Kerala students coming to 5 Karnataka districts require COVID-19 negative test result

Health

The test certificates must not be older than 72 hours.

Prajwal Bhat

The Karnataka government has announced that students coming from Kerala to Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar districts must carry a negative COVID-19 test certificate that is not older than 72 hours. This applies to students living in hostels in Karnataka as well, the Health Department has specified. Day-scholars from Kerala who enter districts in Karnataka for studies will be tested once in a fortnight, the health department stated. The state government also encouraged educational institutes to conduct online classes for students from Kerala and urged students to avoid travelling to their native places frequently.  The health department also said that COVID-19 cases in northern parts of Kerala were factors in its decision. The order also cited a high positivity rate in RT-PCR tests done in four nursing institutes and 2 engineering institutes in Mangaluru since December 25, 2020. The test positivity rate was 6.8% among 2,806 cases. The Dakshina Kannada district administration held a meeting on Monday and decided to increase surveillance at the state border with Kerala. The Talapady border is just 22 kilometres south of Mangaluru city and many residents living near the border study in institutes in and around Mangaluru. Last week, TNM had reported that a college in Mangaluru had 49 COVID-19 cases among students from Kerala. The Aaliyah Institute of Nursing at Ullal was sealed by the city municipality after the cases emerged. After six students tested positive initially, all the students were tested and 43 more COVID-19 cases emerged. The samples of the students tested were sent to NIMHANS, Bengaluru for genome sequencing to determine if they were infected by a new variant of the novel coronavirus. During the lockdown imposed over the COVID-19 outbreak last year, an issue was reported between Karnataka and Kerala after Karnataka decided to close the state border even for patients in emergency cases. The dispute was resolved following the intervention of the Supreme Court.

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JD(S)-BJP field Basavaraj Horatti for Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council

Politics

The BJP and JD(S) formed the new alliance in a bid to outnumber the Congress in the Karnataka Legislative Council.

IANS

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The ruling BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) coalition has fielded senior JD (S) member Basavaraj Horatti for the post of Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council. Horatti, who has been a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) for seven times, was accompanied by both JD(S) and BJP members, including the leader of the House in the Council Kota Sreenivasa Poojary, while filing his nomination on Monday. Congress party member Naseer Ahmed has also filed his nomination for the post. BJP member MK Pranesh got the Deputy Chairman's post after being elected on January 29. According to the terms discussed, the JD(S) member was to receive the Chairman’s post after former Chairman K Pratap Chandra Shetty tendered his resignation. With the combined strength of BJP (31) and JDS (13) — 44 crossing the majority mark in a house of 75 members — Horatti's victory has reportedly foregone conclusion, as both parties have officially formed an alliance. The Congress, with a strength of 29 members, has fielded Naseer Ahmed as its candidate, to force voting on the floor of the House and 'expose’ JD(S) alliance with the BJP. On January 29, BJP MLC MK Pranesh was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council with the backing of JD(S). Even then, the Congress party had fielded its senior leader KC Kondaiah as its candidate. However, in the election held through headcount process, Pranesh secured 41 votes. As many as 24 Congress members had voted against him though. Then Chairman K Pratap Chandra Shetty declared Pranesh elected after the headcount. After this, Shetty, the council chairman who is a Congress member, resigned from his post on February 4. During the winter legislature session in December last year, the BJP had moved a no-confidence motion against Shetty after gaining the upper hand (31 seats) in the Council. However, the process turned out to be a messy affair with the Council witnessing uproarious events on December 15. When the joint session started in the last week of January, the BJP, which found that the chairman was himself resigning, had not pressed for a discussion on the no-confidence motion. On February 4 evening, Shetty announced his resignation in the House.

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Vijaynagara becomes Karnataka’s latest and 31st district

Governance

The iconic cluster of monuments at Hampi, a UNESCO world heritage site, will be part of the new district, Vijaynagara.

