Nazi war criminal held in forests on Karnataka-Goa border

A former top Nazi stormtrooper, who was allegedly involved in the World War II genocide of the Jews, was nabbed in a joint operation carried out by intelligence officials from India and Germany in Khanapur forests along the border of Karnataka and Goa on Saturday.

A colonel in Hitler’s elite Waffen SS (Schutzstaffel), Johann Bach was absconding for more than 50 years and had recently moved into Goa and settled in Calangute area under a fake identity.

But, when the 88-year-old Bach placed an advertisement in an English daily in Goa recently to sell an 18th century piano, the intelligence wing of Perus Narkp, the Berlin-based German Chancellor’s Core was on his trial. For, the description of the antique piano matched that of a piano that went missing from a museum in East Berlin after World War II.

After observing him for almost six months, the German sleuths assisted by Indian intelligence zeroed in on Bach in his Goan hideout on Friday morning. But, the fugitive managed to give them a slip. However, the sleuths managed to nab Bach after a hot chase in the forests of Khanapur along the border of Karnataka and Goa on Saturday.

Soon after his arrest, Bach was taken away to an undisclosed destination. After his extradition to Germany, Bach is expected to face trial at the International Court of Justice at Hague in Netherlands.

Preliminary interrogation had revealed that Bach had been roaming around the world for more than half a century since the fall of the Third Reich. He had spent time in Argentina, Bulgaria, Yemen and Canada before arriving in Goa in India.

Though Bach had fled Germany after the defeat of Hitler, the German Government had included his name in the “most wanted list”.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by Perus Narkp said Bach had been posted as a senior adjutant at Marsha Tikash Whanaab concentration camp in East Berlin and was responsible for the genocide of more than 12,000 Jews in World War II.
Though Bach’s deeds had been glossed over during the Nuremburg trials, the case against him had been revived following reports in the Israeli media that the Nazi fugitive had resurfaced in India.

BJP sweeps Legislative Council polls in Karnataka

Continuing its winning spree in Karnataka, the BJP bagged four out of the five Legislative Council seats that went to polls.

While the JD (S) managed to win one seat, the principal opposition party Congress drew a blank.

The outcome of the elections to Legislative Council from two teachers’ constituencies and two graduates’ constituencies, besides one local authorities’ constituency came as a major setback to the Congress party, which is still recovering from the rout during the assembly elections.

Adding to the Congress party’s woes, former Minister H K Patil, who was a member of the Legislative Council for the last 24 years, lost the West Graduates’ constituency seat to BJP’s Mohan Limbikai, a political greenhorn.

Patil polled 21,327 votes against Limbikai’s 25,737 in the elections to the Legislative Council. Incidentally, Patil had lost the assembly elections from Gadag in north Karnataka last month.

BJP also managed to wrest the Dakshina Kannada local authorities’ seat from the Congress. BJP’s Kota Srinivas Poojary defeated his Congress rival Nithyananda Mundgodi by a margin of 293 votes. Poojary secured 3,110 against Mundodi’s 2,817 votes.

The Bangalore Central Teachers’ constituency and North East Teachers’ constituency were also bagged by the BJP, whose candidates Shivayogi Swamy and Shashil G Namoshi respectively defeated their Congress rivals in the polls.

The JD (S), however, held onto it own by retaining the Bangalore Teacher’s constituency with its candidate Puttanna romping home to victory by a margin of 2,472 votes over his nearest BJP rival M Neelaiah.
However, Congress continues to remain the single largest party in the Legislative Council of Karnataka despite the recent electoral reverses. The 75-member house has 29 Congress members against 26 belonging to BJP and 16 to the JD (S). Independents and JD (U) constitute the rest.

Government officer in Karnataka acquires a fleet of 102 cars

In a major crackdown on corrupt Government officials, the sleuths of Lokayukta, the anti-corruption cell, have unearthed unaccounted assets worth Rs 200 million amassed by ten officials one of whom had acquired a fleet of 102 cars in just eleven years of service.

Briefing reporters after the simultaneous raids carried out by the Lokayukta sleuths across the state on Friday, Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde revealed that Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax in Bangalore Shivaprakash had amassed assets worth more Rs 45 million including the 102 cars estimated to cost around Rs 30 million.

But, Shivaprakash had registered his assets in the name of his spinster sister Jayalakshmamma, including Jaya Travels in Malleshwarama, which rents out all kinds of luxurious cars for family tours.

Officials said the cars are parked along the entire stretch of road at 17th Cross in Malleshwaram, which has been virtually converted into parking lot for the travel agency’s fleet of cars.

The Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax, who had joined service only 1997, had also amassed two houses, two Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) sites and a plush apartment in BTM layout in the City.

The other officials trapped by the Lokayuktha included IAS officer and Managing Director of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation N K Baladeva Krishna, who had amassed wealth accounting for more than Rs 10 million, which was disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Similiarly, Superintendent of Police, Corps of Detective (CoD) Ramakrishna M has property worth Rs 35 million.

Like most corrupt Government officials, the Additional Director of Mining and Geology Qayyum Ali’s property is also in the name of his family members. He has amassed weath running into a whopping Rs 30 million.

The other officials from whom the Lokayukta ferreted out unaccounted assets include Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes Narasegowda, Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes Amanulla Sharief, District Registrars Keshavamurthy and Mehboob Khan, besides Taluk Executive Officer H T Mahalingaiah and Executive Engineer of PWD C R Bellari.

“We will send a report seeking the suspension of the Government officials”, Santosh Hegde said.

Gowda turns table on BJP Government over fertilizer shortage in Karnataka

Turning the tables on the BJP Government in Karnataka over the scarcity of fertilizers plaguing the state, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda claimed that the State Government had received sufficient stock of the fertilizer from the Federal Government, but had miserably failed to distribute the same to the farmers.

Quoting from figures he had obtained from the Federal Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Gowda told reporters that there is there no shortfall in supply of fertilizers to Karnataka as claimed by the BJP Government. “In fact, the State Government had received much more than the requirement this month and failed to distribute the same to the farmers, who are running from pillar to post for fertilizers”, he said.

“As per the latest figures, the state has unsold stock of Urea, Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), Murate of Phosphate (MAP) and complex fertilizers”, Gowda said reeling out figures he had obtained from the Federal Government.

The former Prime Minister also sought to nail Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s statement that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre was showing “step-motherly” attitude towards non-Congress Government in the matter of fertilizer allocation by claiming that substantial quantity of fertilizer had also been released to Gujarat, where the BJP is ruling.

The scarcity of fertilizers in Karnataka has arisen out of the “bungling” by the BJP Government he said and cautioned the ruling party of the “friction” that could arise between the Federal and State Government due to such “false charges”.
Instead of misleading the people of the state over the fertilizer issue, the State Government should distribute the available stock to the needy farmers, Gowda said.

BJP Government’s plans to revise history syllabus in Karnataka decried

The BJP Government in Karnataka has come under fire from the Congress over its plans to revise history syllabus for educational institutions in the State.

Within a month of assuming the reins of power in Karnataka, the BJP Government announced that the blueprint for revising history syllabus was ready, much to the chagrin of the Opposition Congress and secular organizations in the state.

Crying foul over the BJP Government’s reported bid to “saffronise education” in the state, senior Congress leader and former Minister H Vishwanath said Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri’s recent statement on revising history syllabus was a clear indication of the BJP’s plans to “distort” history to suit its communal agenda.

Instead of trying to bring in qualitative changes in the syllabi of subjects like Mathematics and Science for the modern era, the BJP was planning to distort history in the name of revision.

“They are planning to erase the contribution of freedom fighters and glorify people like Godse, who killed Gandhiji, and Golwarkar, an ideologue of Hindutva”, Vishwanath warned.

In this context, Vishwanath recalled the controversy generated by BJP leader D H Shankarmurthy when he held the Higher Education portfolio in the erstwhile JD (S)-BJP coalition Government. Shankarmurthy had questioned the 18th century warrior king Tipu Sultan’s contribution to freedom struggle and branded him as “anti-Kannadiga”, leading to widespread protests in the state.

Vishwanath also sought to caution the public over Kageri’s reported statement that the Government was planning to hand over some Government schools to religious institutions and Mutts. “With Mutts imparting religious education, the secular character of primary schools will be lost. It will lead to sowing the seeds of communalism in young minds”, Vishwanath apprehended.

The Congress leaders also wondered how the blueprint for changing the history syllabus and handing over Government schools to religious institutions could be ready within one month of the Government coming to power. “The move is clearly inspired by the RSS”, Vishwanath alleged.

He also said the Government had entrusted the education portfolios to staunch RSS followers like Kageri, who is the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, and Arvind Limbavalli, who is the Minister for Higher Education.
If the Government does not retrace its steps on revising history syllabus, Vishwanath said the Congress party will launch state-wide agitation.

ISRO’s Moon Mission by September 2008

India’s first unmanned moon mission will be launched by September this year, according to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman G Madhavan Nair.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the International Conference on Aerospace Science and Technology in Bangalore on Thursday, Nair said the precise date for the launch of the unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan – 1 will be finalized next month.

“ISRO may not be able to confirm the date of the launch of its first unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan – 1 until next month, but what is sure is that the launch will happen by September 2008”, Nair said.

Briefing reporters about the readiness of ISRO for the moon mission, which would provide a total mapping of the moon for the first time, Nair said the two-year mission would cost about $ 100 million, including the lunar spacecraft that would orbit the moon at an altitude of 100 kms.

“There are a lot of expectations from this mission”, he said. However, Chandrayaan –1 will not make a landing on the moon. But, its sequel Chandrayaan –2 scheduled for 2012 will have a landing rover touching down on the lunar surface.

The first moon mission will provide data that will facilitate the second one. While the first mission will carry out lunar mapping and hunt for traces of water on the moon’s surface, the second one to be launched in collaboration with Russia will seek to collect as many samples as possible, besides looking for rare elements, he said.

