Yediyurappa’s dinner diplomacy misses target, over 30 MLAs refuse to attend

Politics

Coincidentally, the meeting was held on the same day that Yatnal openly protested in the well of the Assembly against the CM of his own party.

Pooja Prasanna

Karnataka’s Chief Minister who has a constant internal turmoil on his hand, tried yet again to reach out to BJP legislators to address their grouses. On Tuesday evening, a dinner meeting was hosted by BS Yediyurappa aimed at gratifying the MLAs, over thirty in number, who have had several complaints against the CM. But the dinner meeting, hosted at the CM’s official residence on Race Course Road Krishna, was skipped by several of the miffed MLAs. The list also included former Law Minister KC Madhuswamy, MP Renukacharya, SA Ramadas, Sunil Kumar, Arvind Bellad and others. Yediyurappa’s harshest critic, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal was also absent at the meeting. Coincidentally, the meeting was held on the same day that Yatnal openly protested in the well of the Assembly against the CM of his own party. Insiders tell TNM that those who were in attendance asked for specific projects to be granted to their constituencies, more funds to be released and most of all, increased access to the CMO. While Yediyurappa heard the demands patiently, he has not committed to all of them but promised to look into it, the source said. Some leaders also brought up the issue of increased interference of Yediyurappa’s family members in administration and sought to have their interaction with the CM and not have to route it through others. This is a complaint that, according to BJP sources, has featured several times and was also shared with BJP’s Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh. Of BJP’s 118 legislators, just over 80 were in attendance, a sign that the intention of the meeting was not fully served, said a source. While a few of the legislators skipped the meet due to prior commitments or because they were travelling, others chose to send a clear message through their absence. Several of the MLAs, like Madhuswamy have been alleging that they were insulted by the Cabinet expansion, either at not being given a berth or because they were not allowed a portfolio of their choice. Several others continue to accuse Yediyurappa of allowing too much freedom and giving undue attention to the legislators who joined BJP either from Congress or the JD(S) in 2019. Meanwhile, Yatnal’s tirade against the CM has continued with his claiming that after Ugadi, the state will have a new CM. While the CM has continued a stoic silence on the matter, a source in CMO confirmed to TNM that Yediyurappa is worried about a series of meetings being held by a group of 10-15 MLAs, most of whom skipped the dinner meeting as well. Karnataka’s Chief Minister who has a constant internal turmoil on his hand, tried yet again to reach out to BJP legislators to address their grouses. On Tuesday evening, a dinner meeting was hosted by BS Yediyurappa aimed at gratifying the MLAs, over thirty in number, who have had several complaints against the CM. But the dinner meeting, hosted at the CM’s official residence on Race Course Road Krishna, was skipped by several of the miffed MLAs. The list also included former Law Minister KC Madhuswamy, MP Renukacharya, SA Ramadas, Sunil Kumar, Arvind Bellad and others. Yediyurappa’s harshest critic, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal was also absent at the meeting. Coincidentally, the meeting was held on the same day that Yatnal openly protested in the well of the Assembly against the CM of his own party. Insiders tell TNM that those who were in attendance asked for specific projects to be granted to their constituencies, more funds to be released and most of all, increased access to the CMO. While Yediyurappa heard the demands patiently, he has not committed to all of them but promised to look into it, the source said. Some leaders also brought up the issue of increased interference of Yediyurappa’s family members in administration and sought to have their interaction with the CM and not have to route it through others. This is a complaint that, according to BJP sources, has featured several times and was also shared with BJP’s Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh. Of BJP’s 118 legislators, just over 80 were in attendance, a sign that the intention of the meeting was not fully served, said a source. While a few of the legislators skipped the meet due to prior commitments or because they were travelling, others chose to send a clear message through their absence. Several of the MLAs, like Madhuswamy have been alleging that they were insulted by the Cabinet expansion, either at not being given a berth or because they were not allowed a portfolio of their choice. Several others continue to accuse Yediyurappa of allowing too much freedom and giving undue attention to the legislators who joined BJP either from Congress or the JD(S) in 2019. Meanwhile, Yatnal’s tirade against the CM has continued with his claiming that after Ugadi, the state will have a new CM. While the CM has continued a stoic silence on the matter, a source in CMO confirmed to TNM that Yediyurappa is worried about a series of meetings being held by a group of 10-15 MLAs, most of whom skipped the dinner meeting as well. Our Members are our biggest supporters and our best critics. Listen to @harikrishnan_91 on why you should become a @thenewsminute Member right away!https://ift.tt/39EMyN8 #SupportUs pic.twitter.com/uHkTJjupsZ — The News Minute (@thenewsminute) February 3, 2021

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Man gets 10-year jail for brutal attack on woman during ATM robbery in Bengaluru

Court

The accused’s counsel pleaded to the court to commute the sentence as his mother is bedridden.

