‘Farmers who die by suicide are cowards’: Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil

Controversy

The Congress has criticised the minister and sought an apology.

TNM Staff

File image

At a time when the national capital Delhi and surrounding states are being rocked by protests by farmers over the recently passed contentious farm laws, Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil on Thursday stirred controversy by making an insensitive remark.   "The farmers who commit suicide are cowards. Only a coward who can't take care of his wife and children commits suicide. When we have fallen (in the water), we have to swim and win," Patil said addressing farmers at Ponnampet in Kodagu district of Karnataka. The minister was speaking to bamboo growers of Ponnampet and explaining to them how profitable the business of agriculture can be. To buttress his point, Patil cited an example of a woman who was wearing gold bangles. Patil was addressing farmers in a state like Karnataka that has consistently had a high number of farmer suicides. In 2016, 2,160 farmers ended their lives in Karnataka, while in 2017 the number was 2,079. In 2018, the state saw 2,405 farmer suicides and there was some relief as the number decreased to 1992 in the year 2019. "When I enquired with her how her hands were full of gold bangles, ‘You know what she said? She said, ‘This mother earth has given me for my 35 years of toil.’” he said. "Doesn't this please you all after listening to this?" Patil added. He then went on to ask if a woman who had depended herself entirely on agriculture could 'achieve' something like this, why can't other farmers. Reacting to this, Congress Karnataka unit spokesperson VS Ugrappa condemned the Minister's statement, saying he has shown disrespect to the farming community. "It's a disrespect to the farmers. He should apologise for it," Ugrappa told PTI. He said the Minister should have gone into the subject to find why some farmers are forced to die by suicide. "No farmer wishes to end his life. There are many reasons such as floods and droughts, which have not been understood and solved yet. Instead of understanding the gravity of the problem, the minister gives such an irresponsible statement," Ugrappa said Farmers from Karnataka too are in the national capital region to take part in the nationwide protests which had started on November 26, on the occasion of the Constitution Day. (With PTI Inputs)

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Karnataka bandh on Dec 5: Metro and buses will operate, auto, cabs may be affected

Bandh

The pro-Kannada groups have called for a state-wide bandh opposing the establishment of the Maratha Development Board.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

Most cab and auto rickshaw association members will not operate across Karnataka on Saturday as several pro-Kannada groups have called for a state-wide bandh opposing the establishment of the Maratha Development Board by the state government.  While shops and commercial establishments will remain open on Saturday, pro-Kannada groups have called for voluntary closure between 6am and 6pm on Saturday. The bandh, led by Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha’s chief, Vatal Nagaraj, has the backing of several pro-Kannada groups. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Yuva Sene, one of the biggest groups, which had earlier supported the call for the bandh, withdrew its support on Thursday.  Speaking to TNM, Tanveer Pasha, President of the Karnataka Ola, TaxiForSure and Uber Drivers’ Association, said that cabs will not operate in Bengaluru on Saturday as the drivers are supporting the bandh owing to the government’s inaction on the demands they had raised for relief during the pandemic. Cab drivers, especially Ola and Uber drivers, had demanded that the state government waive payment of interest on vehicle loans during the lockdown period between March and May. The drivers also demanded that Rs 2 lakh compensation be given to the families of cab drivers, who died due to COVID-19. They also demand the establishment of a welfare board for cab drivers in Karnataka.  Karnataka Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Association President Manjunath said that auto rickshaws will not operate on Saturday as the drivers too are demanding a separate welfare board. “If the government can set up a Maratha Development Board, why can’t they do it for us?” he questioned.  Metro services will operate as usual in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses will also operate as usual. Petrol pumps will also remain open as it is an essential commodity.  Bengaluru Restaurant Owners’ Association President PC Rao had said that they do not support the shutting of establishments and that the establishments will remain open on Saturday. “We have suffered huge losses due to the lockdown. Over 2 lakh workers in restaurants across Karnataka have lost jobs. We can’t shut down establishments because people’s livelihoods will be affected,” PC Rao said.  Vatal Nagaraj said that a protest march will begin at Bengaluru’s Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station in Majestic at 10 am on Saturday and will culminate at Freedom Park. “The government has not allocated enough money for the Kannada and Culture Department. We have been demanding jobs for Kannadigas but the government is now out to establish a Maratha Development Board. Our fight is for Kannadigas,” he said.  Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had in November, said that the government will not allow a forced bandh. He requested the pro-Kannada groups to withdraw their call for a bandh. 

