Muslims who migrated to Pak not enjoying much respect, prestige there: Bhagwat

Bengaluru, Oct 26: Karnataka is mulling issuing fresh Covid-19 guidelines after the detection of AY.4.2 variants in Karnataka.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education Sudhakar K will meet the Technical Advisory Committee on Tuesday (October 26) and consult CM Bommai on the same.

Around 20 samples of a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 called ‘AY.4.2’ have been identified from India, with the earliest sample having been collected in May this year.

AY.4.2 is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant of the Covid-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus. Delta continues to be the most dominant variant circulating in India. 

Bengaluru, Oct 17: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday hinted at reducing cess and sales tax on petrol and diesel in the state to ease the fuel prices which have touched an all-time high.

Speaking to the media, Bommai said it all depends on the economy. "I have called an economic review meeting. If the economic situation seems to be good, there is possibility for the consideration," he added.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had rejected any tax deduction on fuel in the state. The petrol price has reached Rs 109.16 per litre and diesel price has touched Rs 100 in Karnataka.

The Opposition Congress has demanded a reduction of taxes on fuel on similar lines of the Tamil Nadu government which has reduced the taxes on petrol by Rs 3 per litre.

The Congress has blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party governments for the hike in fuel prices.

Bommai had defended that during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, fuel prices had increased by 60 per cent between 2004 and 2014 while fuel prices have risen by 30 per cent in seven years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah targeted the present BJP government, saying that inflation under its tenure is nothing but criminal loot. 

Bengaluru, Oct 14: The Congress' Karnataka unit president D K Shivakumar said he will not blame anyone for the viral video in which former Lok Sabha member V S Ugrappa and media coordinator M A Saleem attributed him to an alleged scam when he was a Minister.

"People have already spoken whatever they wanted. I will not blame the BJP or the media. We only gave others a chance to use us," Shivakumar told reporters here.

He was responding to the queries on the embarrassing video of the purported conversation between Saleem and Ugrappa on Tuesday ahead of a press meet at the party's meeting hall. In the video, Saleem is purportedly heard calling Shivakumar a 'Collection Giraaki' (extortionist), who allegedly increased the 'commission' in irrigation contracts from eight per cent to 12 per cent.

The party suspended Saleem from the party for six years and served a show-cause notice to Ugrappa, who is Congress spokesperson, seeking an explanation in three days. The Congress state chief said the issue related to the viral video was not personal but pertained to a party, which was built by the lakhs of party workers.

Hitting back at the BJP for targeting him following the viral video, Shivakumar said let the BJP take note of what their leaders have spoken against their leader such as MLC A H Vishwanath, C P Yogeshwar, Ramesh Jarkiholi and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal.

"Why the BJP has not yet answered to the charges levelled by Vishwanath, Yogeeshwar, Ramesh Jarkiholi and Yatnal (against former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his family)? Why are they not speaking about collection during the BJP's tenure," the Congress state chief said.