BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde calls BSNL a blot on the country, and its employees traitors

Controversy

Speaking at an event in Kumta in Uttara Kannada, he said that a 'major surgery' will be done on BSNL and 85,000 employees will be let go.

TNM Staff

Anantkumar Hegde, former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Uttara Kannada, is no stranger to controversies. His latest one emerged on Monday after he called  BSNL employees ‘traitors’ who would be fired as they refused to work. A video of an event in Kumta in which the MP is speaking was shared. Anantkumar is heard calling BSNL employees traitors. "I had scolded them (BSNL employees) during a meeting in Karwar the other day. You are not officials, you are traitors. The government has given money, it is a service needed for the public and there is infrastructure but still they are not ready to work!," Anantkumar Hegde said. He said that a 'major surgery' will be done on BSNL and 85,000 employees will be let go. He called BSNL a blot on the country and that it will be 'finished' and replaced by private establishments. "BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde calls BSNL employees as anti-national. He announced that it will be privatised soon! Mr. Hegde, your leader Modi has not allocated 4G spectrum to BSNL so that Jio benefits For Ambani, you killed BSNL. You are the actual 'Desh Drohis'," Srivatsa, National Campaign In-charge, Youth Congress said in a tweet. Anantkumar Hegde has earlier stirred controversies with his speeches. Earlier this year, he called the freedom movement by Mahatma Gandhi 'a drama' which drew criticism from opposition leaders. In 2018, he declared that the Constitution will be amended to remove the word 'secular' from the preamble. He later apologised for the comment. In March 2016, Hegde was charged for making a hate speech in which he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism drawing protests from Muslim groups. In April 2020, Twitter placed restrictions on his official account for a controversial statement against the Tablighi Jamaat.

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Watch: Comedian Danish Sait’s cast of characters on Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine

Coronavirus

“Congrats, da, Russia found off vaccine, it seems!” the video starts.

TNM Staff

Screenshot

When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that the country has made the world’s first vaccine against the coronavirus, people were stunned by the news. In particular, many were surprised by the speed with which the announcement was made. However, comedian Danish Sait was also quick to put our thoughts into words through his now-famous cast of characters. “Congrats, da, Russia found off vaccine, it seems!” the video starts.  Conversations on #RussianVaccine @KremlinRussia_E Share da. pic.twitter.com/HxbbrAnUIF — Danish Sait (@DanishSait) August 11, 2020 Danish, who has been posting quarantine videos since the early days of the lockdown, has become particularly fast at responding to major and local news events, whether it’s the reopening of liquor stores in Karnataka or the latest in COVID-19 quarantine rules or Vijay Mallya’s near return from the United Kingdom.  Through these videos, his fans have gotten to know his pun-spinning abilities — a few featured in this latest video include, “Russia rushed off,” “Mama, they’ve really stopped the world from Kremlin” and “Today I will wear my Lenin clothes are go join them.” (There’s also an understandable mix-up between Mosque Road and Moscow).   And of course, Danish’s hilarious set of characters, all of whom he plays are back, including the typical Bangalore bro, Ramamurthy Avare, Chacha, Jaya and Bevarsi Kudka.  On July 24, Danish recently released his newest film, French Biriyani, on Amazon Prime. Directed by Pannaga Bharana, the Kannada-language comedy stars Danish in the lead role, alongside Sal Yusuf, and Disha Madan. The script was written by Pannada and Avinash Balekkala.  Putin has stated that the vaccine works “effectively” and that it “forms a stable immunity” against COVID-19. He also revealed that one of his daughters has already been vaccinated. Various countries, including the United Kingdom, China and the United States, are working towards a vaccine against the disease.  According to records, the coronavirus has infected over 20 million people around the world, and 2,271,034 in India. 

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Talacauvery priest's body retrieved from Kodagu landslide rubble

Karnataka Rains 2020

Five people including the 70-year-old priest and his family members were missing since the landslide occurred in the early hours of August 6 and the bodies of two of them have been retrieved so far.

