Karnataka politics: BJP uses caste card to woo JD(S) leader

TNN

February 14, 2019

Bengaluru, Feb 14: The 80-minute audio clip released on Wednesday is a purported conversation between opposition leader in the legislative assembly BS Yeddyurappa, BJP MLAs Shivanagouda Naik and Preetham Gowda and Sharanagouda, son of JD(S) MLA Naganagouda Kandakur. An anonymous well-wisher of Yeddyurappa, who accompanied him, also joined in the conversation. During the discussions, BJP leaders freely invoke the caste card to convince Sharanagouda to get his father resign. Excerpts:

Yeddyurappa: You (Sharanagouda) can come with police security to submit resignation (of Naganagouda). The speaker cannot be elusive. If you submit resignation when session is going on, the speaker will be there all the time. He has to accept resignation. The only condition is that the MLA must meet him in person.

Shivanagouda Naik: He (speaker) has to accept resignation within 24 hours. You take a decision. You should feel proud that someone from your community is becoming the CM. Why are you worried about Kumaraswamy who is from Ramanagar and has no relationship with you?

Sharanagouda: Somebody was telling me that six BJP MLAs will join us (JDS).

Yeddyurappa: That is all lie. Not a single BJP MLA will go. We have left all MLAs free. They (ruling coalition) have not been able to touch one MLA.

Naik: There is nobody in BJP who will switch sides. All our MLAs are waiting for the government to fall. Yesterday, Venkatappa Naik (former Congress MLA) was saying that he was told by an MLA that the government will fall in two-three days. The chief minister himself has gone into depression.

Anonymous person: There is no political future for JD(S) workers and leaders. I am not forcing you to join BJP. I am telling you because you are our man.

Naik: You can start a new political innings with BJP. You be with sahebru (Yeddyurappa). You will become Yadgir district in-charge minister. You will get a good portfolio. We will discuss about financial matters separately. I set up the meeting only to instil confidence in you. Vijayendra (Yeddyurappa’s son) will talk about financial matters. You tell the amount, we will get you. You can also talk about your election expenses.

Anonymous: Bypoll to assembly seats will happen simultaneously with the Lok Sabha election. Yeddyurappa wants to win 20 Lok Sabha seats at any cost. So your election expenses will also be taken care. You lack political experience. I have seen Gowda and Kumaraswamy. They have not done anything for north Karnataka Lingayats who went with him in the past.

Preetham: Don’t mistake me for interfering. Anna has given me mandate to strike this deal. You don’t worry about payment. I will pay you by selling my property. You tell the amount. I will tell you if it is acceptable for us or not. Just think of me as your younger brother. You are a young star. This is a national party and it will be there till the sun and moon exist. Deve Gowda’s wicket will go soon. Kumaranna is not in good health. So, soon the JD(S) will vanish. Now I am 35-36 years old and I am already an MLA. You are 30 years old. You can be in politics for next 40 years. Let us be together.

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Average age of school children picking up drugs, smoking habit in 10 Indian cities around 13 years!

News Network

December 13,2025

New Delhi: School-going children are picking up drug and smoking habits and engaging in consumption of alcohol, with the average age of introduction to such harmful substances found to be around 13 years, suggesting a need for earlier interventions as early as primary school, a multi-city survey by AIIMS-Delhi said.

The findings also showed substance use increased in higher grades, with grade XI/XII students two times more likely to report use of substances when compared with grade VIII students. This emphasised the importance of continued prevention and intervention through middle and high school.

The study led by Dr Anju Dhawan of AIIMS's National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, published in the National Medical Journal of India this month, looks at adolescent substance use across diverse regions.

The survey included 5,920 students from classes 8, 9, 11 and 12 in urban government, private and rural schools across 10 cities -- Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dibrugarh, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jammu, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ranchi. The data were collected between May 2018 and June 2019.

The average age of initiation for any substance was 12.9 (2.8) years. It was lowest for inhalants (11.3 years) followed by heroin (12.3 years) and opioid pharmaceuticals (without prescription; 12.5 years).

Overall, 15.1 per cent of participants reported lifetime use, 10.3 per cent reported past year use, and 7.2 per cent reported use in the past month of any substance, the study found.

The most common substances used in the past year, after tobacco (4 per cent) and alcohol (3.8 per cent), were opioids (2.8 per cent), followed by cannabis (2 per cent) and inhalants (1.9 per cent). Use of non-prescribed pharmaceutical opioids was most common among opioid users (90.2 per cent).

On being asked, 'Do you think this substance is easily available for a person of your age' separately for each substance category, nearly half the students (46.3 per cent) endorsed that tobacco products and more than one-third of the students (36.5 per cent) agreed that a person of their age can easily procure alcohol products.

Similarly, for Bhang (21.9 per cent), ganja/charas (16.1 per cent), inhalants (15.2 per cent), sedatives (13.7 per cent), opium and heroin (10 per cent each), the students endorsed that these can be easily procured.

About 95 per cent of the children, irrespective of their grade, agreed with the statement that 'drug use is harmful'.

The rates of substance use (any) among boys were significantly higher than those of girls for substance use (ever), use in the past year and use in the past 30 days. Compared to grade VIII students, grade IX students were more likely, and grade XI/XII students were twice as likely to have used any substance (ever).

The likelihood of past-year use of any substance was also higher for grade IX students and for grade XI/XII students as compared to grade VIII students.

About 40 per cent of students mentioned that they had a family member who used tobacco or alcohol each. The use of cannabis (any product) and opioid (any product) by a family member was reported by 8.2 per cent and 3.9 per cent of students, respectively, while the use of other substances, such as inhalants/sedatives by family was 2-3 per cent, the study found.

A relatively smaller percentage of students reported use of tobacco or alcohol among peers as compared to among family members, while a higher percentage reported inhalants, sedatives, cannabis or opioid use among peers.

Children using substances (past year) compared to non-users reported significantly higher any substance use by their family members and peers.

There were 25.7 per cent students who replied 'yes' to the question 'conflicts/fights often occur in your family'. Most students also replied affirmatively to 'family members are aware of how their time is being spent' and 'damily members are aware of with whom they spend their time'.

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