Though there were plans to tap helium on the moon through a joint venture with a foreign partner, the proposal was still at a conceptual stage. “But, once we know whether helium is there, we can proceed to the next stage”, he said. The proposal to tap helium from the lunar surface for future power generation was before ISRO as it is considered to be one of the cleanest gases, Nair said.
The experience from the first two moon missions is expected to help ISRO consider a manned mission to moon.

Karnataka CM threatens demonstration in front of Parliament

Under fire from the Opposition Congress in Karnataka over the continuing scarcity of fertilizers in the state, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has sought to turn the tables by threatening to stage a demonstration in front of the Parliament House in New Delhi in protest against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) failure to rush stocks.

Clearly irked by the Opposition Congress for stalling the proceedings of the on-going Legislature session over the fertilizer issue, Yeddyurappa blamed the Federal Government for the shortage of fertilizers in Karnataka and threatened to lead his Cabinet colleagues to New Delhi and sit in protest in front of the Parliament House.

The entire blame for the fertilizer scarcity in the State should go to the Federal Government, which failed to honour its assurance to supply the required stock, he said even as Congress members, who had gathered in the well of the House, refused to resume their seats and allow the proceedings of the Assembly to continue.

“If you (Congress) politicize the fertilizer scarcity issue and stage a protest here, we will also politicize the matter by staging a demonstration in front of the Parliament House”, Yeddyurappa said. “I will expose the Congress on the issue by taking with me all the 31 Ministers and sitting in protest before the Parliament House”, he warned.

The Chief Minister’s threat came after the Congress members ignored Speaker Jagadish Shettar’s repeated appeals to return to their seats and allow the proceedings to continue.
Meanwhile, the shortage of fertilizers in the state continued to cause unrest among the farmers, who have begun resorting to suicide. Two more farmers were reported to have committed suicide by consuming poison in Mysore district on Thursday.

Nuclear deal beneficial to India - Kalam

Former President of India and leading scientist A P J Abdul Kalam has backed the Indo-US nuclear deal.

“Until our scientists set up thorium-based nuclear reactors from our thorium deposits, which are second largest in the world, we will require uranium to sustain our energy requirements. Hence, the nuclear deal with United States is important for India”, Kalam said while addressing an alumni meet at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) on Wednesday evening.

Kalam’s observations on the nuclear deal came even as the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre was tottering over differences on the Indo-US nuclear deal with the Left parties, which are its key allies.

Kalam also sought to issue a caution about the runaway trend in India’s power requirement, which is increasing at a phenomenal rate. The country’s power requirements could well increase to 400,000 MW from the existing 130,000 MW when the population crosses the 1.4 billion mark, he warned.

The former President spoke about harnessing solar and wind energy to meet the country’s power requirements. Solar and wind energy were important to India and pointed out that renewable energy sources can produce an estimated 65,000 MW of power by 2030.

Responding to a question on development in the face of environmental degradation, Kalam said emphasis should also be laid on production of bio-fuel. “With bio-fuel, we will be able to envision a future wherein cars can stop at bio-fuel gas stations and fill up ethanol or bio-fuel”, he said.

Kalam expressed hope that India could become economically developed by 2020 if the country had a sustainable GDP growth of 10 per cent and brought the inflation down to 5 per cent.

However, he said it was not enough to take GDP as a “marker of growth”. “Ideally, we will require a National Prosperity Index, which equals our GDP plus the percentage of 220 million people below poverty line that we are able to lift up every year”, Kalam said.

Kidnapped infant found, re-united with mother

Seema Kausar of Bangalore had all but given up hopes of finding her baby girl, who was kidnapped within a week after she was born in a Greater Bangalore City Corporation Maternity Home in March this year.

But, when she went to Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Bangalore three days ago to see her uncle, who had been admitted to the hospital, she spotted a woman selling garments near the hospital and was immediately reminded of her suspicious movement in Greater Bangalore City Corporation Maternity Home before her baby went missing.

She immediately rushed to the police and lodged a complaint. The police took the woman into custody and quizzed her. The garment seller Mujeeba spilled the beans and led the police to Dilshad, the burkha clad woman, who had disappeared with Kausar’s baby.

With the help of the police, an overjoyed Kausar was reunited with her baby lost three and a half months ago. The baby was girl was living with Dilshad at her residence in Kolegeri slum in Jakkur Layout in Bangalore.

Kausar, wife of Syed Salman, had delivered a baby girl at the Greater Bangalore City Corporation on March 1 this year. But, Dilshad had gained entry into the hospital ward by stealth told Kausar that she had come to take the baby to its grandmother, who was standing outside the ward. When Kausar handed over the baby, Dilshad simply walked out of the hospital with the infant.

Kausar and her husband Syed Salman had lodged a complaint with the police and all efforts to trace the infant went in vain. It was only by a quirk of fate that the mother was reunited with her baby.
Dilshad, who has admitted to kidnapping the baby, told the police that she had planned the abduction. She was staying with the baby at her residence in Jakkur layout by claiming that she had been given the custody of the infant by the child’s relatives after its mother died in the hospital.

Bangalore tops in suicides

Apart from enjoying the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore appears to have earned the unenviable reputation of being the suicide capital of India with the number of people committing suicide increasing year after year.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, N D Mulla, the number of suicides in the City increased from 1,470 during 2005 to 2,008 during 2006 before reaching 2,430 during 2007. Till the end of May 2008, a total of 1,070 people had committed suicide in Bangalore.

According to a recent study carried out by World Health Organization (WHO), the suicide rate in Bangalore was 17 for every 100,000, which was way ahead of other major urban centers across India. The suicide rate in Delhi was 7.5 for 100,000 while the figure was 11 in Chennai and 14 in Mumbai.

Experts point out that factors like work pressure, high expectations of the employers, extended working hours, career competition, insecurity at workplace and personal relationships contribute to increased stress among residents of Bangalore.
Most leading hospitals in Bangalore are engaged in treatment of stress-related ailments and doctors point out that the number of patients visiting counsellers with stress-related disorders are only increasing in the City.

MLA’s friend held in connection with his wife’s suicide

The police have arrested a close friend of BJP MLA Raghupathi Bhat in connection with the suicide of the latter’s wife Padmapriya in New Delhi.

Bhat’s wife Padmapriya, a mother of two, was found hanging in an apartment in New Delhi on June 15, about five days after she went missing under mysterious circumstances from Udupi in coastal Karnataka.

The police arrested Atul Rao, a childhood friend of the BJP MLA, in Mangalore after Bhat lodged a police complaint accusing Atul of kidnapping and abetting the suicide of his wife.

Atul was produced before the court in Manipal, near Mangalore, on Tuesday and sent to six days of judicial custody.

Atul was not only helping Bhat in running his finance firm, but was also close to his family. Soon after completing the last rites of his wife Padmapriya in Udupi, Bhat lodged a complaint with Manipal police on June 19 accusing Atul of coercing his wife to go to New Delhi, where she eventually committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling fan.

Earlier, Padmapriya went missing after she left her house in Udupi to her maternal house in Mulki, about 30 kms away, in a car on June 11. The car was found abandoned on June 14 after which her family members lodged a missing complaint. Police found broken bangles, a SIM card and some cash in the abandoned car.

The search eventually led the police to Shama apartments in Dwaraka in New Delhi and by the time the police reached the place and broken open the door, Padmapriya had ended her life by hanging from the ceiling fan.

Poor Malaysian children to receive heart treatment in Bangalore

About 200 poor children from Malaysia suffering from congenital heart treatment will be flown down to Bangalore shortly for medical treatment.

Revealing this information, Chairman of Bangalore’s Narayana Hrudalaya hospital Devi Shetty said the Malaysian Government would be bearing the entire cost of providing treatment to the poor children.

“The children will be arriving in Bangalore in the next 15 to 20 days and they will undergo surgery at Narayana Hrudalaya hospital a few days after their arrival”, he said.

The Malaysian Government’s decision to send poor children suffering from heart ailments for treatment in the City is in recognition of the expertise of doctors in Bangalore and the advanced facility available for treating children suffering from congenital cardiac diseases, he said.

Bangalore is fast becoming a hub of medical tourism on the strength of its advanced medical car available at a cheaper cost.
“All these years, we used to see individuals from various countries coming here for treatment on their own expense. But, for the first time a foreign country’s Government is taking such a step, which is indeed a tribute for our expertise”, Shetty said.

Dera chief leaves Mysore camp amid tight security

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh left his ashram at Mysore near here in the wee hours of Monday and boarded a flight to New Delhi.

Police said the Singh, who was brought to the Bangalore international airport under tight security early on Monday, boarded a flight to New Delhi along with about 30 followers and his personal bodyguards.

Singh, who enjoys Z plus category security, was allowed to enter the airport premises through the VIP gate before he boarded the flight to New Delhi, a police official said.

The departure of Dera Sacha Sauda chief comes amid reports that the Karnataka Government asked him to leave the state in the wake of a demonstration staged by the members of the Sikh community in Bangalore seeking his arrest.

The Dera chief was camping at his newly built ashram at Siddalingapura on the outskirts of Mysore since arrival in the state on Saturday. During his stay at the ashram named Prarthana Mandir, Singh held meditation and supervised planting of saplings in the premises under heavy security provided by the Mysore City police.

A platoon of policemen guarded the sect’s ashram during the Dera chief’s stay in Mysore. Though entry to the ashram was barred for the people, including media personnel, curious locals managed to catch a glimpse of the Dera chief when he came out to supervise planting of saplings on Sunday.

But, in the wee hours of Monday, Singh’s convoy left the ashram under a security cover. “We provided police protection to Dera chief to reach Bangalore airport under instructions from higher authorities”, said Mysore City Police Commissioner Ravindranath. But, police officials refused to confirm or deny whether Singh was asked to leave by the Karnataka Government.

Earlier on Sunday, the Sikh community in Bangalore gathered in front of the Gurudwara in Ulsoor in the City and flashed their swords and kirpans as a mark of protest against the Dera chief’s presence in the state. They also burnt his effigy before marching to Raj Bhavan and submitting a memorandum to Governor Rameshwar Thakur.

