BENGALURU/BELAGAVI : Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Saturday said he was not aware on whose instructions BJP MLC CT Ravi was shifted from one station to another on Thursday night. Ravi was arrested for allegedly making obscene remarks against Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. He was arrested on Thursday evening and was produced before the court on Friday morning. Speaking to media persons in Belagavi, Jarkiholi, who is also Belagavi District in-charge Mi

BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka on Saturday accused Deputy CM D K Shivakumar of resorting to vendetta politics against Opposition parties. But Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is not bothered as he will be stepping down from his post, he said. Referring to the alleged attack on senior BJP leader C T Ravi and high-handedness by the police, Ashoka indirectly said this has happened at the behest of Shivakumar who wants to become the CM. As he (Siddaramaiah) was not the one who

BENGALURU: BJP MLC CT Ravi on Saturday alleged that there was a plot to murder him and demanded a judicial probe into the developments that followed his arrest by the Belagavi police. Ravi was arrested on Thursday evening for allegedly making obscene remarks against Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. He has denied the allegations. Even now I face a threat to my life and it is the governments responsibility to provide security. If there is anything untoward happens, the governm

BENGALURU: The 85th plenary session of the AICC, marking the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the 39th session in 1924 in Belagavi scheduled to be held on December 26 ahead of a public rally on December 27, is likely to pass resolutions revolving around the Indian Constitution and its architect Dr BR Ambedkar. With Union Home Minister Amit Shahs statement in the Rajya Sabha that it has become a fashion for Congress leaders to chant Ambedkars name that has triggered widespread protests

MYSURU: The three-day 87th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana , a grand celebration of Kannada language and culture that is being held in Mandya, witnessed an unexpected surge of activism against imposition of Hindi in Karnataka. Across the sprawling venue, young activists interrupted discussions, engaged attendees, drew their attention and took efforts to sensitise participants about what they called alleged systematic sidelining of Kannada in favour of Hindi. These impromptu interventions, marked by fe

The state legislature session in Belagavi that concluded on Thursday will go down as the most shameful if BJP lawmaker CT Ravi had indeed made the alleged obscene remark on Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. It would be a black mark on the state legislature. There is no justification for such conduct. However, Ravi has denied the allegations and the investigation is under way. The law must take its course. The events that followed soon after the Legislative Council proceedings

MYSURU: A school going boy with curiosity leaned closer to a monitor, trying to decipher an ancient Kannada script displayed on the screen. Beside him, his friends lined up eagerly pointed out the characters, guiding him through the process. This scene, a mix of wonder and camaraderie, was one of many at the Akshara Bhandara platform that captivated visitors during the 87th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Mandya on Saturday. The Sammelana witnessed a vibrant spectacle on the second day as curious i

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has advised the Tamil Nadu government to be cautious about water use from its Mettur reservoirs as the northeast monsoon is about to end and the reservoir level is almost five per cent lesser than normal. However, Karnataka has so far released 279.8thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Cauvery water as against the required161.41 TMC between June 1 and December 18, 2024, at interstate point Biligundlu than required according to the Cauvery Water Disput

HUBBALLI: Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on Friday said that no credible evidence exists of BJP MLC CT Ravi making alleged derogatory statements against Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on Thursday. Horatti clarified to the media that the alleged statement was made after he adjourned the Council following chaos over Union Home Minister Amit Shahs remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar. As the recording was turned off after the adjournment, there is no official record to su

NEW DELHI: The anti-terror federal probe agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested an absconding state executive member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here in connection with BJPs youth leader Praveen Nettarus murder case, officials said. Identifying the arrested absconding accused in the case as Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, against whom there was a lookout circular, the officials said, he was picked up on arrival from Bah

MADIKERI: Madikeri was engulfed in white and green as thousands of farmers across Kodagu took to the streets to voice their anguish against the state and central governments. Led by the Somwarpet Raitha Horata Samithi with support from numerous other organizations, the farmers opposed the move of the governments in declaring the C and D cultivated land as Reserve Forest. Wearing green shawls and showing off their mighty power, thousands of farmers walked in protest and shouted slogans against th

BENGALURU: Observing that it would be highly unfortunate for the citizens of the state if the alleged incident inside the Karnataka Legislative Council at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi occurred, the Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the state police to release BJP MLC C T Ravi forthwith. However, the court stipulated that Ravi must be available for investigation as and when required. Justice M G Uma issued the interim order after hearing a petition filed by Ravi challenging his arrest, arguin

KARWAR:The closure of Murdeshwar beach has increased the footfalls in other famous beaches of Uttara Kannada district including Gokarna. In the last one week, seven people including two foreign tourists have been rescued from drowning on Gokarna beach. As the new year eve approaching the locals are demanding added security and rescue measures at Gokarna and other beaches in Uttara Kannada district Tourists enjoying themselves in the water are losing their lives in the sea. Recently five students