TNM Staff

Eight years after the shocking attack on Bengaluru-resident Jyoti Uday inside an ATM booth, the accused Kondappagiri Madhukar Reddy has been sentenced to years imprisonment. The 64th City Civil and Sessions Court which heard the case also levied a penalty of Rs 10,000 on Reddy.  The court convicted Madhukar Reddy on the counts of robbery, causing grievous hurt, and for destroying evidence. It also directed the district legal services authority to compensate the victim. The counsel of the accused pleaded to the court to reduce his sentence as one of his parents was bedridden and his wife and two children would be left to fend for themselves, as he was the sole breadwinner of the family. However, considering how brutal the attack was as well as Madhukar’s criminal history, the court decided to award the punishment for the crime. The attack took place on November 19, 2013 when Jyoti had entered the ATM kiosk at NR Square. At 7:10 am, Jyoti had entered the ATM to withdraw cash for her daughter’s birthday party. Madhukar Reddy followed her into the ATM, downed its shutters and demanded the cash. When she refused to give he struck her head with a machete many times and left her to bleed, running away with the purse which had some money, a debit card and her ID proof. Reports from 2013 recall a crawling Jyoti screaming out from a pool of blood. She was helped by passers-by who heard her shouts. CCTV visuals from the attack are so brutal and still remembered by those who investigated the case. One of the officers told TOI that the image of Jyoti pleading to the man to be left alone is hard to erase from his memory. After the attack, Madhukar Reddy remained untraceable for three years, until February 2017. Fifteen teams of police officers were on the hunt for the accused and finally he was nabbed from Madanapalli in Andhra Pradesh. Then assistant commissioner of police C Thimmiah investigated the case and filed a chargesheet. The trial began on June 29, 2017 and charges were framed against Reddy on January 14, 2019. The chargesheet mentioned 45 witnesses and out of which 21 were examined. The evidence recording was finally completed in August 2020. According to reports, the victim in her deposition narrated the entire account with clarity, making her statement crucial in the accused’s conviction. The accused had also used a dummy gun to threaten Jyoti which he disposed of in Kerala to destroy evidence. If the accused fails to pay the fine, he will have to undergo 1 year of simple imprisonment. He also received two years simple imprisonment for destroying evidence. Criminal history Hailing from Maddula Puram village in Andhra Pradesh, Reddy had allegedly escaped from the Kadapa prison in 2011 where he was serving a life term for murdering his cousin by hurling crude bombs. After escaping, he spent a while waiting tables at Hyderabad’s Minerva hotel. However, after his parents expressed disappointment in him, Reddy decided to start a life of crime and amass money. He went to a gift shop to purchase a toy gun and bought a machete to another shop. In 2013, he moved to Bengaluru where he decided to steal valuables from individuals. Landing up in the Bathalapalli village, he entered the house of a woman as he had no money for food or travel. “I locked the door and when she came back with the glass of water, I pointed the machete at her and asked her to give me all her valuables. When she refused, I hacked her in the face and neck with the machete. I took her earrings, ATM card and passbook. I went to an ATM and withdrew Rs 3,000 from that card,” Madhukar Reddy’s confession reads. Days after this attack, he boarded a train to Bengaluru. With only Rs 200 left, he walked the streets of the city with no money for food or accommodation. He even begged to make some money. This is when he decided to steal cash from people who visited ATMs. On November 19, 2013, he was waiting near the Corporation Bank ATM in NR Square when he saw Jyoti Uday enter the kiosk. “She told me that even if I harmed her, she would not give me her money. I squeezed her neck and demanded money. She told me that she would rather die than give into my threats. That’s when I hacked her head and neck with the machete. I wiped my bloody hands with her scarf, took her mobile phone, Rs 200 and her ATM card and fled,” Madhukar Reddy’s confession reads. He threw away her sim card and discarded her ATM card at the bus stand, from where he went to the railway station. He then boarded a train to Andhra Pradesh from the Majestic station. In the Majestic station, he sold Jyoti’s phone for Rs 500 and took up a room at a lodge. He also shaved his head to conceal himself from the police teams on the lookout for him.