The Dera chief, who has already incurred the wrath of the Sikh clergy, came to be involved in a fresh row after his bodyguards opened fire on a group of Sikh protestors in Mumbai, leading to one death.

Farmers suicide toll reaches 12 in Karnataka

The continuing scarcity of fertilizers in Karnataka claimed the life of one more farmer in Chikmagalur yesterday, taking the total number of farmers committing suicide in the state since the BJP Government assumed power last month to twelve.

Farmers are reported to have committed suicide in Gulbarga, Dharwad, Koppal, Shimoga, Hassan, Bagalkot and Davangere districts of the State due to a severe scarcity of fertilizers. Farmers are ending their lives by either consuming pesticides or hanging themselves.

Farmers in various parts of the state have been protesting against the lack of supply of fertilizers, which are essential at the time of sowing a crop during monsoon. Earlier this month, a farmer was killed when a protest against shortage of fertilizers turned ugly, leading to police opening fire.

The spate of suicides in the state has put Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who incidentally took oath in the name of farmers, in an embarrassing situation.

But, Yeddyurappa is blaming the Federal Government for the scarcity of fertilizers in the state. “The Centre has released only 40 per cent of the stock we had sought. This the root cause of the scarcity. Our Government has just taken over. Give us some time”, he said.

Yeddyurappa also accused the Opposition Congress and JD (S) of “politicizing” farmers’ suicides.

But, the Government is all set to be hauled over coals during the Karnataka Legislature session scheduled to begin in Bangalore on Monday with the Opposition Congress and JD (S) planning to raise the farmers’ suicides and police firing on farmers.

“Instead of finding a solution to the crisis, the Chief Minister is making irresponsible statements like blaming the Central Government and Opposition parties”, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M Mallikarjun Kharge said.

“How can they make the Central Government and Opposition parties a scapegoat ?’, Kharge sought to know.

Dera chief arrives in Bangalore, packed off to Mysore

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Ram Rahim Singh, who arrived in Bangalore amid growing protests against him by the Sikh community across the country, was packed off to an undisclosed location in Mysore near here.

Police said Singh arrived in Bangalore along with 27 of his followers from Pune enroute to New Delhi on Saturday. But, the Singh was not allowed to board a flight to New Delhi in the wake of intelligence reports that the national capital was not safe for him. He left for Mysore by road late in the evening.

With Sikh anger against the killing of a person belonging to their community by Singh’s body guard in Mumbai spreading to different parts of the country, security personnel at Bangalore international airport prevailed upon the chief of the controversial religious cult against proceeding to New Delhi as planned in view of the threat to his life.

Baba Ram Rahim Singh, who was asked to stay put in the airport till evening, was sent to an undisclosed location in Mysore, about 140 kms from here, under heavy police cover.

However, the arrival of Singh in Bangalore has triggered anger among the City’s Sikh community. The Sikh community is planning to hold a prayer meeting and take out a protest march to Raj Bhavan to register their protest against Ram Rahim Singh’s presence in Bangalore.

The Sikh community in Bangalore has also expressed concern over Dera Sacha Sauda’s plans to set up a camp in Jalahalli on the outskirts of the City, which is already home to a large number of Sikhs particularly from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Meanwhile, there were speculations that Ram Rahim Singh was camping at the Dera Sacha Sauda’s Prarthana Mandira spread across 2.5 acres of land at Siddalingapura on the Mysore-Bangalore highway.
The police has beefed up security at the Dera Sacha Sauda camp at Siddalingapura and banned entry of visitors. Singh, who enjoys Z plus category security, believed to have arrived in Mysore in a bullet-proof car.

Second Saturday holiday to be cancelled in Karnataka

The newly BJP Government in Karnataka is planning to cancel the holiday given to Government offices and staff on second Saturdays of every month.

“No more holiday for Government officials on second Saturdays. They have to work hard if they have to rise to my expectations”, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said during the course of his reply to the felicitation accorded to him by the BJP unit of his native Shimoga in Karnataka on Friday.

Yeddyurappa’s threat to cancel the holiday on second Saturdays of every month is in stark contrast to the proposal mooted by the previous dispensation to declare a five-day week for Government offices to tackle the traffic congestion on the roads in Bangalore witnessed every Saturday.

The previous Government had suggested that the work hours be rescheduled to ensure that the officials put in two hours of additional work every day of the week in return for a compensatory holiday on Saturday.
But now, it appears that the Government officials may even have to forego their holiday on second Saturdays of every month.

Six ultras from Manipur held in Bangalore

Six suspected militants including top ranking cadres of a banned Manipur-based outfit have been arrested in the suburbs of Bangalore.

The suspected ultras, who were posing as software professionals, were arrested in a joint operation by Bangalore City police and Military Intelligence over the last two days.

The arrested militants belonged to People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), an extremist organization of Manipur that is waging a war against the state seeking “expulsion” of outsiders from the North East Indian state.

Acting on a tip off, sleuths of City Crime Branch of Bangalore and Military Intelligence raided a house in Kaggadaspura on the outskirts of the City and arrested PREPAK’s project officer Laikhuram Jiten Singh alias Dada and self-styled lieutenant Thungo Singh alias Chalamba from the house.

During interrogation, the arrested ultras informed the police about the location of four other accomplices. A team of 20 personnel from Bangalore police accompanied by 15 sleuths from Military Intelligence swooped on the four others, who were holding a meeting at a place near Hebbal flyover in the middle of the night.

A West Asian national, who was studying in Bangalore, was also found with the suspected ultras from Manipur.

Police said a number of SIM cards, mobile phones and incriminating documents had been seized from the suspected ultras, who were all in their late twenties or early thirties.

The operation to nab the PREPAK ultras was launched almost a month ago after Military Intelligence in Bangalore received information from their counterparts in Manipur that the suspected extremists had taken shelter in Bangalore.

The Military Intelligence sleuths tracked the ultras with the help of their cell phones and tailed them at various points in the City. After one of Military Intelligence sleuths from Manipur arrived in Bangalore and identified the ultras at a mall in the City, the team followed them to their residence and carried out a raid.

Meanwhile, Inspector Manihar Singh from Manipur has arrived in Bangalore along with two more officers in connection with the arrest. The arrested ultras are expected to be taken to Manipur for interrogation.

Krishna elected to Rajya Sabha

Former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna was declared elected to the Rajya Sabha as the Congress and BJP bagged two seats each to the upper house of the Parliament from the state.

While Congress candidates Krishna and mining baron Anil Lad were elected to the Rajya Sabha, the winning BJP candidates were former Bihar Governor Rama Jois and noted educationist Prabhakar Kore.

Though the elections were scheduled to be held on June 26, the results were announced without a contest after the last date of withdrawal of nominations on Thursday. After declaring the results, the returning officer even handed over the certificates to the winning candidates.

Similiarly, seven candidates, who had filed their nominations to the legislative council, were also declared elected.

Karnataka’s Home Minister V S Acharya from the BJP and former Federal Minister M V Rajashekaran of the Congress were among the seven newly elected members of Karnataka Legislative Council.
The others are former Minister M C Nanaiah and K V Narayanaswamy from the Janata Dal (S) and Shankarappa, Siddaraju and Bharathi Shetty from the BJP

Fuel becomes cheaper in Karnataka

Motorists and cooking gas users in Karnataka have received some relief from the recent fuel price hike after the B S Yeddyurappa-led State Government marginally slashed the sales tax and value added tax (VAT) on petrol, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

While petrol has become cheaper by Rs 1.35 for every litre, price of diesel has come down by 65 paise for a litre. Cooking gas consumers will now have to pay Rs 10.34 less for every cylinder of LPG.

According to the revised prices, which came into force from yesterday, cost of petrol in Bangalore is Rs 57.15 per litre and diesel Rs 39.15 per litre. The cost of one LPG cylinder is now Rs 348.08.

Earlier this month, the prices of fuel went up sharply when petrol became dearer by Rs 5 per litre, diesel by Rs 3 per litre and cooking gas by Rs 50 per cylinder, triggered widespread bitterness among the people.

Bowing to public pressure, the state cabinet met in Bangalore on Thursday and decided to reduce the sales tax and VAT with a view to restrict the burden of the recent hike in fuel prices effected by the Federal Government.

Karnataka’s Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje, who briefed reporters about the cabinet decision, said the sales tax on petrol, which had been fixed at 28 per cent, had been brought down to 25 per cent while the sales tax on diesel had been reduced from 20 per cent to 18 per cent. Similiarly, VAT on LPG had been brought down from four per cent to just one per cent, she said.

The reduction in taxes will lead to an annual revenue loss of Rs 2.75 billion to the state exchequer, she claimed.

Fertilizer scarcity claims one more life in Karnataka

The scarcity of fertilizers in Karnataka has claimed one more life with a 45-year-old farmer ending his life by consuming poison in Harihar taluk in Davangere district in the state yesterday.

Police said the deceased farmer Ajjappa consumed poison while participating in a road blockade at Malebannur village in Harihar around noon on Wednesday to protest the delay in supplying fertilizers to the farmers.

Police and other protesting farmers realized that Ajjappa had consumed poison only after he collapsed near the venue of the demonstration and began frothing at the mouth. He was taken to a nearby health centre only to be immediately rushed to Davangere Government hospital in an ambulance when his condition began to deteriorate.

A team of doctors at Davangere Government hospital tried to revive Ajjappa, but in vain. When he did not respond to the medical treatment, the farmer was declared dead by the attending doctors.

Ajjappa’s death comes barely ten days after 33-year-old farmer Siddalingappa Churi was killed when police opened fire on a mob of farmers protesting against the scarcity of fertilizers in Haveri district of north Karnataka.

Ajjappa’s inconsolable wife said her husband was struggling for the last twenty days for a bag of fertilizers for his four acres of land on which he grew vegetables for a living. Frustrated over the continuing delay by the Government to provide fertilizers and seeds, Ajjappa had consumed poison, she said.

