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Tag: Basavaraj Bommai

  • Contractor death: Congress demands arrest of Karnataka minister Eshwarappa on murder charge

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Stepping up the ante against the BJP over the death of a civil contractor in Karnataka, the Congress on Wednesday said arresting minister K S Eshwarappa on murder and corruption charges is the only way to ensure justice.

    Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP president J P Nadda on the death of Santhosh Patil who had levelled bribery charges against the senior minister earlier.

    Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Eshwarappa has been booked for abetment of suicide based on a complaint from Prashanth Patil, the brother of the deceased.

    The 37-year-old contractor, who claimed to be a BJP worker, was found dead at a lodge in Udupi in a case of suspected suicide on Tuesday.

    “Arresting Minister Eshwarappa on murder and corruption charges is the only way to give justice to a BJP worker,” Surjewala said.

    “Why is PM silent? Why is CM mum? Why is BJP president quiet? The deafening silence of BJP points to complicity in corruption at the highest echelons of power,” the Congress leader said on Twitter. He also alleged that the BJP is mired in corruption in Karnataka and it is time to show them the door.

    “Top to bottom, the entire BJP Govt is mired in the muck of corruption. Time to show BJP the door in Karnataka,” Surjewala said, after the president of contractors’ association in Karnataka alleged that the chief minister’s office was involved in the matter.

    Surjewala also met the family of the deceased contractor in Belgaum and assured that the party would fight to ensure justice to them. He was accompanied by several state Congress leaders.

    “The pain, anguish and anger of family cannot be described in words. The Congress will fight for justice to Santosh Patil. Our demands are arrest Eshwarappa, add section 302 (punishment for murder) of the IPC and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act to the FIR, release Rs 4 crore payment for contract and Rs 1 crore compensation to the family and a government job for his wife. The Congress will give Rs 11 lakh assistance to the family in this hour of grief,” he said.

    The death of the contractor triggered a huge political row with the Congress demanding the resignation of Eshwarappa or his dismissal from the Cabinet.

    The Congress also urged state Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to dismiss Eshwarappa from the Council of Ministers, even as the embattled BJP leader called for a probe into the “conspiracy” behind the death of Patil.

    While Chief Minister Bommai said the police would conduct a thorough and transparent investigation, Eshwarappa rejected the demand for his resignation.

    In his purported suicide note sent by WhatsApp to some media houses, Patil, who hails from Belagavi district, allegedly held Eshwarappa responsible for his death.

    A defiant Eshwarappa, however, maintained he was not at fault and said he had even filed a defamation suit against Patil after the contractor had alleged that the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR) Minister had demanded 40 per cent commission for some works.

    On March 30, Patil, who had claimed that he was a BJP worker, said he had executed a work in the RDPR department and wanted the payment due to him but Eshwarappa allegedly demanded 40 per cent commission in the Rs 4 crore work, prompting the opposition Congress to dub the BJP dispensation in Karnataka as a “40 per cent sarkar”.

  • Further discussion on Karnataka cabinet rejig to be held next week: Bommai

    “Naddaji also asked me to make all preparations for the state executive committee meeting and discuss on how to prepare to face the next assembly elections,” the CM said.

  • Russia-Ukraine crisis: Karnataka deploys officials at Delhi, Mumbai to help evacuees return home

    By ANI

    BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said the state has deployed two officials, one each at Mumbai and New Delhi, to help Karnataka students arriving from Ukraine reach their homes without any hassles.

    “Efforts to bring back Kannadigas from Ukraine are on and two officials have been deployed at Mumbai and New Delhi to help Karnataka students arriving from Ukraine reach their homes without any hassles”, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

    The CM added that the students who are in the Northeastern part of Ukraine are facing problems. “The External Affairs Minister has been requested to make arrangements for their food and shelter and guide them to safety”, said the Karnataka CM.

    Bommai further said that Karnataka has requested special arrangements for Kannadigas as the Romanian border is getting crowded.

    Till now 49 students of Karnataka have returned from Ukraine. Over the last few days, Indian nationals are being evacuated on flights from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania– countries that share borders with Ukraine.

    The Union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo as part of the Operation Ganga mission.

    As part of ‘Operation Ganga’ on Tuesday, the seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania’s Bucharest. After the special flights reached Mumbai and New Delhi, the evacuees are being facilitated to reach their respective states, where local administration is helping them to reach their homes. 

  • Bommai meets Shah in Delhi, presents compilation of his government’s achievements

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday in New Delhi and presented a handbook on the achievements of his government in the past six months.