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Karnataka man arrested for allegedly making guns illegally

Crime

Davanagere police seized illicitly procured bullets, gunpowder and two guns from his residence.

TNM Staff

The Davanagere Police arrested a man for allegedly making guns illegally at his home. Kumar Veeraswamy, to avoid any suspicion from authorities, bought materials and made guns at his home with his son Umbresh, who is absconding. The official who led the investigation told the media, “We were tipped off about the activities happening in their household. When we raided their home, we recovered two guns, bullets, gunpowder and other materials essential for the usage of these guns.” He also added that Veeraswamy’s son had managed to evade them. The father-son duo was booked under the Arms Act. Based on the preliminary inquiry, officials said that they are allegedly part of a racket. In order to uproot the racket, officials have been keeping an eye on the raw material suppliers. The incident is not uncommon. The police have time and again busted such rackets that make guns illegally to hunt animals. Such cases have been reported in Chikkavvanagathihalli in 2013 and 2016. “Our main motive is to curb the unnecessary hunting of the farm and wild animals for leisure in our jurisdiction,” said the police official while revealing that the talukas of Nyamathi, Chikkavvanagathihalli and the adjoining regions are plagued by the problem. “If one wants a gun for protection of farms or personal protection, we urge you to secure a licensed gun after notifying the responsible authorities. However, if anyone attempts to flout the rules and regulations, we will take strict action against them,” said the official.   Nyamathi and adjoining talukas in Davanagere district have a history of hunting wild animals in the surrounding forests and farm animals. The general population have been known to carry a gun with them in the past. With the increasing risk, the government strictly regulated the licensing of firearms.   

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Former Cong corporator Abdul Zakir arrested by CCB in Bengaluru riots case

Crime

Former Congress Corporator Abdul Rakeeb Zakir, who had been absconding, was arrested early on Thursday.

TNM Staff

Abdul Rakeeb Zakir, former Congress Corporator from Pulikeshi Nagar ward, was arrested by the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru Police. Sources at the CCB said that Zakir, who was absconding since October after his alleged involvement in the case, was arrested in an operation conducted in the early hours of Thursday. Zakir will be produced before a Magistrate and the CCB is likely to seek police custody for interrogation, sources told TNM.  Zakir and former Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj are two prime accused in the DJ Halli and KJ Halli violence case that took place on August 11, 2020. While Sampath Raj was arrested around 15 days ago the CCB was still on a lookout for Abdul Zakir.Sampath Raj is currently under judicial custody and is lodged in the Parappana Agrahara jain in Bengaluru.  "After we arrested Riyazuddin (on November 7), Zakir's aide, he had informed us that Sampath Raj and Zakir were hiding at a farmhouse in Nagarahole. By the time we reached the farmhouse both of them had fled the place," a CCB source said.  CCB sources said that Abdul Zakir was allegedly involved in the incident where Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy's house was set on fire. A crowd of at least 2000 people, reportedly enraged over a derogatory post about Prophet Muhammad by his nephew Naveen Kumar, had set the MLA and his sister’s house ablaze. The incident left four people dead and over 60 police personnel injured. The Revenue Minister of Karnataka, R. Ashoka had said that the mob had “plans to move to Shivajinagar” and had “everything they needed to create violence”. The NIA began investigating the case following orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs. NIA found airguns, pellets, sharp weapons and many Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) related incriminating documents. 

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Fake currency case: Three Bengaluru men convicted by special NIA court

Crime

At the time of their arrest, police had recovered fake currency notes of face value of Rs 6,84,000.

TNM Staff

Representational image

A special National Investigations Agency court in Bengaluru on Wednesday convicted three men in connection with a fake currency racket case within three years of their arrest. Mohammed Sajjad Ali, MG Raju, and Abdul Kadir pleaded guilty and were sentenced to six years of simple Imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000, five years of simple Imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 5,000 and two years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 5,000 respectively.  According to the NIA, all them are residents of various localities within Bengaluru city.  They along with another co-accused Vanitha were arrested by Madanayakanahalli police in March, 2018. The four were booked under 489B (using fake currency) , 489C (possession of fake currency), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code. Subsequently, the case was handed over to the NIA in September 2018. At the time of their arrest, police had recovered fake currency notes of face value of Rs 6,84,000 which were in fake notes of Rs 2,000 denomination. The NIA in a statement, said, “During the investigation, the involvement of four more persons namely Vijay from Karnataka and, Sabiruddin, Abdul Kadir and Jahiruddin all from Malda, West Bengal was revealed. Vijay, Sabiruddin, and Abdul Kadir were arrested while accused Jahiruddin is still absconding. After completing the investigation, NIA filed a charge-sheet against four arrested accused viz. Mohammed Sajjad Ali, MG. Raju, Gangadhar Ramappa Kolkar and Vanitha on November 3, 2019  and subsequently supplementary charge-sheets were filed against Abdul Kadir on March 8,2019, Sabiruddin on September 5, 2019 and Vijay on June 20, 2020.”  It added, “Trial against the remaining four charge-sheeted accused is continuing. The further investigation against the absconding accused Jahiruddin is also continued.” Incidentally, Karnataka is a hotbed for fake currency circulation. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 18% of all fake currency was recovered from the state.