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday extended the December 24 deadline to January 28, for submission of the investigation report by Lokayukta police into alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 compensatory sites to BM Parvathy, wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Justice M Nagaprasanna orally observed that it is very shocking to know that the emergent notice issued by court was not served to the chief minister, whose address is Vid

BELAGAVI: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday informed the Assembly that the State Government has taken serious note of the maternal deaths in Ballari government hospital and is ready to order a judicial probe to bring out the truth. His statement in the Assembly comes a day after the BJP raised the issue in the House attacking the State Government over the recent maternal deaths in Ballari. If I am found guilty, I am ready to face any action, Dinesh said, adding that there wa

BELAGAVI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday stepped up the attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent comments on Dr BR Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha. Reading out a detailed statement in the assembly amid din by both BJP and the Congress MLAs over the issue, the CM claimed that Shah would have been a gujari (scrap dealer) if there was no Dr Ambedkars constitution. Siddaramaiah alleged that the main reason behind BJP and Sangh Parivars hatred for Dr Ambedkar was the Constitution.

BENGALURU: Dalit organisations are planning to stage protests against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar. A protest will be staged at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on December 23. The AHINDA (acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) organisation on Thursday issued a statement saying it will take up a campaign against Shah, the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the BJP. We will create an opinion against the RSS, which was always against the Const

BELAGAVI: Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Thursday said that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants are a menace, and a special task force has been created to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshis. Replying to a question by BJP member Arun, he said thousands of illegal immigrants arrive in India and move to various parts of the country. Despite our defence personnels efforts to prevent them, they enter India. We have constituted a special task force to identify them. Thousands are deported every y

BENGALURU: Karnataka BJP president and Shikaripura MLA BY Vijayendra on Thursday suggested Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stop misusing the name of Dr BR Ambedkar and pave the way for a Dalit to become the states CM. Siddaramaiah, who is mired in corruption, should have resigned as CM three months ago. You did not do that. Time has not yet passed. If you are really honest, resign and allow a Dalit to become the CM. Stop hatching political conspiracies and misuse the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar as

BELAGAVI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore for the redevelopment of roads under the Public Works Department, as well as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. Additionally, he said that a special package will be announced to improve Bengalurus roads. In his response to an adjournment motion raised by a BJP member in the Assembly questioning the government spending on development projects, Siddaramaiah said that Rs 4,000 crore will be allocated un

BELAGAVI: Karnataka BJP MLC C T Ravi was taken into police custody after an FIR was registered against him, for allegedly using a derogatory word against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on Thursday, police said. He was taken into the police van from the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. Based on the complaint filed by the Minister, a case has been registered against the BJP leader under sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the mode

MADIKERI: A total of 10 accused have been arrested by Kodagu police in a fake gold jewellery loan scam reported across the banks in Kodagu. The police are yet to arrest two more accused in the case. Investigations are ongoing and the accused have been booked under BNS 111 under the organized crime section. The arrested are from Napoklu, Bhagamandala and Kerala state. The accused were involved in creating fake gold bangles that resembled gold jewellery and pledged the jewellery in banks to avail

BELAGAVI: Stepping up the attack against Union Minister Amit Shah for his comments on B R Ambedkar in Parliament, senior Congress leader and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday claimed that Shah would have been a Gujari (scrap dealer) if there wasn't Ambedkar's Constitution. The chief minister further said that if Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar was really functioning under the Constitution, he should have immediately suspended Shah from the House. Reading out a detailed stat

MYSURU: RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Lokayukta police here alleging pressure and attempts to bribe him to withdraw a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allotment of sites by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Krishna told TNIE that Harsha, who allegedly identified himself as a close aide of Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs wife Parvathi, and another person named Srinidhi attempted to coerce him into withdrawing the case. The duo offered ind

BELAGAVI: A scam to the tune of Rs 260 crore has taken place in the power corporations in the state, Leader of Opposition in Council Chaluvadi Narayanaswamy has alleged. The BJP leader alleged that the Opposition was deprived of the opportunity to expose the scam in the House, citing technical reasons on Wednesday. Speaking to the media at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, Narayanaswamy said that when an adjournment motion was moved in the Council, the Opposition was prevented from raising th

BELAGAVI: Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka has demanded a judicial probe into the large number of maternal mortality cases registered from various parts of Karnataka in the recent days. While terming the deaths extremely serious, Ashoka said that the judicial probe into the deaths should be taken up under a sitting judge. Hitting out at the Congress State Government, former DyCM and BJP MLA Dr CN Ashwath Narayan demanded that a criminal case be filed against Health Minister Dinesh Gundu