IANS

PTI

On Monday, the Karnataka government issued an official gazette notification announcing Vijaynagara as the state’s 31st district, which was carved out of the ore-rich Bellary. Vijaynagara will have six taluks: Hosapete, Kudligi, Hagaribommana Halli, Kotturu, Hoovina Hadagali and Harapanahalli. Bellary district, on the other hand, will have five taluks — Ballari, Kurugodu, Siraguppa, Kampli and Sanduru, with Bellary taluk as its headquarters. The iconic cluster of monuments at Hampi, a UNESCO world heritage site, will be part of the new district, Vijaynagara. On November 18 last year, the state cabinet had given in-principle approval for creation of Vijayanagara district. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa wrote to Chief Secretary in September 2019, stating that keeping public and administrative interest in mind, it was necessary to create the new district; noting that some parts of the Bellary district were about 200 km from the present headquarters.  However, the government's plan to create Vijayanagara district had run into opposition, especially from within the party, including BJP MLA Somashekar Reddy. Minister for Infrastructure Development, Haj and Wakf, Anand Singh, who is also the Bellary district in-charge, had anchored the efforts for the new district. In his bid to bifurcate Bellary and Vijaynagara, Singh ran into a feud with the Reddy brothers — G Janardhana Reddy, G Karunakara Reddy and G Somashekara Reddy. Anand Singh, who contested from Congress in 2018, had deserted BJP but re-joined a year later in 2019. His demand for the new district then began taking shape. Many within the ruling BJP had criticised the move in 2019, stating the decision to create a new district was being taken under pressure from Singh, in return for his role in BJP coming to power. Singh is one of the 17 MLAs who defected that led to the fall of the previous HD Kumaraswamy led Congress-JD(S) coalition government. He had cited the demand for a separate Vijayanagara district as one of the reasons for his resignation from the Congress. Undivided Bellary was politically significant, comprising nine Assembly constituencies, of which the Congress represents five constituencies and the BJP has four constituencies.

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Democrats push temporary Obamacare expansion in Covid bill

The bill, which the Ways and Means Committee will mark up later this week, would fully subsidize ACA coverage for people earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level and those on unemployment insurance.

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Complaint filed in Karnataka against Kangana Ranaut for calling farmers ‘terrorists’

Controversy

The advocate has made the complaint in reference to a tweet by Kangana where she said that those protesting farm bills aren’t farmers but terrorists trying to divide India.

TNM Staff

A complaint has been filed against actor Kangana Ranaut in Karnataka, accusing her of ‘insulting’ farmers and calling them ‘terrorists’. The complainant is an advocate, Harshvardhan Patil, who has filed the complaint in Belagavi district in the state. He has also accused the actor of criminal intimidation and “intentionally insulting” farming communities “with an intent to provoke breach of peace” and making statements conducive to public mischief. The complaint filed on February 6, 2021, is in reference to a tweet posted by Kangana after she reacted to singer Rihanna sharing an article on the farmers’ protest. Rihanna had shared she questioned why we weren’t talking about the internet shutdown in Delhi’s border areas where farmers have been protesting against the contentious three farm laws. Kangana responded to Rihanna in a bizarre tweet, saying “no one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like USA…”  In his complaint, Patil has said that he hails from a reputed farming family in Belagavi, and several of his previous generations have been engaged in agriculture. Referring to Kanagana’s tweet, he has said, “People like Kangana Ranaut who do not possess any knowledge about farming activities and the problems faced by our farming families are involved in making unwanted and unwarranted comments on the entire farming community of India time and again. Sir, the said Kangana Ranaut who is heard to be an actress instead of sharing compassion towards the farming community is addressing them as “terrorists" etc.” “By making such statements Kangana Ranaut is trying to provoke and incite the other citizens of India to attack and assault the farming community and their families posing them to be traitors,” he added in his complaint. Patil has argued that the Panga actor has also insulted the Indian armed forces and their families by referring to the nation as “vulnerable” and “broken”.   Patil has asked for Kangana to be booked under sections sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth etc), 503 (whoever threatens another with any injury to his person), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505(1) (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, any officer, soldier, sailor or airman in the Army, Navy or Air Force of India to mutiny), 505 (b) (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public), 505(c) (intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community), 505(2) (commiting an offence specified in any place of worship or in an assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. He has also asked for the police to take action to suspend Kangana’s Twitter account.  Earlier, in October 2020, an FIR had been registered gainst Kangana for tweets against farmers in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district. The FIR was registered under Sections 44 (injury), 108 (abettor), 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riots), 153(A) (vilification or attacks upon the religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc of any particular group), and 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC), and was based on a complaint by advocate Ramesh L Naik.  The lawyer had taken objection to a tweet by the actor in September 2020 where she said, “People who spread misinformation and rumours about CAA that caused riots are the same people who are now spreading misinformation about Farmers bill and causing terror in the nation, they are terrorists. You very well know what I said but simply like to spread misinformation (sic)." Last year, Bollywood casting director and fitness trainer Munawwar Ali Sayyed had also filed a complaint against Kangana and her sister Rangoli in October 2020.He had alleged that both the sisters were trying to create hatred and communal tension through their social media posts. The sisters were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to Section 295A (committing malicious or deliberate acts with the intention of outraging religious feelings of citizens), Section 124A (sedition), Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence or language and common intention).