Prajwal Bhat

The body of Talacauvery temple priest Narayana Achar was retrieved from the rubble caused by the landslide in Kodagu on Tuesday afternoon. Five people including the 70-year-old priest and his family members were missing since the landslide occurred in the early hours of August 6 . National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) officials continued to search for the missing persons despite continued rain cutting off access to the landslide area near Talacauvery in Kodagu.  "Today, the search operation continued and the body of Narayana Achar was retrieved from the landslide," Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy confirmed.  This means that the bodies of two of the five people who went missing in the landslide have been found so far. The body of Anandatheertha Swami, an 87 year old administrator of the Talacauvery and Bhagamandala temples, was found on Saturday. He is the brother of Narayana Achar.  Read: Anandatheertha Swami, who died in Kodagu landslide, was devoted to river Cauvery Anandatheertha was a staunch environmentalist who was involved in many attempts to save the River Cauvery and the Western Ghats from human encroachment.   The daughters of Narayana Achar who live in New Zealand and Australia arrived in Kodagu on Monday. They even visited the site of the landslide but they were quarantined later on the same day after the driver who dropped them from the airport tested positive for the coronavirus.  The rains reduced in Kodagu this week making search operations easier for the NDRF and SDRF personnel. Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said around 300 houses in the district reported damage due to the rain.  While landslides were reported in many areas across the hilly district, the incident at Talacauvery was the only one where casualties were reported this year.  Over the past two years, Kodagu district has reported landslides during the monsoon season resulting in the death of over 36 people.   

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Compensation for Bengaluru migrants who lost their homes to fire, too low: Karnataka HC

Courts

A bench led by Chief Justice AS Oka urged the state government to consider increasing the amount from the Rs 6,100 that was decided.

TNM Staff

Screengrab

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday observed that the compensation given by the state government to migrant workers whose huts were burnt down in Bengaluru by unidentified miscreants in Kacharakanahalli in March was too meagre. The observations by the Bench came on Tuesday as the government’s counsel submitted that the ruling BJP had decided that Rs 6,100 will be given as compensation.  A bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S Kinagi says the amount is "unreasonably low". This compensation is not sufficient as there is violation of Article 21, Court. — Bar & Bench (@barandbench) August 11, 2020 Bar and Bench reported that the Bench led by Chief Justice AS Oka and comprising Justice Ashok S Kinagi found the compensation to be “unreasonably low” and insufficient, as this incident amounted to a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees protection of life and personal liberty. The Bench urged the state government to consider increasing the amount. However, the court ordered that until then, the state government can pay the decided amount as it will give some relief to the victims amid the coronavirus pandemic.  It may be recalled that the HC had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter earlier in June after Bengaluru-based advocate Vaishali Hegde had written to the Chief Justice about the incident. The state government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) were made respondents to the case. The HC in its previous hearing had asked the state government to identify those who were affected by the mishap and ensure that they were rehabilitated. The 55 huts which were gutted between March 24 and 30, were set up by migrant workers from Kalaburagi district. A report by the Karnataka  Fire and Emergency Services Department had said that the articles which were burnt included ration kits, clothes and other household items. A police complaint over the incident was registered only on May 1 based on a complaint by a resident of the settlement after some huts were attempted to be razed by an earthmover. Until then, the police said that those affected had termed it as an accident only. 

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'For Namma Bengaluru': Sunil Chhetri launches Bengaluru FC campaign to help small businesses

Sport

Launched via a video featuring club captain Sunil Chhetri, the campaign aims to promote, support and give visibility to businesses that have taken a hit during the pandemic.

TNM Staff

Sunil Chhetri, photograph via Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru Football Club announced that it would be helping small businesses that have struggled to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, through their 2020-21 season campaign. Launched via a video featuring club captain Sunil Chhetri, the campaign aims to promote, support and give visibility to businesses that have taken a hit during the pandemic. In the video, Sunil Chhetri speaks to Bengaluru FC supporters and urges them to support the community in the city and help businesses stay afloat.          View this post on Instagram                   That line – ‘We are BFC’? We mean it now more than ever, Bengaluru. It’s in the DNA of this city to rally around each other and triumph. We’ve done it before, we’ll do it again. Hang in there. #BackOnOurFeet A post shared by Sunil Chhetri (@chetri_sunil11) on Aug 10, 2020 at 6:17am PDT The campaign will see the club use its social media platforms as a stage to showcase local and hyper-local businesses throughout Bengaluru while encouraging the city to patronise them. Through the season, the club will make consistent efforts to talk about these businesses with the players leading the chorus. "This is a campaign that we hold close to our heart, because this city and its people have been synonymous to our club and any success we have enjoyed. These are testing times for all of us, but it is the proprietors of small businesses that have taken the biggest hit. This season is dedicated to them, and we hope to, in a small way, be able to help them find stability once again," said Chhetri, on the day of the launch. Bengaluru FC CEO Mandar Tamhane said there was added impetus in this season's campaign, with the club seeing a first-ever season without silverware, having lost out to ATK in the semi-final of last season's Indian Super League.  "As a club, we have enjoyed many successes in the last seven years, and a season without a trophy has, in many ways, seen us seeking some sort of redemption. The "Back on our Feet" campaign resonates with the vision of our club for the season that lies ahead, and is something with which we hope we can help the people of Karnataka in a special way," said Tamhane. The club was founded seven years ago and has won the I-League, Indian Super League, Federation Cup and Super Cup in its short history. After the club's transition into the Indian Super League in 2017, it began to draw over 20,000 supporters on matchdays in Bengaluru.  