Farmers’ leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar said Ajjappa had lost hope of securing fertilizers and seeds for his crop after the Government began insisting on production of land records before distributing fertilizers.

Ajjappa is among the thousands of farmers in Karnataka who practice agriculture on gomal land for a living. “No land records are available for gomal land, which does not get transferred from the Government to the farmer”, Chandrashekar said.
The death of two farmers in a span of ten days has brought the nascent BJP Government in Karnataka under immense pressure particularly in view of the fact that Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had taken oath of office in the name of farmers’ welfare.

Hi-speed rail link to Bangalore International airport

Karnataka Government is planning a hi-speed rail link between Bangalore and the recently opened Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli about 35 kms away.

After reviewing various infrastructure projects, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said rail link, which is expected to cover the distance between the City and the international airport in 25 minutes, will cost Rs 36 billion.

He said the hi-speed rail link will have check in counters at two or three places in the City including Cubbon Road, which in the heart of the City. The rail link will be established under public-private-partnership model, he added.

The State Government’s approval for a hi-speed rail link comes after the Government came under widespread criticism for the poor road connectivity to the international airport. Passengers had to spend around three to four hours to reach the newly built international airport from different parts of Bangalore in view of the choked roads.
The industry in general and the people in particular had strongly opposed the closure of the HAL airport till the Government resolved the connectivity problem

Padmapriya’s last rites performed in Udupi

The last rites of BJP MLA Raghupathi Bhat’s wife Padmapriya, who committed suicide in a flat in Delhi on Sunday, were performed at Udupi in coastal Karnataka yesterday.

Padmapriya’s body, which was overnight brought to Bangalore from Delhi, reached Bajpe airport in Mangalore yesterday morning before being taken to Udupi by her husband and other family members.

Emotional scenes were witnessed when Raghupathi Bhat and his elder son consigned the mortal remains of Padmapriya to flames in Udupi. A large number of people had gathered to witnessed the last rites of Padmapriya, who went missing from the town last week only to end her life in a flat in Delhi under mysterious circumstances.

However, police officials have confirmed that the preliminary investigations into the death of Padmapriya, 32, have ruled out foul play. “The report of the post mortem conducted on her at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi indicate that it was a clear suicide”, police officials said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A R Infant has left for New Delhi to oversee the continuing investigation into Padmapriya’s death.

Inspector General of Police A M Prasad told reporters that the Delhi police is expected to hand over the investigation into the entire matter to Karnataka as they have registered only a case of unnatural death.

In this backdrop, Infant will guide the police team from Karnataka that is camping in Delhi in connection with the case.

Heavy security at Atul’s residence in Udupi

Security has been strengthened at the residence of Atul, who had reportedly accompanied BJP MLA Raghupathi Bhat’s wife Padmapriya to New Delhi before she committed suicide in an apartment in the national capital.

Even as a grieving Bhat pointed the accusing finger at his close aide Atul, who is now in the custody of Delhi police, for “forcibly” taking his wife away, security personnel descended on Atul’s residence in Hudco colony in Udupi in dozens.

Padmapriya’s elder brother Rajashekar too blamed Atul, a civil engineer by profession, for his sister’s untimely death.

However, Atul’s wife Meera and mother Usha Rao claimed that Atul had no role in the disappearance of Padmapriya.

Meera said there is no need for casting any suspicion over the relationship between my husband and Padmapriya. “Atul had close relationship with the family of Raghupathi Bhat. Atul used to be called in for all activities in the Bhat household. Padmapriya was also a frequent visitor to our house”, she told reporters.

“There is no room for being suspicious about Atul’s relationship with Padmapriya. I too used to visit Bhat’s house”, Meera said.

Meanwhile, a team of policemen from Karnataka has left for Goa to ascertain reports that Atul and Padmapriya had boarded a flight to New Delhi from Goa after her mysterious disappearance from Udupi.

A team of policemen from Karwar are understood to be scanning the CCTV records to confirm the date and time of their departure.

Karnataka’s Director General of Police K R Srinivasan told reporters that two more teams of policemen from the state had left for New Delhi to gather information on circumstances leading to the suicide of BJP MLA.

“One team of policemen from Bangalore and another team of policemen from Udupi are camping in New Delhi”, Srinivasan told reporters.

It may be mentioned here 35-year-old Padmapriya was found missing three days after she left her house in Udupi on June 11. Her disappearance came to light only after the police found the car she was driving abandoned at Kunjargi village, about 10 kms from Udupi on June 14.
A team of policemen reached the spot and found broken glass bangles in the driver’s seat, besides some bloodstains. The police also recovered a handbag containing a cash of around Rs 10,000, a gold ring and a mobile phone without the SIM card.

S M Krishna files nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls

Former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna yesterday filed his nomination papers seeking election to Rajya Sabha.

Krishna, who returned to active politics after a stint as Governor of Maharashtra ahead of the recently held assembly elections in Karnataka, was one of the two Congress nominees seeking election to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Industrialist and mine owner Anil Lad is the second Congress nominee for the Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka Assembly.

The Congress, which has strength of 80 members in the Legislative Assembly, was in a position of winning only one seat. However, the Congress leadership managed to secure the support of JD (S), which has 28 members, to field its second candidate.

Krishna was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly M Mallikarjun Kharge and others at the time of filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls, which will be held on June 26.

Meanwhile, former Federal Minister of State M V Rajashekaran filed his nomination papers for the election to the Legislative Council from the Assembly as a Congress candidate. Though the Congress had the option of fielding a second candidate for the Council, the party ceded the seat to JD (S) in return for its support to its second candidate for the Rajya Saba seat.

The JD (S) has fielded former Minister M C Nanaiah and former legislator A T Ramaswamy to the Legislative Council.

Meanwhile, former Jharkand Governor Rama Jois and leading educationist Prabhakar Kore filed their nominations to the Rajya Sabha as BJP candidates. Home Minister V S Acharya also filed his nomination papers to the Legislative Council as BJP candidate along with Bharathi Shetty, Siddaraju and N Shankarappa.

Karnataka BJP MLA’s wife goes missing in naxal-infested area

The 35-year-old wife of a BJP MLA in Karnataka has been reported missing for the last four days since she left her home in Udupi to go to her parent’s house 30 kms away.

The mysterious disappearance of Padmapriya, wife of BJP MLA Raghupathi Bhat representing Udupi, came to light only on Friday after the car she was driving was found abandoned at Kunjargi village which situated at a distance of 10 kms from Udupi.

Padmapriya was last seen when she left her house in Udupi on Wednesday morning to attend a religious ceremony at her parent’s house in Karnad in adjoining Dakshina Kannada district. She went alone driving the car without any co-passengers through Udupi’s countryside, which is in the grip of naxal menace.

In the absence of any communication between members of her house in Udupi and her parent’s house in Karnad, Padmapriya’s disappearance went unnoticed till the residents of Kunjargi village noticed an abandoned car.

Though the locals found the car parked for three days, it had not been brought to the notice of the police. When the information reached the police on Friday, they traced the owner of the vehicle, who turned out to be the local MLA Raghupathi Bhat.

A team of policemen reached the spot and found broken glass bangles in the driver’s seat, besides some bloodstains. The police also recovered a handbag containing a cash of around Rs 10,000, a gold ring and a mobile phone without the SIM card.

The police swung into action by blocking all entry and exit points to the area. A sniffer dog squad was also pressed into action while anti-naxal force launched combing operations in the adjoining forest areas. BJP workers, who had gathered in the village in large numbers, began searching the ponds and caves located in the vicinity.

Raghupathi Bhat, who was in Bangalore, rushed to Udupi along with Home Minister V S Acharya and visited Kunjargi village late on Friday evening. Bhat was in a state of shock and was having a tough time consoling his two children. Bhat, 39, is a two-time legislator representing Udupi. He has two sons aged 8 years and 6 years.

When the police was asked whether Maoists, who are active in the area, could have kidnapped Padmapriya senior police officials refused to comment on the matter. “It is too premature to say anything now. We are carrying out the investigation”, said Inspector General of Police (Western Range) A M Prasad.
Karnataka police along with anti naxal force personnel continued to scour the Kunjargi hills to find the whereabouts of Padmapriya for the second day on Saturday.

Debt-ridden scientist ends life

A debt-ridden scientist ended his life by consuming poison at a lodge in Mangalore while his wife and two children, who were part of the suicide pact, managed to survive.

Police said Vijay Singh, 45, who worked as a scientist with a private scientific laboratory in Bangalore, arrived in Mangalore three days ago and checked into a lodge on K S Rao road.

The family returned to the lodge at 10.30 pm on Thursday night after visiting various temples in Mangalore. “They came prepared with different bottles of ammonium cyanide, chloroform and methanol, which the police recovered from the room”, a police official said.

After Vijay Singh consumed the poison, his 40-year-old wife Sumathi, a teacher in a private school in Bangalore and their daughter Shruthi, a II PUC student, too followed suit. But, his 14-year-old son Shivamsha backed out of the pact at the last minute.

While Vijay Singh died, his wife and daughter were admitted to a private hospital in Mangalore and are undergoing treatment.

Shivamsha told police that his father first consumed poison and soon slipped into deep sleep. Later, his mother and sister too consumed the poison. “I could not consume the poison as the odour put me off”, Shivashma told the police.

Shivamsha, who was unable to see his mother and sister suffer, informed the lodge personnel, who in turn alerted the police. The police rushed Vijay Singh, Sumathi and Shruti to the hospital. Vijay Singh was declared dead on arrival while his wife and daughter are said to be out of danger.
Police investigations have revealed that Vijay Singh owed about Rs 4.7 million to various creditors, who were bringing pressure on him to return the amount

Karnataka withdraws controversial circular to temples

After coming under flak from various quarters, the BJP Government in Karnataka has withdrawn its controversial order directing all the temples coming under the Religious Endowment Department to conduct poojas in the name of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Briefing reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Minister for Rural Development Shobha Karandlaje said the circular issued by the Religious Endowment Department has been withdrawn at the behest of the Chief Minister.

