The shop owner in his shop before the attack. (Express)Bengaluru Crisis Highlights: A 26-year-old shop owner in the city was allegedly assaulted for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ loud on Jumma Masjid road on Sunday in Bengaluru. The police who have registered a case against the accused have arrested three persons. The owner of Krishna Telecom was playing Hindu devotional songs at his shop. Speaking with the media Mukesh, the shop owner said, “I was playing Hanuman Chalisa songs and these people who were locals were offended. They came to me and threatened to destroy my office if I played music loudly during Azan time. I told them that it was not Azan time but they insisted that I not question them and dragged me out and assaulted me. All of them were locals and I have seen them in the past.”
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with several city officials on Monday to address the raging drinking water crisis arising out of the drought situation in the city. Siddaramaiah said, “I have told our officers to use water tankers to provide water. We have 142 control rooms. I have told them to increase it – to identify where is the issue, to supply water, and to respond immediately to the complaint. For vehicle cleaning and other issues, please don’t use drinking water, use recycled water.” Siddaramaiah further added, “In Bengaluru out of 14,000 borewells, 6900 are dry. All lakes are almost dried and almost 2600 MLD of water is required every day in the city. In June, we will provide water to all 110 villages around Bengaluru. We have sufficient water in the Kabini and KRS dams. We are expecting a monsoon in the first or second week of June.”
Weather updates for today: Bengaluru clouds are expected to be partly cloudy on Monday, reported the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Maximum & minimum temperatures are very likely to be around 35 and 22 Degree Celsius, respectively.
Rameshwaram cafe blast's last victim discharged from hospital
The Brookfield Hospital on Monday announced that Suvarnamba who was injured during the Rameshwaram cafe blast incident has been discharged. With her discharge, all of the injured victims have been discharged after the treatment.
TJ Pradeep Kumar, medical director of Brookefield Hospital said, "The complete recovery for Suvarnamba from her injuries will take a couple of weeks, and it will take around a month to resume her normal regular activities. She will require periodic dressing and frequent visits every 4-05 days for the next few weeks."
Traffic alert near Marathahalli Bridge
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Bengaluru Traffic Police said, "Slow-moving traffic due to a Vehicle breakdown near Marathahalli Bridge towards Kadubisanahalli."
KPCC youth committee members protest for Lok Sabha ticket to Prez
Supporters of KPCC Youth Congress president Mohammed Nalapad staged a protest on Monday demanding a ticket to him from Bangalore Central constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Virat Kohli arrvies in Bengaluru, joins RCB camp ahead of the IPL 2024 Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bangalore's renowned star Virat Kohli arrived in Bengaluru ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League and RCB's Unbox event.
India and RCB's stalwart batter Kohli has been with the franchise since the inception of the IPL and has led the team from the front for nine years.
(ANI report)
Hope PM addresses key issues, says Cong leader Jairam Ramesh on PM Modi's Shivamogga speech
Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa to skip PM Modi rally in Shivamogga
Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa, who will contest as an independent candidate from the Shivamogga seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, on Monday said that he will not be attending the election rally which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing.
Last Friday, Eshwarappa, blaming party veteran and former CM B S Yediyurappa for his son K E Kantesh being denied a ticket for the Haveri constituency, announced that he will be contesting from Shivamogga Lok Sabha segment. BS Yediyurappa's son and present BJP MP BY Raghavendra will be contesting from the same constituency.
CM Siddaramaiah congratulates RCM on beating DC
PM Narendra Modi to address rally at Shivamogga today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a rally in Shivamogga's Allama Prabhu ground at 2pm on Monday. This marks the last phase of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Karnataka campaign.
The prime minister is scheduled to be in the state until Tuesday, after seeing three consecutive days of rallies across Karnataka. With his Kalaburgi rally completed on Saturday, he is also expected to address rallies in Bidad and Dharwad over Monday and Tuesday, as well.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to hold meeting with city officials today to address water crisis
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set hold a meeting with several city officials on Monday to address the raging drinking water crisis arising out of the drought situation in the city.
Water ATMs or water dispensers have been placed throughout Bengaluru to tackle the drinking water problem, as the city reels under one of its worst water shortages yet. However, water supplies are becoming less frequent despite the ATMs, with the underpriveleged struggling to grapple the situation. The ATMs, which are cleaned once every month, dispense 20 litres of water for Rs 5.