GADAG : Following a report in The New Sunday Express on the defacing of the historical Sudi Jodu Kalasa temple in Sudi, 30km from Badami city, the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) has responded, saying necessary measures have been taken to restore the monument. Officials reached the temple for an inspection and reportedly got the monument repaired on Wednesday morning. Late Friday night, miscreants had defaced the lower portion of the Kalyani Chalukya twin-towered temple built in the 10th century. T

BENGALURU: Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), globally recognised for its iconic Mysore Sandal Soap, is set to expand its footprint with the addition of around 480 new distributors across India in 2025. While the brand has primarily been available in the southern states, it will now branch out to regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Gujarat, Punjab, and all other states to increase its market presence. Moreover, the oval-shaped Mysore Sandal Soap, which has kept the same logo, p

BELAGAVI: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda informed the Council that in the present fiscal year, the State Government has collected Rs 15,145 crore in additional tax from stamps and registration. Replying to BJP MLC Shashil Nomoshi on Wednesday, the minister said that compared to last year, this year the government has decided to increase the revenue by 20%. Byre Gowda said that the government has achieved this after making efforts to bring transparency to the stamps and registratio

BELAGAVI: The State Government has decided not to evict farmers cultivating land earlier notified as Waqf property and not to recoverWaqf land where temples or other religious structures have come up or marked as Hindu graveyards. However, the government has taken a tough stand againstencroachment or illegal occupation of Waqf land. It has stated that action will be taken to clear such encroachments. Meanwhile, if mosques, dargahs, madrassas and Idgahs have come up on Waqf land, they would be mu

BENGALURU: The health department has flagged 26 medicines -- eight as spurious or fake and 18 as misbranded -- which are consumed for acidity, pain relief, cholesterol, iron deficiency, and nasal congestion. It has stated that these medicines have been produced in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Over a year, five pharmaceuticals have been convicted for violating safety standards. Twelve cases are in various stages of trial. Investigations are on to ascertain whether pharma companies us

MANGALURU: Anil Lobo, chairman of Mangalore Catholic Co-operative Bank Ltd (MCC Bank) was arrested on Wednesday after a 47-year-old man died by suicide alleging harassment by Lobo over a home loan default. Manohar Pereira, a resident of Permanki village, recorded a video, before ending his life. However, the bank has denied the allegations. According to a complaint filed by the deceased's brother with the Mangaluru Rural police, Manohar was residing with his elder brother, Melburn Pereira, in a

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation filed against a circular issued by the state government to withdraw notices issued to farmers over entering the Waqf Boards name in the khata of properties or lands cultivated by them. The division bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind dismissed the petition filed by social worker Syed Azaz Ahmed, a retired KAS officer from the city, challenging the circular dated September 9, 2024, addressed

BELAGAVI/ BENGALURU: BJP MLC Sashil Namoshi on Tuesday accused Vidhana Soudha authorities of displaying a fake painting of social reformer Sri Basavanna in the Anubhava Mantapa on Tuesday morning during Zero Hour. The controversial artwork, Namoshi claimed, is a near-identical copy of a renowned piece by acclaimed painter Khande Rao, raising serious questions about its legitimacy. How could the Vidhana Soudha commission and display a fraudulent painting? Why not have the original artist himself

BELAGAVI: Most of the top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be taking part in the CWC scheduled to be held in Belagavi on December 26, according to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. He said the meeting is part of the Gandhi Bharat programme being celebrated during the centenary of Congress session held in Belagavi in 1924. Highlighting the significance of Gandhi Bharat programme at a press conferenc

BELAGAVI: The state government has brought in an amendment to Section 12 of the Land Revenue Act 1964, aiming to prevent encroachment of public properties. The bill will now be termed the Karnataka land Revenue (Third Amendment) Act 2024. According to Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda, the Act will empower assistant commissioners and survey department authorities to hear disputes pertaining to public properties. When people encroach on government properties, the eviction takes a long time and t

BENGALURU: Going by the current trend of online platforms and private players selling vegetables and fruits procured directly from farmers at competitive prices, outlets of the Karnataka government-owned Horticultural Producers Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) are on the verge of closure. As many as 140 outlets shut in the past five years. Of them, 89 were in Bengaluru. Hopcoms was launched in 1965 to help farmers get remunerative prices for their produce and to ensure qual

BENGALURU: The Special Court for NIA Cases convicted three Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives for hatching a conspiracy to carry out blasts ahead of the then US President Barack Obamas visit to India for Republic Day in 2015, as per instructions from Pakistan. Dr Syed Ismail Afaaque, Abdul Subair and Saddam Husen, all residents of Bhatkal, have been convicted of offences punishable under the provisions of IPC, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosive Substances Act. Afaaq