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Black panther dies after being hit by train near Karnataka’s Kundapura

Wildlife

Forest officials said that the black panther appeared to have had little time or space to react to the approaching train.

Prajwal Bhat

A black panther was killed after it was hit by a train on a railway bridge near Kundapura in Udupi district of Karnataka. The panther had reportedly strolled towards a railway bridge in Badakere village in Byndoor taluk of the district on Tuesday when it was hit by a train and died.  The panther, estimated to be four-five years old, died after it was hit by the Mangala Express at 2 am on Tuesday. The forest officials said that the animal appeared to have had little time or space to react to the approaching train.  "The panther was on the side of the track but close to the middle of the bridge. Panthers usually have good reflexes but there might have been little space to move around and it was hit on the head after it moved,” Prabhakar Kulal, Range Forest Officer (RFO),  Kundapura, told TNM. The railway bridge runs over the Souparnika river and the rail line passing through it connects Mangaluru with Mumbai.  The panther's body was found lying on the bridge by passers-by who informed forest officials. Forest officials informed the Railways about the incident and the post-mortem of the panther was conducted before the carcass of the animal was disposed of by burning. Black panthers are the melanistic colour variant of big cat species. They are not commonly sighted in Kundapura. "There are around 10 leopards in this range in total. Incidents like these are very rare. In the last three years, we have sighted a few panthers like this. We have rescued two panthers from wells but this is the first time a panther has died after it was hit by a train," RFO Prabhakar added. Environmental activists raised alarm about the railway projects proposed near Kundapura in Karnataka and Goa. The Indian Railways has proposed the doubling of the railway tracks in the region including in the Western Ghats. Read: Leopard that's been entering Bengaluru apartment finally caught

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Biden adminstration to begin shipping vaccine doses directly to pharmacies

Many pharmacies are already administering vaccine doses that have been allocated to states.

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Karnataka govt mulls banning hookah bars

Politics

Home Minister Basvaraj Bommai said the ban is being mulled in a bid to arrest the drug menace among the youth in the state.

TNM Staff

Representational image

The Karnataka government is considering introducing a blanket ban on hookah bars in the state, Home Minister Basvaraj Bommai said in the state assembly on Tuesday. He said the ban is being mulled in a bid to arrest the drug menace among the youth in the state. Bommai said this as he was responding to a question asked by Jayanagar Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy.  “Drug abuse is seen in slums and even among educated people as an addiction. It is a family issue and we are taking it seriously. We are constantly fighting this...We are going after synthetic drugs found in chocolates and tablets and we are looking to root out how they are coming. We are constantly tracking the dark web and the drug peddlers,” Bommai told the house. He added, “We are constantly raiding and filing cases on hookah bars. We are studying other states where bans on hookah bars are banned. We are seriously considering banning hookah bars. We will discuss with BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) and bring in the law for this.” Bommai, who is also the Law Minister in the state, stated that while 127 drug-related cases were registered in the state in 2016, it has risen to 2,786 cases in 2020. Bommai added that in order to make the ban successful, there has to be cooperation between the state government and urban local bodies like the BBMP as they are the licensing authority.  “This should be a people's movement and teachers and parents should be careful about their students and wards. I urge everyone to join hands in this war against drugs,” Bommai added. This is not the first time that hookah bars have come under the lens of the political class. In 2017, BBMP corporators had also demanded winding up of hookah bars for allegedly allowing minors in their establishments.

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Residents raise alarm about tree park in Turahalli forest area outside Bengaluru

Environment

Turahalli is one of the last remaining forests around Bengaluru and the state government is planning a tree park there.

