yaavaga Needuttee?” (When will you give your documents?) at the Anegundi Utsava that was held in Koppal recently. The Koppala unit of BJP took notice of the poem recited at the festival after they saw that it was shared widely on the internet, and went to the police, according to The Hindu. The complainants alleged that the poem insulted PM Narendra Modi. Siraj is also a reporter for Koppala with the Kannada news channel PrajaaTV, as confirmed by Ravi Ganiga, MD of PrajaaTV. The Gangavathi Rural police in Koppala district have filed an FIR against the poet, and against Rajabaxi HV, the editor of Kannadanet.com, who shared the poem on the internet. The FIR has been filed under IPC sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(2) (Statements conducive to public mischief). Siraj told TOI that he has never faced such problems, despite authoring two anthologies of his poetry, and was seeking anticipatory bail as he could get arrested any moment. The Anegundi Utsava is a local cultural festival celebrated in the village of Anegundi in Koppal. It was organised on January 9, after a gap of five years, according to media reports. The festival was organised with funds from the state exchequer amounting to Rs 1 crore, along with Rs 1.10 crore CSR funding from various corporate organisations. It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yediyurappa, along with Deputy CM Laxman Savidi and Karnataka Cultural Affairs Minister CT Ravi, according to newspaper Kannada Prabha. This case comes amidst several crackdowns on protests and cultural activities that criticise the controversial CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and the proposed nationwide NRC (National Register of Citizens). On January 26, the police in Bidar district booked a sedition case against a school and its management for a play performed by children. The play reportedly had a line against PM Modi – a line in the play reportedly said those who ask for documents for NRC should be beaten with slippers. Read: School in Karnataka's Bidar booked for sedition over children’s play on CAA-NRC On January 9, the Mysuru police booked a case of sedition against Nalini, a former student of Mysuru University for holding a poster which said “Free Kashmir”. At the time, she gave a statement as to why she held the poster. “I wanted to remember and remind people that coming out to the streets to protest against the unconstitutional CAA, NRC, NPR is a privilege we have. We have been able to amplify our voices against it, while the valley has been in darkness unable to voice out their dissent. This is all I meant by ‘Free Kashmir’. Nothing more, nothing less. None of the student bodies of the University of Mysore are responsible for the placard.” Read: Sedition charges filed against protester at Mysuru University for ‘Free Kashmir’ poster
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Bengaluru civic body to rename Tipu Sultan circle, Congress corporators protest
On Tuesday, a meeting was held, where Mayor Goutham Kumar made a decision to remove Tipu Sultan’s name from the junction.
From banning state-sponsored Tipu Jayanti celebrations, to wanting the chapter on Tipu Sultan removed from school textbooks, the BJP government in Karnataka has courted many controversies surrounding Tipu. Now, Bengaluru’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s council has decided to rename Tipu Sultan Circle in the city. On Tuesday, a special meeting was held, where Mayor Goutham Kumar made a decision to remove Tipu Sultan’s name from the junction. An order was issued for the same, and this was done without discussion in the council. Back in 2018, then Congress leader in the BBMP Council, M Shivaraju had proposed renaming Bellahalli junction to Tipu Sultan Circle in Jakkur. The decision was seconded by Congress corporator RS Satyanarayana. The proposal was also supported by BJP corporator from Yediyur NR Ramesh. At the time, the BBMP Council had unanimously passed the decision to rename the junction as Tipu Sultan Circle. The council members had floated the proposal after consulting with the residents of Bellahalli. However, the decision was overturned in Tuesday’s meeting. Angered by the turn of events, the Congress leaders in the BBMP Council raised objections to the decision, stating that no consultation was done and that the matter was not put to vote in the council before the decision was made by Mayor Goutham. “Naming the circle after Tipu Sultan had been, in fact, first proposed by BJP council member NR Ramesh. Why is the BJP going back on its own actions? The mayor cannot take suo motu decisions without floating the matter in the council,” said Leader of Opposition in the BBMP Council Abdul Wajid. Congress corporators accused the ruling party of flouting laws. Quoting the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, Wajid said that such decisions cannot be made by the mayor without obtaining the vote of two-thirds of the council members. Speaking to TNM, Mayor Goutham said that it was an error that the issue was not discussed in the council. He added that he had only deferred the issue, and asked the BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar to look into the legality of the issue. “We have only decided to not go ahead with changing the name. We will discuss it further in the council,” he said. BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar said that the matter has been sent to the Palike’s legal team, after which a final decision will be made. “Let them put the matter to vote, we don’t want the junction to be named after Tipu Sultan. Once legalities are sorted out, we will proceed with the matter,” BBMP Leader of the ruling party in the council, Padmanabha Reddy said.
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Karnataka govt withdraws security cover given to former Cong-JD(S) ministers
Senior MLAs like RV Deshpande and Bandeppa Kashempur are on the list of those who have now lost their security cover.
Representational Image
Six months after BS Yediyurappa took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka for the fourth time, the security cover for 27 former ministers of the HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government was withdrawn on Thursday. The order issued on January 25 said other than ex-Deputy CM G Parameshwara, and former ministers HD Revanna, DK Shivakumar, KJ George and MB Patil, all former ministers will lose their security cover. Even senior MLAs who were ministers like RV Deshpande and Bandeppa Kashempur have lost their security cover. Last time when Yediyurappa had become CM only for two days in 2018, post the fractured mandate in the Assembly elections, he had withdrawn state security for the Congress MLAs stationed in the Eagleton resort just hours after taking oath. Recently the Union government had withdrawn central security for high profile political leaders including Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and DMK president MK Stalin in a controversial decision. Meanwhile, CM Yeddyurappa is on his way to the national capital to meet BJP working president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah to finalise the decision on the much-delayed Cabinet expansion in the state. Speaking on the same on Wednesday, the CM said, “I will go to New Delhi tomorrow (Thursday) and meet with the national leaders and discuss the issue of Cabinet expansion.” Yediyurappa had earlier set a deadline of January 15 to speak with the high command and announce the names of the new ministers, and yet he seems unable to form a decision without offending crucial figures within the BJP. The CM has to balance the promise of ministerial berths, made to former Congress and JD(S) MLAs who won byepolls and cemented his position as CM, and also meet demands of long term BJP loyalists. For this process, one or two sitting senior ministers are also likely to lose their portfolios, according to sources.
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