“The order was issued without the knowledge of the Chief Minister and he is not happy with such an order”, Karandlaje said.

The controversial order issued by Religious Endowment Minister Krishnaiah Chetty had asked the priests of all the 36,000 temples falling under the Government’s purview to hold rituals for the welfare of the state in the name of the Chief Minister and the Government.

After the Opposition parties and progressive groups raised a hue and cry over the matter claiming the move bordered on sycophancy, the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday discussed the controversial circular in length. A red-faced Chief Minister is understood to have given a sound tongue-lashing to Krishnaiah Chetty for his “immature” decision.

Though a few Ministers attending the Cabinet meeting cited a few precedents to justify Chetty’s order, Yeddyurappa was firm that the order should be withdrawn with immediate effect.

It may be mentioned here that Chetty had issued a circular directing the priests to hold rituals every day in all the 36,000 temples of the Religious Endowment Department for the welfare of the people of the state in the name of Chief Minister and the Government.

However, the Opposition Congress saw red over the move and had sought for its immediate withdrawal. Congress party’s spokesperson V S Ugrappa said the Government direction to temples to hold prayers in the name of the Chief Minister was against the secular spirit of the Constitution.

“This is gross misuse of Government machinery for personal gain. It is also a clear indication of the BJP’s hidden agenda”, Ugrappa had said.

Women contract killers held in Bangalore

The Bangalore police arrested three women in their early twenties after their futile attempt to kill the wife of a real estate agent.

Police said the three women had allegedly entered into a contract with the real estate agent Prakash Kumar, 45, to eliminate his wife Anita.

Prakash Kumar had reportedly approached Nalini, one of the three arrested women, to kill his wife and paid Rs 200,000.

After receiving information from Prakash that his wife was alone in his house in Adarsha Nagar in Bangalore on Thursday, Nalini and her accomplices Meghana and Pallavi draped themselves in burqas and entered the house equipped with chilli powder and knives.

As soon as Anita opened the door, Nalini threw chilli powder on her face and attempted to stab her. Anita managed to push her away and escaped. Though Meghana and Pallavi fell down while trying to catch Anita.

Anita managed to escape the attack and ran out of the house screaming for help. Within seconds, passersby and neighbours caught hold of Nalini while her two accomplices escaped. However, the police traced Meghana and Pallavi later based on information provided by Nalini.

However, Anita’s husband Prakash Kumar is absconding and the police is on the look-out for him.

Police said Prakash had brought Nalini home two days before the attack and introduced her to his wife as a relative.
The police produced the three women before the court and obtained two days police custody to find out whether they were involved in any other crime.

Aarushi murder case: Krishna subjected to narco test

The focus on sensational Aarushi murder case shifted to Bangalore yesterday with Rajesh Talwar’s compounder Krishna subjected to narco analysis test at the Bowring Hospital in the City yesterday.

Krishna, who was brought to Bangalore by the CBI on Wednesday, underwent a brain-mapping test and polygraph test at the Forensic Sciences Laboratory on the outskirts of the City the same evening.

Later, he was shifted to Bowring Hospital in the heart of Bangalore, where a narco analysis test was conducted on him.

Though Bowring Hospital’s Medical Officer Rajanna confirmed that scientific tests had been performed on Krishna, he refused to divulge the details. “As the case is being investigated by the CBI, we will not be able to reveal much on the tests and Krishna’s responses during the tests. A detailed report will be prepared by the Forensic Sciences Laboratory on the basis of the tests and submitted to the CBI”, he added.

CBI has decided to conduct scientific tests on Krishna to solve the mysterious double murder of Talwar’s 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj on May 16 in Noida.

Krishna, the compounder of Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar has emerged as a suspect after CBI took over the case from Noida police following allegations of sloppy investigation.

Before being brought to Bangalore, the CBI subjected Krishna to three lie detector tests But, dissatisfied with his evasive replies, the investigating agency decided to fly him down to Bangalore and subject him to a narco analysis test.

The complicated murder mystery of Aarushi and Hemraj has gripped the attention of the country, particularly after Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar was arrested by the police. The investigating agencies are pinning a lot of hope on the outcome of the narco analysis tests so that they get clues to crack the double murder case.

Karnataka temples offerring pooja in Chief Minister’s name

Priests across thousands of temples in Karnataka have begun chanting the name of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa as part of their religious rituals following the issue of a controversial order by the BJP Government.

The circular issued by Karnataka Endowment Commissioner directed the priests of all the 36,000 odd temples belonging to the Endowment Department in the State to perform pooja every day in the name of the Chief Minister and also the Government.

The Endowment Commissioner has pointed that the order has been issued following instructions from Minister for Endowment Krishnaiah Chetty.

But, the Opposition Congress party and progressive groups are seeing red over the controversial circular. Seeking the immediate withdrawal of the Government order, Congress party’s spokesperson V S Ugrappa said the Government direction to temples to hold prayers in the name of the Chief Minister was against the secular spirit of the Constitution.

“This is gross misuse of Government machinery for personal gain. It is also a clear indication of the BJP’s hidden agenda”, Ugrappa said.

But, Endowment Minister Krishnaiah Chetty remained unfazed. “The sole intention behind the order is to seek God’s blessing for the welfare of the people of the state and to ensure peace and harmony in the society”.

To further defend his move, Chetty said the state was passing through a crisis in an apparent reference to the state-wide protests by farmers over shortage of fertilizers. Hence, divine blessings are needed to maintain peace, he said.

He pointed out that the circular clearly mentions that pooja has to be performed for the overall development of the state and the welfare of the people. “It requires no additional funds”, he added. Chetty even cited the existence of such a tradition during the days of the kings and rulers.
But, neither the Opposition nor the progressive groups are convinced with the Minister’s explanation. “Are they living in a democratic set up or back in an age when kings could issue such a dictat? ”, questioned a Mallesh, a representative of Federation of Progressive Forums of Karnataka.

Yeddyurappa asks policemen to drop their guns

Coming under intense fire from the farming community and the Opposition parties after a farmer was killed during police firing in Haveri in Karnataka, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has directed the policemen to refrain from opening fire at the farmers, who are protesting against the shortage of fertilizers in the state.

“No bullets should be used against the farmers whatever be the situation and whatever be the provocation”, Yeddyurappa told reporters after convening a high-level meeting of his ministerial colleagues and senior Government officials in Bangalore yesterday.

Announcing a compensation of Rs 200,000 to the deceased farmer Siddalingappa Churi and Rs 50,000 to two others, who had suffers serious injuries, Yeddyurappa flew to Haveri to console the families of the victims of police firing.

Amidst tight security, the Chief Minister visited the house of the deceased farmer and handed over the compensation cheque to his family members.

Later, a large number of people participated in the funeral procession of the farmer in Haveri. Tension mounted when the farmers accompanying the cortege began pelting stones at policemen when the procession was passing through bus stand in the town, which was the scene of police firing on Tuesday.

Stones were also hurled at the police vehicles and the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police en-route, forcing the policemen deployed in the area to run for cover.

Meanwhile, a defiant Yeddyurappa said the violent protests taking place in various parts of the state were an “organized conspiracy” to sully the image of his Government and create confusion.

Though Yeddyurappa had claimed that there was no scarcity of fertilizers in the state on Tuesday, he changed his stance on Wednesday and accused the Congress-led Federal Government for the crisis in the State.

“The shortage of fertilizers in the state is due to the failure of the Centre to release the subsidy amount to fertilizer manufacturers. Against the 120,000 tonnes of fertilizers promised by the Centre, the state has received only 23,000 tonnes”, he said.

However, the Opposition Congress and JD (S) have held the Chief Minister directly responsible for the police firing in Haveri and said the scarcity of fertilizers in the state had arisen on account of the BJP Govrenment’s gross negligence of the farmers.

“Within ten days of taking oath as the Chief Minister in the name of farmers, Yeddyurappa has aimed the gun at farmers. The farmers went to seek fertilizers and they have been given bullets” farmers’ leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar bemoaned.

Talwar’s compounder to undergo narco test in Bangalore

The CBI is expected to bring Rajesh Talwar’s compounder Krishna to Bangalore for a narco analysis test in connection with the murder of Talwar’s 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj in Noida last month.

Krishna, who has emerged as a suspect in the twin murders is scheduled to undergo a narco analysis test at the Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Bangalore, according to sources.

The CBI has already subjected Krishna to three lie detector tests during the last three consecutive days. But, dissatisfied with his evasive replies, the CBI has decided to fly him down to Bangalore and subject him to a narco analysis test.

CBI, which had taken over the inquiry of the sensational murder after complaints of shoddy investigation by the Noida police, is understood to have shown Krishna as a witness and secured the court’s permission to conduct a narco analysis on him.

The complicated murder mystery of Aarushi and Hemraj has gripped the attention of the country, particularly after Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar was arrested by the police. The investigating agencies are pinning a lot of hope on the outcome of the narco analysis tests so that they get clues to crack the double murder case.

One dead in police firing against agitating farmers in Karnataka

The farmers’ agitation against scarcity of fertilizers in the state turned grave yesterday after one person was killed in police firing in Haveri in north Karnataka.

Police resorted to firing against the protesting farmers, who went on a rampage setting fire to buses and stoning shops in Haveri. While one person was killed on the spot, another person, who sustained bullet injuries, is battling for life in the hospital.

The shortage of fertilizers had triggered mass protests by farmers in various parts of northern Karnataka since Monday. Violent scenes were witnessed in Hubli, Dharwad, Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur and Haveri where mobs indulged in violence, forcing the police to resort to caning and lobbing tear gas shells.

On Tuesday, the farmers’ protest in Haveri spun out of control with the protestors attacking the fertilizer shops and the police personnel.

The demonstrations continued in other parts of the state with farmers gathering in large numbers and resorting to road blockade. Traffic came to a grinding halt on several highways criss-crossing the agricultural belts in northern Karnataka yesterday.

Normal life in the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad remained paralyzed for the second day on Tuesday after agitating farmers looted fertilizer shops and set on fire one fertilizer shop and three buses belonging to the state-run North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation. The official police jeep of the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Hubli was burnt down by the angry mob.