Weather today
Bengaluru clouds are expected to be parly cloudy on Monday, reported the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Maximum & minimum temperatures very likely to be around 35 and 22 Degree Celsius, respectively.
PM Modi to address second public meeting in Karnataka in the run up to LS election
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting for the Lok Sabha elections in Shivamogga on Monday, the BJP state unit said on Sunday. This comes two days after his first election meeting in Karnataka was held in Kalaburagi, the home turf of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
The party is expecting a turnout of 2.5 lakh people at the Allama Prabhu ground (Freedom Park). The second public meeting in Karnataka for the 2024 Lok Sabha election is happening in the home district of BJP stalwart Yediyurappa. His elder son B Y Raghavendra is BJP's candidate for the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, where party rebel and former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa says he will constest as an independent candidate.
BJP state chief B Y Vijayendra, who is former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's second son, visited Allama Prabhu ground along with senior party functionaries to oversee the preparations and gave necessary directions to ensure that the meeting go well.
The saffron party is aiming to repeat its 2019 performance in 2024 as well. The party had won 25 out of 28 seats in 2019, while the Congress and the JD(S) had to settle for just one seat each. Party leaders have expressed confidence that the BJP would win all 28 seats in Karnataka this time. (PTI)
'Model Code of Conduct' comes into force ahead of Lok Sabha elections in B'luru
With Lok Sabha elections around the corner, police personnel have started the vehicle inspection in the city.
PM Modi afraid of Cong prez Mallikarjun Kharge, says D K Shivakumar
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as he started his campaign from Kharge's home district Kalaburagi. He said the party is sure to win 20 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka including Kalaburagi.
"He (Modi) is afraid of the Leader of Opposition (in Rajya Sabha) Mallikarjun Kharge. Hence, he started his election campaign from there (Kalaburagi). We will win 20 seats including Kalaburagi," Shivakumar told reporters here. Modi started his election campaign in Karnataka from Kalaburagi on Saturday. His next campaign in the state will be in Shivamogga.
He also said the next list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections will be announced on March 20. "There is a meeting on March 19 (about the rest of the candidates). We will announce the list on March 20," the DCM said.
He said he is convening the Taluk-level nominated presidents of guarantee schemes on March 21 to assign them to work for the party. (PTI)
Siddaramaiah pays tribute to Puneeth Rajkumar on late actor's birth anniversary
In a post on X, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid tribute to late actor Puneet Rajkumar on his birth anniversary. Rajkumar died at the age of 46 after suffering from a cardiac arrest.
Lok Sabha polls: South Karnataka bracing up for fierce battle between Cong & BJP-JD(S) combine
The Vokkaliga heartland of the old Mysuru region consisting of several southern districts will be the testing ground for the recently forged BJP-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls.
The ruling Congress will now look to consolidate its gains that it made in the assembly elections in May last year when it made inroads into the strongholds of the regional party headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in these districts.
In the 2019 Pariamentary elections, the Congress and JD(S) fought together but secured only one seat each in the state. The BJP bagged 25 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats.
The Congress and JD(S) win, in fact, came in the old Mysuru region -- Bangalore Rural and Hassan, respectively, while Mandya seat went to an independent backed by the BJP.
This time, the JD(S) has an alliance with BJP. According to sources, the JD(S) is likely to be alloted Hassan, Mandya and Kolar seats in the region, from where Deve Gowda's party draws its strength from in Karnataka.
The JD(S) is now looking to bounce back after the drubbing it received in the May assembly polls. The Congress and JD(S) are considered to be traditional rivals in the region, where the BJP has also been improving its vote-share.
The BJP-JD(S) alliance hopes to counter the Congress' surge in the region, determined to consolidate Vokkaliga votes in their favour and banking on the Modi charisma. Both parties also hope to gain from each other with this alliance.
The Congress is hoping to further its prospects and continue its dominance in the region, with the help of its strong local leadership and riding on its five guarantee schemes.
Both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress state President D K Shivakumar, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister come from this region, and so does JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy, a former CM and that party's state President.