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Mangaluru cops detain man for allegedly writing inflammatory messages on walls

Crime

The first incident occurred on November 27, a day after the anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack.

TNM Staff

Kadri Police

The Mangaluru Police on Thursday detained a man from Karnataka’s Shivamogga in connection with the case where messages sympathetic towards terror outfit Lashkar-E-Taiba and the Taliban were written on the walls of two buildings in the city.  The Kadri Police detained Mohammed Nazir, a resident of Shivamogga’s Theerthahalli in connection with the case. On the morning of November 27, a day after the anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack, the Kadri Police rushed to an apartment located near Circuit House Road in Mangaluru after they received reports that a message sympathising with terror outfit Lashkar-E-Taiba, was pained on the compound wall of the apartment.  “Do not force us to invite Lashkar-E-Taiba and Taliban to deal with Sanghis and Manuvadis #LashkariZindabad,” the message on the wall read.  The Kadri Police had registered an FIR against unidentified persons under section 153(a) (promoting enmity between two groups based on religion) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.  Two days after the incident, another message was painted on the wall of an old police station outpost located along Court Road in Mangaluru. “Gustak e Rasool ki ek hi saza, sar tan say juda” (only one punishment for offending Prophet - severing head from the body) was written in English script. The Mangaluru Police had at the time suspected that the same individual had written both messages. Footage from CCTV cameras located near the two buildings were pulled up.  The police had also found that the CCTV cameras installed near Circuit House Road were not functioning properly. Finally, the police zeroed-in on Mohammed Nazir, based on his call record details. Kadri Police told TNM that he was allegedly present at the two locations at around the same time when the walls were painted. “He was present near these buildings late at night one day before it was discovered. We are still questioning him based on suspicion. No arrest has been made yet,” the Kadri Police said. 

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Liquor sales pick up in Karnataka after drop in revenue due to COVID-19 lockdown

Excise

Liquor outlets in the state were closed for close to two months as a result of COVID-19-induced lockdown.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational image/PTI

Despite the COVID-19 induced lockdown, which shut down liquor outlets and bars, and led to a dip in sales for close to two months, Karnataka’s Excise Department is well poised to emulate revenue collections of the previous financial year 2019-20. Data compiled by the department shows that while the revenue for April-November 2019 was Rs 14,390.39 crore, this year, it was only short by Rs 612.09 crore at Rs 13,778.30 crore. This means that as of November-end, the cumulative revenue collection was only 4.25% less compared to the excise revenue generated by November-end last year. The deficit has been reduced from 58.15% to 33.49% to 21.26% to 15.07% gradually at the end of May, June, July, August respectively, as per the data. Liquor stores in the state were allowed to open with limited timings on May 4, after they were closed down on March 25. Bars and pubs were allowed to open only on September 1, after a gap of five months. However, senior excise department officials said that while there is a steady recovery of sales year on year, the revenue generation has been aided by the additional excise duty that was introduced in the state budget. In terms of beer, only November saw a growth on a year-on-year basis while for hard liquor, there has been a year-on-year growth since September. “We have another three months to go for March. The sales have picked up only recently. Otherwise even though the year-on-year deficit in revenue had gone down gradually, we had not seen a spike in sales until September. The decrease in revenue had been recorded due to the increase in additional excise duty. What was lost in 45 days of April, it is a little difficult to get back that Rs 2,000 crores. If there is regular revelry during December-January, then maybe we can make up the deficit in sales as well,“ Excise Commissioner Yashwant V told TNM. In fact, while the revenue deficit year-on-year at the end of November is at 4.25%, the sales deficit is at 11.19% for Indian Made Liquor and 33.58% for beer.

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