The police action to open fire on the protesting farmers in Haveri yesterday has evoked a sharp reaction from the farmers’ leaders in the State. President of Karnataka State Farmers’ Association Kodihalli Chandrashekar has held Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa directly responsible for the scarcity of fertilizers and the subsequent death of a farmer in police firing.

Various farmers organizations in the State have given a call for state-wide agitation on Wednesday.

However, Agriculture Minister S A Ravindranath sought to lay the blame the six-month-long federal rule in the state for the present fertilizer crisis. “The fertilizer problem started six months ago during the Central rule. The failure of the officials to ensure adequate stock of fertilizers and its timely distribution to the farmers has caused the problem”, he said.
Ravindranath also denied the existence of any shortage in the supply of fertilizers in the state. “The shortage has been created on account of panic buying by farmers due to shortage in some places”, he said.

BJP’s Wakf Minister cracks the whip in Karnataka

The newly appointed Minister for Wakf in BJP ruled Karnataka Mumtaz Ali Khan has decided to streamline the management of Wakf properties in the state.

After holding a meeting with progressive leaders of the community, intellectuals and representatives of non-governmental organizations in Bangalore after assuming charge as the Minister for Wakf and Minority Affairs, Khan regretted that rampant misuse of Wakf properties in the state.

He said selfish leaders of the community had leased out precious land and commercial space in the cities like Bangalore for a “pittance”. Illegal encroachment of Wakf land is rampant.

“Such misuse of Wakf properties by influential persons is proving to be a hurdle for the development of the Muslim community”, he pointed out.

He cited the example of leasing out of a building in the heart of Bangalore belonging to Wakf to a five star hotel for 99 years lease at a monthly rent of Rs 600,000. The building can easily command a monthly rent for Rs 3.5 million rent, Khan said and added that he would explore the possibilities of scrapping the agreement.

Expressing displeasure over the functioning of the Wakf Board and the Karnataka State Minorities Development Corporation, Khan said billions of rupees spent in the last 60 years had not yielded the desired impact as funds had been misused.
Urging the Muslim community in the state to put the welfare programmes of the state Government to good use, Khan said the development of Muslims can be achieved only when the community shows the resolve to march ahead in life.

Karnataka’s independent MLAs sore denial of district-in-charge status

The five independent MLAs, who have propped up the BJP Government in Karnataka, are not only disappointed over the allocation of “insignificant” Ministerial portfolios, but also hurt over the omission of their names from the list of district-in-charge Ministers announced by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

The independent MLAs, who went public with their disappointment over the seemingly unimportant ministerial portfolios allotted to them on Sunday, met at a hotel in Bangalore yesterday after they were even denied the much-sought-after status of district-in-charge Ministers, causing concern to the BJP leadership.

“There is disappointment among the independent MLAs. We are planning to meet Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa with our grievances”, Minister for Women and Child Welfare P M Narendraswamy told reporters after participating in a meeting of the disgruntled independent MLAs.

While a few senior BJP Ministers holding powerful portfolios have been entrusted with the charge of more than one district, the independent MLAs have not only been given Ministries they were least interested in, but also kept out of the list of Ministers in charge of the district.

Independent MLA from Hosadurga in Chitradurga Gulihatti Shekar, who has been given the charge of Youth Services and Textiles, had not hesitation to go public with his disappointment. “I was the first independent MLA to announce support to the BJP. But, I have been neglected”, he rued before adding that he had sought the portfolio of Mines as mining was his area of expertise.

“A trivial portfolio apart, I have not been able to secure a quarter or room of my choice in the Vidhana Soudha. The BJP leadership is looking down upon me”, a hurt Shekar told reporters.

Similiarly, independent MLA from Kanakagiri in Koppal district Shivaraj Tangadagi is also upset over the allocation of the portfolio of Agricultural Marketing and Sugar. “I had appealed to the party leaders for Transport Ministry. But, my plea has fallen on deaf ears. I will not let go of my demand for Transport portfolio”, he said.

Keeping the independent MLAs in good humour is crucial for the survival of the BJP Government in Karnataka as the party had won only 110 seats in the 224-member house. The BJP managed to secure a simple majority only after the independent MLAs extended supported to a Government led by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Yeddyurappa decides to take a day off every week

With hectic campaigning for the elections and unending parleys during Government formation taking a toll on his health, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has decided to take a day off every week on Sundays.

“Though I will be in Bangalore on Sundays, I will avoid meeting people and holding meetings. I hope people understand that I too need some rest. It will help me plan for the week ahead”, Yeddyurappa told reporters on Sunday, his first rest day in months.

On his weekly off, Yeddyurappa went to an undisclosed location for the first time in several months to have lunch with his family including his children and grand children.

His concerned family members have welcomed Yeddyurappa’s decision to take a weekly off. “He hardly sleeps. On certain days, it is difficult for him to even sleep for a few hours and hence this compulsory rest”, said a BJP leader close to his family.

However, it is another matter that the Chief Minister may have to receive important phone calls and attend to emergency work.
Yeddyurappa’s decision to take a weekly off has reminded people of the state the weekly off former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde used to avail of. Hegde was not only taking a day off, he used to observe “mouna vrath” or remaining silent for the entire day. But, unlike Hegde, Yeddyurappa will be taking a day’s rest to be with his family.

Yeddyurappa allocates portfolios to Ministers

Almost ten days after they were sworn in as Ministers in the first-ever BJP Government in South India, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa allocated various portfolios to his ministerial colleagues.

However, Yeddyurappa appears to have established full control over the Government by retaining with himself a total of ten departments including the much-sought-after portfolios of Urban Development, Mines, Bangalore City Development, Forest and Finance.

The sensitive portfolio of Home, which had become the bone of contention among the Ministers, has been entrusted to senior party colleague and MLC V S Acharya. The intelligence wing of the Home Ministry has, however, been retained with the Chief Minister in accordance with the practice of his predecessors.

The final list of portfolios to be allocated to the Ministers was prepared after marathon discussions between Yeddyurappa and senior party colleagues and sent to Governor Rameshwar Thakur’s office late on Saturday night. The Governor issued a notification allotting the portfolios well past midnight on Saturday.

Most Ministers, who had spent the last ten days wrangling for lucrative departments, learnt about their respective portfolios only on Sunday morning.

Bellary strongmen Karunakar Reddy and Janardhan Reddy, popularly known as Reddy brothers, who had been eying plum portfolios in recognition of their efforts to secure the support of six independents crucial for the survival of the BJP Government, have been given Revenue and Tourism respectively. Another Minister from Bellary Sriramulu has been awarded Health and Family Welfare.

The lone Muslim Minister Mumtaz Ali Khan has been put in charge of Minority Welfare and Wakf while the only woman Minister Shobha Karandlaje has been given the responsibility of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.

The other portfolios announced are Public Works to C M Udasi, IT and BT, besides Excise to Katta Subramanya Naidu, Transport to R Ashok, Large and Medium industries to Murugesh Nirani, Law and Parliamentary Affairs to Suresh Kumar, Primary and Secondary Education to Visveswar Hegde Kageri, Medical Education to Ramachandra Gowda, Higher Education to Arvind Limbavali, Agriculture to S A Ravindranath, Minor Irrigation to Govind Karjol and Labour to Bachche Gowda.

The other portfolios like Major Irrigation went to Basavaraja Bommai, Animal Husbandry to Revu Naik, Fisheries to Krishna Palemar, Small Scale Industries and Sericulture to Venkataramanappa, Housing and Muzrai to Krishnaiah Shetty, Food and Civil Supplies to Hartal Halappa, Women and Child Development to Narendra Swamy, Co-operation to Lakshman Savadi, Horticulture to S K Bellubbi, Agricultural Marketing to Shivaraj Tangadagi, Social Welfare to D Sudhakar and Textiles to Goolihatti Shekar.

Software engineers arrested for extortion

Three software engineers are part of a six-member gang that was nabbed by the Bangalore police for kidnapping IT professionals and extorting money from them.

After starting a consultancy firm and deceiving people with promises of employment, the software professionals joined hands with three accomplices and took to kidnapping IT professionals for a ransom.

Bangalore City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao told reporters that the modus operandi of the gang was to kidnap IT professionals, tie fake explosives around their waist and threaten to blow them up if they fail to cough up the hefty ransom money.

The fake explosive the ingenious software engineers were deploying was actually a torch wrapped in a cloth. They used to threaten the victims that they would be blown up if the “remote controlled bomb” was activated, Rao said.

They had successfully collected ransom money from two victims, who had not lodged any complaint with the police out of fear. “The victims had bowed to the gang members threat and refrained from lodging any complaint”, he said.

Around 11 am on May 29, the gang stopped the car of a senior consultant in Mind Tree, an IT company, while he was on his way to office. They bundled him into their car and took him away.

Later, they threatened him with dire consequences if he did not cough up Rs 8 million. However, they managed to forcibly take a cheque for Rs 30,000 from him. “The gang continued to harass him for more money and threatened to kill him if he lodged a complaint”, police said.
But, on Saturday, the police arrested the six member gang recovered from them two cars, lethal weapons, Rs 400,000 in cash, six mobile phones and the fake explosive devices. The arrested persons have been identified as Kiran, Muniram, Sandesh, Praveen, Rajkumar and Bharath Amla.

Yeddyurappa expands Ministry

A day after winning the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa yesterday expanded his Ministry by inducting former Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu in his Cabinet.

Governor Rameshwar Thakur administered the oath of office and secrecy to Naidu at a simple ceremony in Raj Bhavan attended by senior BJP Ministers and other dignitaries.

The induction of Naidu takes the strength of Yeddyurappa-led Ministry to 31, which still leaves room for three more Ministers as the constitutional ceiling for Karnataka has been fixed at 34, including the Chief Minister.

