Karnataka woman, illegally confined by Indian agent in Kuwait, reaches home finally

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday, June 5, staged protests in different parts of Karnataka against Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh's statement that if buffaloes can be slaughtered, why not cows.

The party also condemned the Congress government in the state for increasing power tariff by Rs 2.89 per unit, which happened at a time when the government introduced 'Gruha Jyothi' scheme offering 200 units of electricity free.

Referring to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, which is also known as anti-cow slaughter law, Venkatesh had said on Saturday in Mysuru that the government will revisit the law.

His argument was that the previous BJP government had promulgated the law, which allowed slaughter of buffaloes. Responding to a question on the difficulties faced by farmers in managing aged cows, the minister shared his own example where he had to get an earthmover to bury his dead cow.

The protests took place in Bengaluru, Chikkaballapura, Mysuru, Davangere and a few other parts of the state.

In Mysuru, the BJP workers raised slogans against the Congress government for its decision to revisit the anti-cow slaughter law.

They also held placards which read, "BJP demands the Congress government to continue the anti-cow slaughter law."

The protestors alleged that the Congress has conflicting policies, where it is giving electricity free while on the other it has hiked the power tariff.

Chikkamagaluru, June 4: A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death, while two suffered injuries in a scuffle that broke out among friends over a trivial issue of changing a song during a felicitation programme organised for newly elected MLA. 

The incident took place at Tarikere in Chikkamagaluru district late Saturday night. 

According to Superintendent of Police Uma Prashanth, the deceased has been identified as Pakali Varun. A felicitation programme was organised for MLA G H Srinivas.

When the programme was about to conclude, a scuffle ensued among friends over changing of the song for dance.

In a fit of rage, some of them stabbed Pakali Varun. He was rushed to McGann Hospital in Shivamogga, but he succumbed to his injuries, said the SP. 

Two others -- Sanju and Manju -- suffered minor injuries.

The SP said that all the suspects would be arrested at the earliest.

Mangaluru, June 1: Dakshina Kannada MP and Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel has threatened that his party would launch a massive protest if the ruling Congress government failed to fulfil the poll promises immediately. 

Speaking to media persons in the city today he said, “Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjuna Kharge, DK Shivakumar had made several poll promises before the elections. They had also said that these promises would be fulfilled within 24 hours of government formation. But now, despite 20 days of being in power, they haven’t fulfilled their guarantees.”

“Now, the Chief Minister of the state Siddaramaiah has realized that it is impossible to fulfil the poll promises. He has financial knowledge despite that he lied to the people,” said Kateel.

He went on to warn that if any untoward incidents takes place in the state due to unfulfilled promises, the Congress government will be held responsible. 

He said officers and staff of Bescom and KSRTC are facing the wrath of people because of the promises of Congress. 

The Congress had promised to implement the ‘guarantees’ – 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti), on the very first day of assuming power in the state.

There is mounting pressure on the new government from opposition parties and various sections of people from across the state, to fulfill its five guarantees as promised ahead of polls.