Yogi led Hindu Yuva Vahini’s barbarism triggers alarm bells in BJP

Mangaluru, June 30: The life in the port city of Karnataka was thrown out of gear as the shoddy preparedness on the part of local administration and the crumbling public infrastructure exposed the so called ‘Smart City’.

Torrential rain that lashed Mangaluru today wreaked havoc in the form of artificial flood in a majority of the city roads, besides leaving a trail of destruction. Amidst relentless rains, there were reports of damage to roads and buildings whereas minor landslides reported across the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada.

Meanwhile, the Met Department has issued an orange alert till July 1 and yellow alert from July 2 to 4.

Trains cancelled

The services of unreserved express special Train No.06488 and 06489 between Subrahmanya Road - Mangaluru Central was cancelled due to a landslide that occurred between Padil and Mangaluru Junction section 9am on Thursday. 

Railway authorities expressed hope that the Landslip between Padil and Mangaluru Junction was likely to be restored by Thursday night.

Flights affected

Bengaluru- Mangaluru Indigo flight scheduled to arrive at MIA at 7.10am, diverted back to Bengaluru after 30 minutes of hovering over the airport due to poor visibility. It Later arrived at 12.50pm and left 1.15pm. 

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Indigo flight scheduled to land at 11.30am, landed 40 minutes late. Another arrived from Bengaluru 15 minutes late at 11.35 am and departed 50 minutes late at 12.50pm. Yet another Bengaluru Mangaluru flight arrived 25 minutes late at 2.05 pm and left at 2.59 pm, instead of the scheduled departure time of 2.35 pm.

Threat to bridge

The intense rainfall saw a side of the approach road at Maravoor bridge, connecting the Mangaluru International Airport, sink causing fear of damage to the road, PWD executive engineer, who inspected the spot, said the bridge was intact. 

He said on the approach road, there is a slight slipping of earth towards the airport side which will be attended immediately. But since traffic was restricted on the bridge, there were long queues with only one-way traffic, from either side being permitted at a time.

Bengaluru, July 4: Karnataka High Court Justice H.P. Sandesh on Monday lashed out at the authorities saying that he received a transfer threat as a result of his remarks against the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

While looking into the bail plea of the accused who was caught red-handed accepting a bribe at the Bengaluru Urban District Commissioner's office, Justice Sandesh said that he is ready to be transferred.

"I am ready for it for the good of people. Your ACB ADGP (Seemanth Kumar Singh) seems to be a powerful person. Somebody has told me this to my colleague. I have been informed about it by a judge. The threat of transfer will be recorded in the order," Justice Sandesh stated.

"I don't fear anyone. I am ready to bell the cat. I have not accumulated property after becoming a judge. I don't care if I lose the position. I am the son of a farmer. I am ready to till the land. I don't belong to any political party. I don't adhere to any political ideology," he remarked.

The counsel for the government in the case informed the bench headed by Justice Sandesh that the information regarding 'B-reports' (closure reports) had already been given to the division bench.

Earlier, the bench had directed the authorities to submit all closure reports filed till date. The court had underlined that the ACB had been turned into a collection centre. Closure reports are filed on those who were caught red-handed taking bribes, the bench stated.

"The second accused in the DC office raid case was appointed on a contract basis for the job of collection of money. You have been filing B-reports on those who were caught red-handed. Why are you not furnishing details to me, while the information has already been given to the division bench?" Justice Sandesh questioned the counsel for ACB.

"Are you protecting the public or tainted persons? The black coat is not for the protection of the corrupt. Corruption has become cancer and it should not reach the 4th stage. The officers are being extorted after threatening them with search warrants," Justice Sandesh noted.

"What should be done when the fence eats up the crop? The service records of ACB ADGP have not been produced before the court. You have reached a stage of issuing threats to the judge. The whole state is mired in corruption. If Vitamin M (money) is there, you (ACB) will protect anyone," he said.

The bench directed the DPAR Secretary to present before the court. The ruling BJP had transferred Bengaluru Urban District Commissioner J. Manjunath following the previous observation by the bench. 

Bengaluru, June 24: BJP leader and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti has said that Karnataka will be divided into two and India will have 50 new states after the next Lok Sabha elections. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself will take the initiative on this issue, Katti added.

Katti, a vocal proponent of separate statehood for north Karnataka, , made the statement at a Belagavi Bar Association event on Wednesday. A video of his speech has now gone viral.

“A debate is trending on social media that over 50 states will be formed in the country after next Lok Sabha polls. It is for sure that North Karnataka will also become a separate state on the basis of population spread across Karnataka. After the 2024 elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself will form new states. Maharashtra will become three, Karnataka two, and Uttar Pradesh will become four states,” Katti said.

Saying that Bengaluru city is overcrowded, lacks water supply for citizens who have to spend hours in traffic jams, Katti said that it was high time that IT companies thought beyond Bengaluru. North Karnataka has huge potential, he said, urging people to join hands to demand a north Karnataka state.

Katti, who represents Hukkeri Assembly constituency, has demanded separate statehood for north Karnataka in the past too, causing embarrassment to the ruling BJP. In 2019, Katti demanded then chief minister B S Yediyurappa award separate statehood to north Karnataka.

In 2021, Katti courted controversy by saying that people “low on confidence” in fighting coronavirus could not be saved.

Siddaramaiah slams

Meanwhile, former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday criticised Katti saying “to even think of dividing the state was equivalent to betraying mother, motherland and mother tongue.”

“Many Kannadigas had sacrificed everything to realise a unified Karnataka. To even think of dividing our state is equivalent to betraying mother, motherland and mother tongue. Minister Umesh Katti has revealed that the discussions are being held at Prime Minister @narendramodi’s level to divide Karnataka. This is a very dangerous development,” Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Siddaramaiah also sought a clarification from Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the issue. “@PMOIndia @CMofKarnataka  @BSBommai should issue clarification about this. This is not the first time Minister Umesh Katti has made such statements,” the former CM said.

CM disowns statement

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday disowned the statement of his cabinet. “There is no thinking or proposal at the government level at all on a separate state of North Karnataka,” Bommai told reporters in New Delhi.   

“This is not the first time Umesh Katti has spoken about it. He has been saying it for many years. He should himself reply to this question”, he shot back to a query posed by reporters.