Smriti Irani promises a new Hajj policy 'which reflects PM Modi's resolutions'

Bengaluru: Defending his cabinet's move to withdraw approval for the CBI probe against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in a disproportionate assets case, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said, the sanction given by the previous BJP government is illegal.

The cabinet on Thursday deemed the previous BJP government's move to give consent to the CBI to investigate the DA case against Shivakumar as not being in accordance with the law and decided to withdraw the sanction.

The then BJP government had given the sanction on September 25, 2019 following which the central investigating agency registered an FIR against Shivakumar on October 3, 2020.

The CBI has claimed that Shivakumar amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 74.93 crore, disproportionate to known sources of his income from April 1, 2013 to April 30, 2018, when he was the Energy Minister in the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of 2013-2018.

"What we have said is that the sanction given is illegal. For an inquiry on any government servant, the government will have to give sanction. If it is a minister, the Governor should give sanction, and if it is an MLA, the Speaker has to give it. Here the Speaker's permission was not taken. Shivakumar was an MLA when sanction was given," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said that even before the Advocate General gave his opinion, the order was issued consenting for the CBI to investigate the case by the Chief Secretary, on the basis of oral instructions of the then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

"We have said this is illegal, as it is not in accordance with law," he added.

Responding to a question, Siddaramaiah said he would not comment on court decisions; the government will do what it has to.

"The sanction was given illegally (by the previous government), it is not right, we will withdraw the sanction is what we have said...we cannot hinder what the court decides, we cannot interfere, let the court decide what it has to," he said.

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday adjourned to November 29 the hearing of the appeal filed by Shivakumar against the sanction accorded by the previous government to the CBI to prosecute him in the DA case.

The CBI informed the high court on November 15 that the Supreme Court has directed the HC to hear the application filed by the investigating agency seeking vacation of the stay granted on the appeal, preferably within two weeks.

A single judge bench had earlier dismissed Shivakumar’s petition challenging the sanction of September 25, 2019 granted by the government to prosecute him.

Shivakumar then challenged it before the division bench which had stayed the single judge order. The CBI had filed an application for vacation of this stay.

Based on the Income Tax Department's search operations in Shivakumar's home and offices in 2017, the Enforcement Directorate started its own probe against him. Based on the ED investigation, the CBI sought sanction from the state government to register a case against him. 

At least nine Palestinians have been killed and several others injured after the Israeli regime carried out airstrikes on two refugee camps in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the victims, including children, were killed as a result of Israeli occupation air raids on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camps in central Gaza early on Wednesday.

Sources also told Wafa that several people lost their lives in another Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northeastern Gaza.

Israelis kill five Palestinians in West Bank

The Israeli military also killed five Palestinians in a drone missile attack on the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm.

The occupation forces stormed the Tulkarm refugee camp and bombed a house and a gathering of Palestinian residents in the area with a drone, leaving at least three Palestinians inured, according to WAFA.

The Israeli regime forces also imposed a siege on Thabet Hospital in the city of Tulkarm and surrounded the entrances to the hospital with their vehicles, which hindered the arrival of the injured at the medical facility to receive treatment.

“The occupation army chased the ambulances that were traveling in the city of Tulkarm, obstructed their work and prevented them from moving freely,” WAFA cite eyewitnesses as saying.

Palestine’s Shehab news agency said the occupation forces also arrested one of the wounded after storming the emergency department at Thabet Hospital.

The latest casualties came hot on the heels of an agreed-upon ceasefire deal that would bring about a halt in a 47-day-long Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime’s incessant crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 14,128 Palestinians, including 5,840 children and 3,920 women, and injured at least 33,000 others.

The illegal entity has also imposed a “complete siege” on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Mangaluru, Nov 23: A pleasant surprise awaited “unlettered educationist” Harekala Hajabba after he boarded Dammam bound Air India Express flight at Mangaluru International Airport recently. 

Harekala Hajabba, a Padma Shri recipient, was being taken to Saudi Arabia by the Jubail unit of Hidayah Foundation for a private event when some of the crew members of the flight recognised him. 

The crew members informed the captain about the presence of the rare achiever on board the flight. 

Captain Shenoy S. B. went to Hajabba, congratulated him and introduced him to the passengers. “We are proud that Padma Shri recipient Harekala Hajabba who has served the education sector immensely is flying in our aircraft. We offered our heartiest congratulations to him,” he said.

Hajabba was accompanied by motivational speaker Rafeeq Master and entrepreneur Farooq Portway.