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J&K student body asks Karnataka CM to drop sedition case on 3 Kashmiri students

Controversy

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association also sought that the students be allowed to continue their studies in Bengaluru and be allowed a transfer from Hubbali.

Soumya Chatterjee

File image

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), an independent student body, has written to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa urging him to drop the case of sedition against three Kashmiri students studying in a Hubbali engineering college. They also urged that the students be allowed to get a transfer and continue their studies in Bengaluru so that there is a “safe environment” to “heal their psychological trauma and to continue their education without any further hindrance”. It may be recalled that the trio who were arrested on February 15 got bail in June after the police delayed the charge sheet in the trial court. Incidentally, a week later the bail, the investigating officer in the case was suspended for the delay in filing the charge sheet against them. While the bail was granted on account of the police failing to file the charge sheet, the Karnataka High Court on April 20 had observed that there was no prima facie case of sedition against the three students, The JKSA in its letter dated August 10 said the three students who were arrested in Hubballi after a video featuring them went viral on social media, belong to financially poor families and were admitted in the college through a central government scholarship scheme. They also reminded that the students were arrested by police only after vehement protests by right-wing organisations even though the police had initially let them go after questioning.  In the controversial video, the three students were seen listening to a song made for the Pakistan army and shouting “Azadi”, “Pakistan” and “Zindabad” as part of the song’s chorus. Part of the letter reads, “The students should not be deprived of the fundamental right to education which the constitution of India upholds against the odds. Whereas three students are citizens of India and the permanent residents of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the sedition charges against them is an unacceptable harsh punishment framed against under baseless allegations which will run their future and will further alienate them The charges will have serious psychosomatic consequences on the students, hence should be immediately withdrawn.” They also mentioned that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic the family members of these three students are worried about their wellbeing. They concluded, “Therefore, keeping in view the above facts and circumstances, we are requesting you to urgently look into the matter and kindly give chance to the students to continue their studies and restore their faith in the ethical standing of your Institution and the fair constitution of India...We again urge you to drop the sedition charges against them and revoke their suspension and transfer their college from Hubbali to Bangalore City, so that a safe environment is provided to them to heal their psychological trauma and to continue.” 

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‘KGF: Chapter 2’ to resume shooting next week, makers tell TNM

Film

The sequel was expected to release on October 23 before a lockdown was imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

TNM Staff

KGF: Chapter 2, the sequel to film KGF: Chapter 1, is set to resume shooting next week after a break enforced by a lockdown over the coronavirus outbreak. The first film starring Yash was one of the biggest Kannada hits in 2018 and the sequel was expected to release on October 23 this year, before the lockdown halted the last leg of shooting for the film. "There are 24 days of shooting left and we will resume it next week. We are looking to complete the film's shoot before October," Karthik Gowda, the creative executive producer of Hombale Films told TNM. He also played down reports of Sanjay Dutt being hospitalised on Saturday. The actor, who plays the role of the antagonist in KGF: Chapter 2, was hospitalised for breathlessness in Mumbai but has tested negative for the coronavirus. The 61-year-old actor was taken to Lilavati Hospital  where he was tested for the coronavirus, which turned out to be negative. He is currently recuperating after he was discharged from the hospital on Monday after a two-day stay. He was later clicked outside his Bandra residence, where he waved to the waiting photographers and well-wishers. "He's fine and resting and the news of his hospitalisation was blown out of proportion," Karthik Gowda said.  The film marks Sanjay Dutt's entry into the south Indian film industry. His look was revealed on July 29 on the day of the actor's birthday and it is inspired by the Vikings series. The look showed Sanjay Dutt sporting dreadlocks and holding a sword while leaning on its hilt, while wearing leather clothing and a diamond earring in his ear. Alongside Sanjay Dutt, KGF: Chapter 2 sees Yash reprise his role as ‘Rocky’, opposite Shrinidhi Shetty. The film is directed by Prashanth Neel and is being shot at Kolar Gold Fields. 

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