    The chief minister also expressed gratitude to Shah for taking the time to meet and discuss various issues in the national capital with him.

    “I thank our Union Home Minister @AmitShah ji for taking the time to meet and discuss various issues at New Delhi today. Glad to have presented a compilation of the achievements of our government in the last six months,” Bommai had said in a tweet.

    He further informed that he also presented a study report of the Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC) on the impact of the welfare programs of the Bommai government for the welfare of the poor.

    “Also a copy of the ISEC study that shows how our schemes and policies reach the common man and the needy,” Bommai tweeted. 

  • Government has taken ‘extreme care’ regarding reopening schools: Karnataka CM

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: With schools in Karnataka reopening from August 23, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the government has taken “extreme care” to ensure classroom learning for students, while protecting them from the COVID pandemic.

    “Preparations have been made for reopening schools. Necessary directions have been given to government and private schools regarding how to bring students, taking consent from parents or guardians, seating arrangements, alternate days shift wise classes, sanitisation, among other things,” Bommai said.

    Speaking to reporters here, he said he will be personally visiting schools in Bengaluru and surrounding areas along with Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh on Monday, when they reopen.

    “We have taken extreme care to ensure classroom learning for students while protecting them from COVID-19. We are taking necessary steps in this direction,” he added.

    The Karnataka government earlier this month had decided to reopen schools for students from class 9 to 12 (II PUC) across the state from August 23 in alternate batches.

    However, choosing to remain cautious, it subsequently decided not to reopen schools in districts where the COVID-19 positivity rate is over 2 per cent.

    The decision on resuming primary schools has been deferred till the last week of August to factor in the possible third wave of COVID and the way the infection is likely to spread.

    The Chief Minister appealed to parents to get vaccinated, to pay attention to the health of their children and instill confidence in them.

    Asked whether children can attend classes without any fear, he said, “Absolutely, our intention behind reopening schools is that children should slowly start coming to schools, for about one-and-half year they have not been to schools, we want them to gradually start attending,” he added.

    The state reported 1,350 new COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths on Saturday, taking the total number of infections to 29,37,427 and the toll to 37,123.

    The day also saw 1,648 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 28,79,433.

    With 320 new cases, Dakshina Kannada outnumbered the state capital Bengaluru Urban that reported 260 infections on Saturday.

    The total number of active cases in the state is now 20,845.

    While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.85 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 1.33 per cent.

    Out of 18 deaths reported on Saturday, four were from Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kolar and Shivamogga accounted for two each, followed by others.

    Dakshina Kannada district topped in number of cases (320), Bengaluru Urban came next with 260, Udupi had 177, Mysuru 102 and Hassan 101, while the rest were scattered in other districts.

    Bengaluru Urban district headed the list of positive cases, with a total of 12,34,769, followed by Mysuru 1,75,182 and Tumakuru 1,18,887.

    Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban was on top with 12,11,014, followed by Mysuru 17,18,34 and Tumakuru 1,17,072.

    Cumulatively a total of 4,18,39,866 samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,57,509 were on Saturday alone.

  • Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai in Delhi to consult BJP chief JP Nadda​ on cabinet expansion

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is in the national capital to hold consultations with the BJP central leadership on the expansion of his cabinet, sources said on Monday. The chief minister, who reached the national capital late on Sunday night, is scheduled to meet BJP president JP Nadda during the day, they said.

    On Sunday, before leaving for Delhi, Bommai had said the cabinet expansion exercise may not take a week’s time and a direction from the leadership was likely by Monday. Bommai took oath as the chief minister on July 28 after the resignation of his predecessor BS Yediyurappa on July 26.

    He is the lone Cabinet member in the government. Meanwhile, many ministerial aspirants have called on Bommai and raised the pitch for a cabinet berth.

  • Amit Shah has asked me to ensure good governance: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked him to ensure “good governance” in the state. “He (Shah) asked me to give good governance in the state. I assured him that whatever faith you have reposed in me, I will do,” the newly-appointed chief minister told PTI after meeting the home minister here.

    ALSO READ| Bommai has full freedom to pick his team, will not intervene: BSY

    Bommai is on his first visit to Delhi after becoming chief minister. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence later in the day. Apart from Shah, the BJP leader also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

    Bommai, who was elected as the new leader of the BJP legislature party in Karnataka on Tuesday following BS Yediyurappa’s resignation, took oath as the chief minister on Wednesday.