According to a political analyst, "coordination among local leaders and transfer of votes between the parties are going to be key for the BJP-JD(S) alliance to click." Lack of trust between sizeable workers and leaders of both parties on the ground had proved to be counterproductive for Congress and JD(S) combine in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, resulting in their rout and helping the BJP. Both Congress and BJP have announced candidates for some seats in the region for the 2024 polls.
The Congress has re-nominated D K Suresh, brother of Shivakumar, from Bangalore Rural. Interestingly, the BJP has fielded the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore and noted cardiac surgeon and
Deve Gowda's son-in-law, Dr C N Manjunath, from Bangalore Rural. In Karnataka, the Lok Sabha elections will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.
PTI
'State in favour of BJP, PM Modi', says Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra
Expressing confidence in securing majority in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra told ANI "Congress party despite being power in the state, they aren't able to find candidates in any Lok Sabha constituencies. They're trying hard to convince their minister to contest the elections but fortunately, the mood across the state is in the favour of the BJP and PM Modi to be the PM once again..."
Karnataka HC fines Hescom Rs 1 lakh for denying terminal benefits to retired employee
The Karnataka High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Hubli Electricity Supply Company (Hescom) and restored terminal benefits to a retired employee who was denied them without any departmental inquiry, saying the “company has behaved as if it is the personal fiefdom of the officers manning the office”.
The court ordered the payment of all terminal benefits due to the employee at a rate of 6 per cent interest, as well as the cancellation of any recovery dues against him. The order was passed by Justice M Nagaprasanna based on a petition by the employee.
Based on his allegedly not having returned items such as failed transformers to storage, a recovery sum of more than Rs 86 lakh was arrived at in 2021 without any departmental inquiries. As a result, 11 years after his superannuation, the employee had still not received terminal benefits. Read more
BBMP simplifies payment of tax for owners of unassessed properties
In what comes as a relief to owners who cannot pay taxes for an unassessed property, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has now allowed them to access Property Tax SAS (self-assessment) System to enter details of the property and its usage as per the self-assessment format and proceed for payment as per the applicable tax.
The BBMP, in its order dated March 14, has stated that the said property tax payment is purely on self-declaration or self-assessment basis of the citizen and does not accrue any property rights nor does it mean acceptance or recognition of any property rights by the BBMP. Read more
'Is Centre misusing investigating agencies to extort donations?', Siddaramaiah asks PM Modi
In a long post on X, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party over electoral bonds scheme. He wrote, "Welcome to Karnataka, Prime Minister @narendramodi. Please answer why is @BJP4India silent about the electoral bond scam - the biggest corruption scandal in the world?
For a decade, you held power, promising to bring back black money from Swiss Bank, eliminate black money via demonetisation, claiming 'Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga', and being the so-called 'Chowkidar of the Nation'. Now, it is time for you to address the issues surrounding the electoral bond scam.
Despite the Supreme Court's order, why is the State Bank of India (SBI) hesitant to provide complete information? If the sale and purchase of electoral bonds were conducted legally, why is SBI concealing information? Who is exerting pressure on SBI? Prime Minister @narendramodi, please respond.
If we look at the information released by the Election Commission that the media is scrutinising, it appears that the Union @BJP4India Government is blackmailing businessmen. When we look at the dates of IT, ED, and CBI raids on these businessmen and the dates they purchased electoral bonds, it seems like a clear case of blackmail.
Is the Union Government misusing its investigative agencies to extort donations? Is the electoral bond a political weapon of mass extortion in the hands of BJP? Prime Minister @narendramodi, please respond.
Based on the emerging information, it seems that a significant number of participants in the electoral bond scam are from infrastructure and pharmaceutical firms. How reliable are the roads, bridges, and buildings constructed by such fraudulent organisations? How safe are the medicines produced by these corrupt entities, @BJP4India ? Shouldn't you, Prime Minister @narendramodi, be the one to answer these questions?
The Supreme Court, by thoroughly exposing the electoral bond scam, has raised suspicions among every citizen about the misuse of their tax money, and people strongly believe that the Union @BJP4India Government is fully involved in this fraud.
I insist that the Supreme Court should establish a Special Investigation Committee to probe the electoral bond scam and, until then, freeze the bank accounts of BJP to clear these doubts."
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