Already, a total of 29 Ministers had been sworn into the Ministry when Yeddyurappa assumed office as Chief Minister on May 30. Naidu, who had served as Minister for Major Industries in the previous JD (S)-BJP coalition, could not be administered the oath of office on May 30 as he was unwell.

A large number of Naidu’s supporters gathered outside Raj Bhavan and celebrated his induction into the BJP Ministry on Saturday evening by bursting crackers and dancing to the beating of drums.

Speaking to reporters after being sworn in as a Minister, Naidu, who is considered to be Yeddyurappa’s trusted lieutenant, said he would discharge whatever responsibility entrusted to him by the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, lobbying continued for the three ministerial berths kept vacant with several aspirants including four-time MLAs H S Shankarlinge Gowda from Mysore and A Narayanaswamy from Anekal on the outskirts of Bangalore pressing for their accommodation in the Ministry.

However, BJP leaders ruled out the possibility of the next expansion until the Budget session of the Karnataka Legislature, which is scheduled to begin on June 23, ends on July 10.

Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa is expected to allocate portfolios to his Ministers after securing a clearance from the party’s national leadership. Though he has prepared a preliminary list in consultation with the senior leaders of the party’s state unit, a final decision will be taken after party’s central leader Arun Jaitley arrives in Bangalore.
BJP spokesperson and Minister Suresh Kumar said Jaitley is scheduled to arrive in Bangalore later on Saturday to finalise the list of portfolios to be allocated to the 31-member Ministry.

Yeddyurappa to expand Ministry on Saturday

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said he would expand his fledgeling Ministry on Saturday, a day after he proves his majority on the floor of the House.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore yesterday, Yeddyurappa said he would expand his Ministry at a simple function to be held on the lawns of Raj Bhavan in Bangalore on Saturday evening.

Yeddyurappa is scheduled to face the crucial trial of strength in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday.

Yeddyurappa had inducted 29 Ministers, including five independents, when he took oath as the Chief Minister last Friday. With the constitutional ceiling on the Ministry fixed at 34 including the Chief Minister, there is scope for inclusion of four more Ministers in his Government.

Yeddyurappa said he would be inducting former Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu during the expansion of the Ministry. Naidu, who served as Minister for Major Industries during the JD (S)-BJP coalition Government, could not make it to the swearing in ceremony last Friday as he was reported to be ill.

Yeddyurappa, however, did not mention the names of any other aspirants, who would be included in the Ministry during the scheduled expansion on Saturday.

When Yeddyurappa inducted 29 Ministers into his Government last Friday, there was severe heartburn among several ministerial aspirants including four-time MLAs H S Shankarlinge Gowda from Mysore and A Narayanaswamy from Anekal on the outskirts of Bangalore.

BJP to issue whip for Yeddyurappa’s trial of strenght

BJP has decided to issue a whip to its MLAs to vote in favour of the confidence motion sought to be moved by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday.

Yeddyurappa is scheduled to move a confidence motion in the Legislative Assembly soon after Governor Rameshwar Thakur addresses the joint session of the state legislature.

BJP, which bagged 110 seats in the recently held Assembly elections, enjoys the support of six independents, taking its effective strength to 116 in the 224-member House. The Congress has 80 seats while the JD (S) has 28 seats.

In view of the slender majority commanded by the Yeddyurappa-led Government, the BJP will be issuing a whip to all its MLAs to vote in favour of the motion. “The BJP Legislature Party will meet and issue a whip not only to its MLAs, but also to the independents, who have now become associate members of the BJP”, a senior BJP leader said.

SPEAKER: Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Minister Jagadish Shettar was yesterday elected the Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly yesterday.

Soon after the House met on Thursday, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa proposed the name of Shettar. Pro-tem speaker K G Bopaiah declared Shettar elected as the new speaker through voice vote.

Shettar was elected unopposed as the Opposition Congress and JD (S) did not field their candidates. Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition M Mallikarjun Kharge said the party did not field a candidate as it did not have sufficient numbers.

It may be mentioned here that Shettar had raised a banner of revolt after his exclusion from the B S Yeddyurappa-led Cabinet and firmly rejected accepting the post of speaker offered to him.

However, Shettar, who has not only served as the BJP’s state unit President and also as Leader of the Opposition, fell in line with the party’s decision and filed his nomination papers after the party’s national leadership summoned him to New Delhi and held negotiations with him.

Shettar denied that he had agreed to become the Speaker under compulsion from the party’s national leadership. “I have made by own decision as I have understood the importance of the post of speaker”, he said.

Shettar falls in line, files nomination papers for Speaker’s post in Karnataka

Falling in line with the party’s decision, former Minister and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar yesterday filed the nomination papers for the post of Karnataka Legislative Assembly speaker.

Shettar, who had raised a banner of revolt after his exclusion from the B S Yeddyurappa-led Cabinet, told reporters that he is convinced about the importance of the post of Assembly speaker.

After filing his nomination papers for the post of Karnataka Legislative Assembly speaker yesterday, Shettar denied that he was under compulsion from the party’s national leadership in the regard. “I have made my own decision. I have understood the responsibility the post of speaker carries”, he said.

Shettar, a prominent BJP leader from North Karnataka region, had earlier rejected the post of Speaker after the party kept him out of the Ministry. Even as his supporters went on a rampage in different parts of the state for denial of Ministerial berth to their leader, Shettar struck a defiant posture declaring that he prefer to remain an MLA rather than become a speaker.

However, the party’s national leadership summoned him to New Delhi on Monday, held discussions with him and managed to convince him to accept the post of speaker.

Speaking to reporters after Shettar filed his nomination papers soon after the three-day special legislature session began yesterday, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa expressed confidence that his party candidate will win the post of Speaker during the election scheduled to be held on Thursday. The Opposition Congress and JD (S) had not fielded their candidates for the post of Speaker.

The BJP, which won 110 seats and is supported by six independent MLAs, enjoys a fragile majority in the 224 member House with Congress and JD (S) having 80 and 28 seats respectively.

Meanwhile, pro-tem speaker K G Bopaiah administered the oath of office to all the 224 newly elected MLAs to the Karnataka Assembly yesterday on the opening day of the three-day special session.

Youth takes romantic route to Guinness Book

In an effort to make it to the coveted Guinness Book of World Records, a 30-year-old youth from Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka has taken the romantic route and penned a 143-page long love letter.

Harish, a native of Kavalakki village in Uttara Kannada district, who is still a bachelor, said he wrote the love letter in Kannada to an imaginary lover called “Abhisarika” for the sake of entering into the Guinness Book of World Records.

An employee of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Harish began his marathon effort on February 14 this year on the Valentine’s Day by writing a page or two every day after office hours. By the time, his epic love letter containing 33,100 words ended, it was May 25.

“I used to write one or two pages every day after 7 pm. I am used to writing as I had written short stories when I was in college and later wrote to a few Kannada language newspapers and magazines”, he said.

Harish said he stretched the love letter to 143 pages as 143 is considered to be the common code word of lovers. Whether his effort fetches him a place in the coveted Guinness Book of World Records or not, the author is hoping that his unusually long love letter helps him find a bride.

Seers to preach HIV prevention

Prominent Hindu religious leaders of India have pledged to begin delivering sermons on the dreaded HIV with a view to tackling the scourge of AIDS, which is spreading at an alarming rate.

More 70 seers from different parts of the country gathered at a two-day conference called “Faith in Action” held at the Art of Living International headquarters in Bangalore and resolved to spread awareness of HIV through their discourses, religious education, festivals and rituals.

The senior seers have also committed themselves to mobilizing priests and faith leadership to tackle the spread of AIDS by preventing people, especially youth, from falling prey to the disease through active counselling. The religious leaders will also help disseminate information about preventive measures against HIV/AIDS and fight discrimination associated with the patients suffering from the disease.

Federal Minister for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes, who attended the conclave, said the campaign against HIV/AIDS will have a far greater reach if all the saints can join in.

The schools and educational institutions run by the religious organizations will inculcate moral values among the children and youth to curb promiscuous behaviour, Art of Living Foundation’s Sri Ravi Shankar told reporters.

Director of World Conference of Religious Peace Jim Cairns, who addressed the seers, said the leadership of saints in tackling HIV and AIDS was essential not only in India, but also globally.

The two-day conference organized by UNAIDS and Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS concluded on Tuesday. Apart from noted seers of Bangalore, religious leaders from various parts of India including President of World Council of Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh, besides saints from ISKCON, Mate Vaishno Devi and pontiffs of Hindu religious organizations in Mankipur, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat participated in the meet.

Yeddyurappa to seek confidence vote on June 6

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will seek a vote of confidence on the floor of the Legislative Assembly on June 6.

Yeddyurappa drove to Raj Bhavan yesterday and conveyed to Governor Rameshwar Thakur that he would secure the trust vote on the floor of the state assembly on June 6.

Newly inducted Minister S Suresh Kumar, who accompanied the Chief Minister to Raj Bhavan, told reporters that the Governor had agreed to address the joint session of the state legislature on the morning of June 6. “Thereafter, Yeddyurappa will move a motion to seek vote of confidence”, he said.

Suresh Kumar claimed that Yeddyurappa had succeeded in persuading the Governor, who had refused to address the joint session unless Yeddyurappa proved his majority in the assembly, to change his mind.

Thakur is believed to have agreed to address the joint session based on the advise of state advocate general Uday Holla, who pointed out that it was mandatory on the part of the Governor to address the joint session when a new Government assumes office under article 176 of the Constitution.

Yeddyurappa met the Governor after his office issued a notification convening the assembly for two days – on June 4 and 5. Heeding to the Chief Minister’s request to allow him to seek the trust vote on June 6, the Governor extended the session by one more day.

According to schedule, pro-tem speaker K G Bopaiah, who has been appointed by the Governor, will administer the oath to the newly-elected 224 MLAs on June 4. The election for the post of Speaker will be held on June 5.

Meanwhile, BJP sources claimed that former Minister Jagadish Shettar, who had been sulking over the denial of a ministerial berth to him, has agreed to become the Speaker of the Assembly for one year after the party’s national leadership held talks with him.