BELAGAVI: Recording a first in India, Karnataka will have a Director General of Police (DGP) in charge of cyber security. Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said on Tuesday that the state will have a DGP exclusively to monitor cybercrimes in the state, and will take charge soon. Replying to Congress MLA NA Haris in the Legislative Assembly, Dr Parameshwara said that the number of cybercrime cases is increasing with each passing day and this hasbecome acause for concern. However, we are handling suc

BALLARI: For the first time in Karnataka, Sri Krishnadevaraya University of Ballari has appointed a trans woman as a guest lecturer. Renuka Pojari, 35, who has done her post-graduationin Kannada, joined the Kannada Department of the university threedays ago. She attributed her achievement to the suppor t extended to her by university registrar SN Rudresh. Prof Renuka Pojari, who was earlier Mallesh K, is a resident of Kurugodu in Ballari district. Though she faced many challenges during her scho

BELAGAVI: Despite acknowledging the systemic failures linked to maternal deaths at Ballari District Hospital, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stopped short of committing to an SIT or judicial probe, as demanded by BJP members in the Council to probe the matter. He stressed that the government is not attempting to cover up the issue or shirk its responsibilities, but is determined to implement reforms to improve the healthcare system. Giving a statement about the deaths of the five mothers in Ba

BELAGAVI: The Congress Working Committee meeting to be held on December 26 in Belagavi to commemorate the centenary of the historic Congress session of 1924, will give a fillip to the countrys politics and Congress partys ongoing crusade, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said here on Tuesday. Addressing a joint press conference with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala at the Congress office in Belagavi, Venugopal

BELAGAVI: Cutting across party lines, MLAs from North Karnataka raised several major issues concerning the region and questioned the stepmotherly treatment meted out to the area by successive governments as far as development is concerned. During a special discussion on the development of North Karnataka in the Assembly, ruling party MLA Prakash Koliwad said, The per capita income in North Karnataka is Rs 1.2 Lakh, while it is Rs 4.7 Lakh for South Karnataka. North Karnataka is far behind in GDP

BELAGAVI: Despite acknowledging the systemic failures related to the maternal deaths at Ballari District Hospital, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao stopped short of committing to an SIT or judicial probe, as demanded by Opposition BJP members in the Legislative Council. He stressed that the government is not attempting to cover up the issue or shirk its responsibilities, but is determined to implement reforms to improve the healthcare system. Giving a statement on the death of

BELAGAVI: The Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed in the legislative assembly on Tuesday amidst opposition from the JDS and BJP members, who staged a walkout stating that it was politically motivated and exposes the hate politics against the Governor of the state who is Chancellor of the Universities of the state. The Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (Amendment) Bill 2024 has been passed in the assembly at

In another case of digital scam, fraudsters tried to link a Kodagu native to the Naresh Goyal money laundering case in a bid to cheat him. SM Chengappa, a resident of Kiranganduru in Somwarpet, received a call claiming that a fraudulent bank transaction was reported from his account number and that his account would be frozen in two hours. The AI voice directed Chengappa to press 9 for further information after which the call connected to a person who posed as a police officer. The person posing

Defending socialism, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain argued that it lies at the heart of India's constitutional ethos. In his address in parliament on the occasion of India marking 75th anniversary of adoption of Constitution, the Congress MP dismissed criticisms of public welfare policies, emphasizing their role in uplifting the poor and disadvantaged. Citing examples such as land reforms, education programs, and employment schemes, he questioned why these initiatives, which ensure dignity f

ANKOLA: Legendary tree planter and Padma Awardee Tulsi Gowda (also spelt as Gawda) passed away at her residence in Honnali village of Ankola Taluk in Uttara Kannada district on Monday evening. She was 86 years old. Tulsi Gowda started working in the forest department's plant nursery at a young age. As a child, she frequently visited nurseries and developed a deep interest in growing saplings. She is credited with planting thousands of trees in Ankola and its surroundings, many of which have grow

MADIKERI: The traditions of the Kodava community are blooming in vibrant colours in the public spaces called as mandh across Kodagu. From Puthari Kolaat to Pareykali, the Puthari Mandh Namme will be held across the various village mandhs throughout this month. Mandh is a public space that is documented as paisari land in government documents. The majority of the villages and village clusters have at least one mandh space and this spot is mostly sacrosanct to the Kodava community. Following the h

BENGALURU: Karnataka, known for its advancements in science and technology, has only 8,895 science and mathematics teachers for nearly 22 lakh students of Classes 1 to 5 in government primary schools. The state has just 5,732 English teachers compared to 81,979 Kannada teachers for students in these classes, as per government data. While officials claimed that guest teachers are hired to fill these gaps, educationists argued this is not a long-term solution. They warned that if this situation co