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Vehicles without FASTag to blame for long queues at toll plazas: Union govt

toll collection

An unstarred question asked the Union government if it was aware about the media reports of long queues at toll plazas despite the implementation of FASTag.

TNM Staff

Source: Picxy/Shalinimathur

Chennai Central Member of Parliament (MP) Dayanidhi Maran posed questions in the Lok Sabha about reported issues with the FASTag electronic toll collection system in India. The unstarred question asked the Union government if it was aware about the media reports of long queues at toll plazas despite the implementation of FASTag. He also asked for details of complaints raised about the FASTag system and the comparison of time taken to pass through toll points before and after implementation of FASTag. In its response, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Roads, Transport and Highways stated, "Cases of queues arise in ‘FASTag lanes’ at fee plazas due to vehicles not fitted with ‘FASTag’ or vehicles without valid, functional ‘FASTag’ entering into it. In the hybrid  lane, which accepts cash, queues arise because of non-FASTag vehicles." The response also added that offenders should pay double the applicable fee upon entering a FASTag lane in the toll plaza. The response further stated that cash payment usually takes more than 40 seconds as opposed to FASTag payments which take less than five seconds. "Waiting time in FASTag lanes has  significantly reduced after implementation of FASTag, which will  further improve as the system gets more operationalised. However, the waiting  time in the hybrid lane, which accepts cash, is  relatively longer because of non-FASTag vehicles," the response stated. The Minister added that 1033, a toll-free helpline number can be used to register complaints related to FASTag. "The facility of instant recharge via UPI on various UPI-enabled apps such as BHIM, Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc. has been provided," the response stated. In a response to another unstarred question, Nitin Gadkari had earlier said that the deadline for 100% FASTag implementation will not be extended from the current date of February 15.

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Karnataka anti-cattle slaughter bill passed in Legislative Council

Anti-cattle slaughter bill

The BJP had 28 MLCs present at the time of voting while the Congress and JD(S) collectively had 31 MLCs.

TNM Staff

Image For Representation

The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill 2020 was passed in the Legislative Council on Monday following a voice vote. The vote took place even as the legislators from the Congress and JD(S) continued protests, several of them even tearing copies of the Bill in the Council. But despite their protests, the Opposition failed to demand a division of votes and allowed the BJP to have the Bill passed through voice votes. Just minutes after the newly-elected Deputy Chairman M K Pranesh called for a vote on the Bill, legislators came to the well of the House and shouted slogans against the government and the Bill. Congress MLCs Naseer Ahmed, M Narayanaswamy and R B Thimmapur were among those who tore copies of the Bill in protest. The vote came after a lengthy debate on the issue in which Opposition legislators raised concerns about the bill, particularly the legal protection offered to 'good samaritans'. The BJP had 28 MLCs present at the time of voting while the Congress and JD(S) collectively had 31 MLCs present. Despite the numbers, the Opposition parties failed to prevent the passage of the Bill. The Council was adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday. Under the new law, only male or female buffalo above the age of 13 can be slaughtered. However, cow, calf of a cow, bull, bullock are prohibited from slaughter. This means that beef meat will be unavailable in the state and only buffalo meat from buffaloes above 13 years of age can be sold. Penalties for violations range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh per animal and three to seven years’ imprisonment. It also gives the police power to search and seize on the basis of “reason to believe” that cattle is being sold, purchased or disposed of for the purpose of slaughter. The previous Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 had banned the slaughter of cows and calf of she-buffalo. However, the older law had permitted bull, bullock, buffalo (male or female) to be slaughtered if the animal was above 12 years of age, or if it was incapacitated for breeding, draught or giving milk due to injury, deformity or any other cause. The BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government had passed the bill in the Legislative Assembly but failed to introduce the bill in the Legislative Council. The government had then taken an ordinance route and the cabinet passed the ordinance. It was later promulgated by the Governor Vajubhai Vala and now passed in the Legislative Council.

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