Telgi trial resumes in Bangalore

The alleged kingpin in the multi-billion rupee fake stamp paper scam Abdul Karim Telgi, who has been shifted to Bangalore Central jail, appeared before the special court here yesterday in connection with the cases booked against him in Karnataka.

Telgi, who was produced before the special court through video conferencing facilities inside the jail premises, fielded queries posed by the special judge, his lawyers said. The proceedings were held in-camera and the judge posted the next hearing to June 23.

It may be mentioned here that Telgi was shifted to Bangalore after the video-conferencing facility at Yerawada prison in Pune broke down. Telgi arrived in Bangalore on Sunday morning by train amid tight security.

Soon after his arrival in Bangalore, he was shifted to the central jail at Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of the City, where he was put into a barricaded room.

Telgi will be facing trial in cases booked by Upparpet and Madiwala police stations in Bangalore through the video conferencing facility in Bangalore Central jail.

BJP crisis deepens in Karnataka, Shettar summoned to New Delhi

In an effort to resolve the deepening crisis over the exclusion of senior leaders from the newly installed B S Yeddyurappa-led Government in Karnataka, the BJP’s national leadership yesterday summoned former Minister Jagadish Shettar to New Delhi to hold negotiations.

The summons from New Delhi came after Shettar, who has firmly rejected the post of Speaker of the Assembly, lashed out at Yeddyurappa and former Federal Minister Ananthakumar of playing a role in the denial of ministerial berth to him.

“I have been summoned by the party leadership in New Delhi for talks”, Shettar told reporters in Bangalore on Monday before boarding a flight to New Delhi.

Shettar, who has served as the BJP’s state unit President and as a Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, has been sulking after he was kept out of the newly sworn in BJP Ministry in Karnataka. He is scheduled to meet BJP’s senior leader Arun Jaitley in New Delhi for negotiations.

Shettar was summoned to New Delhi after Yeddyurappa all but ruled out his inclusion in the Ministry. “Shettar is a senior leader, who could fill the post of speaker and discharge the duties in an able manner. It is also the wish of the national leadership of the party that he should take over the post of Speaker. I will not interfere in the matter. The state leadership has nothing to do with the issue now”, the Chief Minister said.

“I hope the central leadership will convince him that the post of a Speaker is bigger than that of a Chief Minister”, Yeddyurappa said virtually washing his hands off the issue.

It may be mentioned here that supporters of Shettar, who had also served as a Revenue Minister in the JD (S)-BJP coalition Government, went on a rampage after their leader was kept out of the Yeddyurappa-led Government.

The BJP is not in a position to afford dissidence to raise its head in the party in view of its fragile strength in the Assembly. With 110 members in the 224-member assembly, the BJP managed to secure simple majority of 113 members with the support of five independent MLAs, who have been gifted with ministerial berths.

Telgi brought to Bangalore

The alleged mastermind behind the multi-billion rupee fake stamp paper scam Abdul Karim Lala Telgi was brought to Bangalore yesterday amid tight security.

A thick blanket of security was thrown around the railway station in Bangalore, where Telgi arrived by train from Pune on Sunday morning, accompanied by security personnel from Maharashtra.

Telgi was immediately taken away to Bangalore Central jail at Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of Bangalore, where he will be lodged. Tight security arrangements were made in the City in view of the threat to Telgi’s life.

Telgi was shifted to Bangalore Central jail from Yerawada jail in Pune after the video conferencing facility there had broken down.

Telgi’s trail in pending cases booked by the Madiwala and Upparpet police stations in Bangalore will now be conducted from Bangalore Central jail through video conferencing facility, Telgi’s advocate Rajanna told reporters at the Bangalore railway station.
The special court in Bangalore, which is hearing the cases against Telgi, is scheduled to take up the matter on Monday.

Karnataka Ministers scramble for offices, bungalows and cars

Even though Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has made it clear that the newly inducted Ministers would be allocated their portfolios only after June 6, a virtual scramble has begun for office rooms in the stately Vidhana Soudha, ministerial bungalows and official cars.

The personal staff of most Ministers descended in the corridors of Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, scouting for official chambers that are not only easily accessible, but also Vastu-compliant.

A similiar hunt was mounted for ministerial bungalows located close to Vidhana Soudha and official cars, whose registration numbers add up to nine.

After most Ministers returned to their home constituencies on Saturday, the personal staff were found roaming in the corridors of Vidhana Soudha, some with Vastu experts in tow.

According to officials of Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the rooms, which were facing west and those in the same corridor as the Chief Minister’s chambers were the most in demand. Next came rooms facing east followed by the ones facing north. There were few takers for rooms facing south.

Room number 314 on the third floor of Vidhana Soudha was among the hot favourites of the Minister. For, former Minister R V Deshpande occupied the room for ten consecutive years as Minister for Industries from 1994 to 2004 – first as a Minister in the undivided Janata Dal and later as a Minister in the S M Krishna-led Congress Government.

Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa, who was sworn in as Minister, has already opted for the room. Though there have been multiple requests for certain rooms considered to be “lucky”, DPAR officials said the Chief Minister will have a final say in the allotment of official chambers.

Similiarly, the ministerial bungalows next Hotel Taj West End, Chowdaiah Road and Crescent Road have become the most-sought after residences for the newly inducted Ministers.

When it comes to official cars, the personal staff of most Ministers chose from the recently added fleet of Lancer cars. Giving a lot of importance to numerology, the cars whose registration numbers total to the auspicious nine were in high demand, DPAR officials said.

“Almost all cars allotted to Ministers soon after the swearing-in ceremony have registration numbers that add up to nine”, a DPAR official said.

The DPAR had sufficient cars with registration numbers that add up to nine as they had requested the Transport authorities to register the new cars with numbers that added up to nine after there was a similar demand during the previous regime.

Governor asks BJP to prove majority before customary joint address

In a significant political development, Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur has asked the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP Government in the state to prove its majority on the floor of the House before he could deliver his customary address to the joint legislature session.

When a delegation of BJP leaders called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Friday night to invite him to address the joint session of the state legislature scheduled to be held from June 4 to 6, Thakur insisted that Yeddyurappa prove his strength on the floor of the House.

Thakur informed the BJP delegation that their party had not won a majority on its own in the assembly elections. The BJP had fallen three seats short of a simple majority in the 224-member House.

Though the BJP had crossed the magical figure of 113 required for a majority in the House by securing the support of six independents, Thakur said he would address the joint session of the state legislature only after the Yeddyurappa-led Government passes the vote of confidence.

Earlier on Friday, the Cabinet at its maiden meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yeddyurappa decided to recommend the Governor to call for the legislature session of the assembly from June 4 to 6 to enable the new members to take oath and elect the Speaker. Yeddyurappa had scheduled the vote of confidence for June 6.

But, the Governor’s directive to the Chief Minister to prove his majority before his customary address to the joint session has come under criticism from the BJP.

“The Governor’s decision not to address the joint session of the state legislature is against the will of democracy. I think he is acting as per the wishes of the Congress leaders”, BJP’s Karnataka unit President D V Sadananda Gowda told reporters.

BJP leaders said the Governor was bound by the Constitution to address a joint session of the state legislature on the first day of the first session of the year, irrespective of whether a new Government has been formed nor not.

“We are absolutely comfortable with the numbers. We have also proved it in front of the Governor himself before he invited us to form the Government. If he insists, we are not averse to proving it again. But, the Constitution clearly states that the Governor’s address comes first”, a BJP leader said.

BJP cadres of warpath over exclusion of senior leaders from Ministry

Close on the heels of BJP celebrating the historic occasion of forming its first full-fledged Government in a south Indian state, party cadres took to the streets in various parts of the Karnataka and unleashed violence in protest against the denial of Ministerial berths to several senior leaders including former Minister Jagadish Shettar.

Violence erupted in Hubli, which is the native of Shettar, on Friday evening with angry supporters of the BJP leader went on a rampage, damaging state-run buses and attacking a wine store in the town.

Police said a group of protestors stopped a state-run bus near railway gate in Hubli and set it on fire after directing the commuters to alight from the vehicle. By the time Fire and Emergency personnel arrived, the bus was gutted.

Five other buses belonging to the state-run North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation were damaged after miscreants threw stones at them in different parts of Hubli. One person was injured when the protestors attacked a wine store in the town.

Following sudden outbreak of trouble in Hubli, the authorities withdrew bus service in the town. Fearing more trouble, vehicular traffic also came to a standstill in many parts of the town.

In Bangalore, hundreds of supporters of former Minister Jagadish Shettar, who had arrived from Hubli to watch the swearing in of their leader as a Minister, marched towards Basaveshwara circle in the City and gave vent to their anger. They even shouted slogans against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Meanwhile, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and corporators of Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation have threatened to resign en-masse as a mark of protest against denial of Ministerial berth to Shettar.

Shettar, who was offered the post of Speaker, has firmly rejected the offer. “I will not accept the post of Speaker at any cost. I will work as an ordinary MLA if the party leadership does not accommodate me in the Ministry”, a crest-fallen Shettar told reporters.

Several BJP supporters staged a road blockade in Anekal on the outskirts of Banaglore in protest against the exclusion of local MLA Narayanaswamy from the Ministry.

Similiar protests were held in Mysore late on Friday evening and Saturday by supporters of four-time MLA H S Shankarlinge Gowda over the denial of a Ministerial berth to him. Gowda.

Gowda lashed out at the BJP leadership for ignoring his claims for a ministerial berth despite being one of the senior-most party MLA in the state. “Despite having won four times in a row and being a loyal soldier of the party, I have not been included in the Ministry. What is the yardstick in choosing Ministers? Am I a criminal or a drug peddlar?”, an enraged Gowda asked.

Also sulking over the denial of Ministerial berth is former Minister D H Shankarmurthy, who was the Higher Education Minister in the JD (S)-BJP coalition Government. Shankarmurthy walked out of a meeting with Yeddyurappa at RSS headquarters in Bangalore, where the BJP leadership was trying to assuage the hurt feelings of ministerial aspirants on Saturday.