Prajwal Bhat

Residents and activists close to the Turahalli forest area located close to Bengaluru raised alarm on Tuesday after they spotted an excavator near the forest area. The residents are opposing the construction of a tree park proposed by the Karnataka government in the reserved forest area. "One of the residents spotted the excavator going to the forest area. We called the forest officer and the local police. We are told that a park is planned in the area and there will be compound walls, benches and walking tracks developed here. We are opposed to this and do not want the forest area to be disturbed," said Vijetha Sanjay Mysoremutt, who is part of Save Turahalli, a collective of concerned people trying to restrict constructions in the forest area. However, Sanjay Mohan, Senior IFS officer and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) told TNM that the state government is building a tree park in Turahalli and new plant species will be added in the forest. "A tree park is being developed in the forest land here. It is a concept in which the values of the forest are retained and we will be adding plant species from the Western Ghats. One of the features of a tree park is that there will be benches and a walking track around the area," Sanjay Mohan said. He added that there are no buildings planned for the tree park and that the excavator will be clearing lantana and thorny bushes. Turahalli is located 20 km away from Kanakapura Road on the outskirts of Bengaluru. It is one of the last remaining forests around Bengaluru. Tree parks are unlike horticulture parks and are established near cities for urban dwellers to experience nature and indulge in activities like cycling, yoga and meditation. The tree park scheme was initiated in Karnataka in 2011-12 and a total of 132 tree parks have been developed since then. The residents in Turahalli however are strongly opposed to any activity in the forest area and said that there is another tree park nearby, albeit a smaller one. "We spoke to officials and they were tight-lipped about the plans in place for the tree park," said Vijetha. In a letter to the Karnataka Chief Secretary, the residents stated that the forest was home to 120 species of birds as well as species of mammals, reptiles, butterflies, bees and wasps. Peacocks are also seen in this forest. "All this wildlife is protected under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and the forest has its unique flora with under growth. In the name of tree park  heavy machinery is being used to destroy the secondary forests there," stated the letter. "Converting remaining last vestiges of degraded forests into parks by pushing people into these forests threaten the already endangered existing remaining flora and fauna in the urban setup," the letter added. Residents and activists raised concerns that the construction of a tree park would lead to a concrete walking path, benches, toilet blocks, drinking water facilities and the construction of a staff quarters. Residents said that there were also concerns about an entry arch and an orchidarium to display rare orchids in the forest area.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates second LCA Tejas plant in Bengaluru

Aerospace

The delivery of the LCA Tejas jet to the Indian Air Force under a Rs 48,000-crore deal will begin from March 2024.

PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday  inaugurated Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's second LCA-Tejas production plant in Bengaluru. He said India cannot remain dependent on other countries for its defence and that the indigenously developed Tejas was better than its foreign equivalents on several parameters and also comparatively cheaper at the inauguration event. Under the 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’, India is looking forward to increasing its defence manufacturing capabilities, he added. Singh said Tejas is not only indigenous, but better than its foreign equivalents on several parameters and also comparatively cheaper. "Many countries have shown interest in Tejas. India will achieve the target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore in the field of defence manufacturing in (a) few years", he said. The delivery of the Tejas LCA to the Indian Air Force under a Rs 48,000-crore deal will begin from March 2024 and around 16 aircraft will be rolled out annually till the completion of the total supply of 83 jets, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, R Madhavan said recently. He had also said that a number of countries have shown keen interest in procurement of the Tejas and that the first export order is likely to come by in the next couple of years. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on January 13 approved the Rs 48,000- crore deal to procure 73 Tejas Mk-1A variants and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 trainer aircraft from HAL to boost the Indian Air Force's combat prowess. An HAL statement said Singh lauded the company's efforts to increase the production capacity of LCA, which is going to be the backbone of IAF fighter fleet in years to come. “HAL’s new LCA facility is an example of how 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' is shaping and HAL deserves the largest indigenous order of 83 LCA Mk-IA. LCA is the pride of India and sends the right message to others that India can make fighters of class in-house", he was quoted as saying in the HAL statement. "The fighter is superior in many ways when compared to other fighters in its category, besides being cost effective. I compliment HAL for working through the COVID times and bringing out this facility. The company has a lot of talent and more orders should come in its way in future,” Singh added. Madhavan said on Tuesday that phase -1 of the facility, getting ready on 35 acres, will enable HAL enhance its production capacity to 16 from the current eight aircrafts every year.

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