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Independence day celebrated with patriotic fervour and freedom spirit in
Three persons arrested in Maple store theft case
305 meter long Tricolour unveiled at Hampankatta on Independence day
69th Independence day celebrated in Nehru Maidan in Mangaluru
Independence day celebrated in Surathkal
Mangaluru: Protest without permission - 29 BJP activists detained
Bannanje Raja brought to Belagavi, in police custody till Aug
Rastrapita Gandhiji offered puja in a temple daily
Fadnavis wants to merge Marathi speaking areas to Maharastra
John Kerry wishes India on 69th Independence Day, praises its

Mangaluru: Protest without permission - 29 BJP activists detained

The BJP was about to hold a protest near the DC's office against Youth Congress for hoisting their party flag on the pole bearing the national emblem and meant for hoisting the National Flag. Terming it as an insult to the nation, a case was also filed against the Youth Congress.
  • Published in Mangaluru

Hema Malini may swing financial loan of $10 billion

Mumbai: BJP MP from Mathura, has come up with a proposal because of which Maharashtra can get a financial loan of $10 billion, and that too at an interest rate of 1.8 per cent per annum.

For this, she had a meeting with Finance and Planning Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar at the state guesthouse Sahyadri, on Wednesday afternoon. The financial arm of a US-based investment company wants to invest the $10 billion for infrastructure projects.

According to sources from the Finance Ministry, the investment firm approached Hema Malini and was interested in investing in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. But since Maharashtra is a BJP-run state, Hema Malini decided to pitch Maharashtra to the firm and had an extensive meeting regarding this issue with Mungantiwar.

While the finance minister found the investment offer very lucrative, as the money is huge and interest rate low too, he has put forth a condition. “The condition from our side is that the loan amount won’t be based on the exchange rate. Instead it should be fixed and the fluctuations in the rupee vs dollar rate shouldn’t be counted.

If the firm agrees to it, we may think about it,” said Mungantiwar. The other hurdle is that the firm expects that the Central government should take the surety for the loan, which will be granted to the state. According to sources in the ministry, the Central government shouldn’t have an issue with it, because both the Central and state governments are headed by the BJP.

However, what came to many as a surprise is that the entire delegation was led by Hema Malini, who is seen as an ornamental Member of Parliament by many within the BJP too. “Many think the celebrity MPs in BJP do not work, this is an example to prove them wrong as this shows that such complex issues are also dealt with by an MP, who has no background in finance,” said a senior BJP functionary. 

  • Published in Mumbai

BJP leader chased, shot dead in Patna

Patna: Three gunmen chased a BJP leader out for a morning walk on the streets of Patna and killed him in the heart of poll-bound Bihar's capital amid the party protesting in the assembly this week over a deteriorating law and order situation.

Authorities say footage from a security camera shows the attackers pursuing Avinash Kumar, a ward leader of the BJP, on foot near his Daldali Road residence. They open fire and he falls to the ground. One of the assailants then walks up to him and shoots him in the head.

All three gunmen were about 20 to 25 years of age, witnesses told police.

"This has happened under the watch of chief minister Nitish Kumar, who also handles the law and order and home portfolio," said BJP leader and former union minister Shahnawaz Hussain. "It keeps on happening day after day right under the nose of the administration, yet the response has been ineffective."

Hussain joined leader of the opposition in the assembly, Nand Kishore Yadav, former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and other party leaders at a sit-in near the spot while shops shut down in central Patna as part of a spontaneous bandh.

Bihar, one of the country's poorest and most lawless states, is expected to see assembly polls in two to three months with an avowedly secular alliance of Nitish Kumar's JD(U), former rival Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress taking on the BJP that's banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.

The BJP had hit the well of the House, both in the state assembly and council on Wednesday, condemning a rash of crimes, forcing adjournment of proceedings.

Two people were reportedly arrested as teams led by Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vikas Vaibhav launched coordinated raids across the city.

"Kumar was supposed to meet me today morning as we were to tour our constituency areas in view of the coming assembly polls. I was waiting for him when news came that he had been shot dead," said local BJP MLA Nitin Navin.

Residents of Daldali Road area too came out on the streets in protest as they burnt tires and blocked roads for a few hours.
  • Published in National

BJP cabinet is like Duryodhana says Janardhan Poojary

Mangaluru: Former Union minister and Congress leader Janardhan Poojary lashed out at Modi saying he is not taking any action gainst the corrupt leaders of BJP. Sushma Swaraj, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pankaja Munde are involved in various scams, but instead of expelling them from the party Modi is keeping mum about these issues, Poojary said.

He was speaking in a press meet here on Wednesday August 5 at the district Congress office. He compared PM Modi to Dushasana and uion cabinet to Duryodhana. He stated that everybody knows what happened to Duryodhana. The govenrment is not allowing oppositions to ask questions, protest or even put forth their thoughts. This is clearely not good for democracy he added.

Speaking about problems faced by farmers, Poojary said, Farmers are committing suicide. But Modi has not taken effective step to prevent this. He should give special packages to the states where the farmers suicide is a serious issue including Karnataka.

Suresh Ballal, former mayor Mahabala Maarla, Harikrishna Bantwal and others were present.
  • Published in Mangaluru

Congress raise Lalitgate, Vyapam issue in Parliament:Session disrupted

The Congress party on Wednesday postponed a sit-in protest by its lawmakers outside Parliament after reportedly failing to get other political parties on board but continued to disrupt Parliament over various scams involving the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forcing both Houses to adjourn.


Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi were to participate in the protest as the party appeared in no mood to let the government pass key reform bills.

Rahul refused to speak to the media on external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's tweet alleging that a senior Congress leader approached her for a diplomatic passport for coal scam accused Santosh Bagrodia prompting the former minister to retort that his name was unnecessarily being dragged in.

"We will speak in Parliament," he said.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj, who is facing opposition heat for allegedly supporting tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi's bid for British travel papers, said she will reveal the name of the Congress leader in Parliament.

"A senior Congress leader was pressing me hard to give diplomatic passport to the Coal Scam accused Santosh Bagrodia...I will disclose name of the leader on the floor of the House," she tweeted.

Shortly afterwards, Bagrodia hit back saying that he himself had approached the foreign minister for a diplomatic passport.

"I am eligible for a diplomatic passport. I can't see why my name is dragged into this, " Bagrodia told India Today TV.

According to CNN-IBN news channel, Swaraj has said she will speak on the issue in Lok Sabha.

India Today TV reported quoting sources that the Congress changed strategy and decided to confront the government after it failed to get the support of parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Biju Janata Dal.

The opposition parties, however, continued their attack on the government demanding the resignations of Swaraj, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chouhan, forcing an early adjournment of Lok Sabha.

Congress MPs protest in the House by wearing black bands only to be chided by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Some MPs were also seen carrying placards in the House after Opposition ruckus in the Lower House.

Amid the chaos, Mahajan rejected Congress' adjournment motion and adjourned the House till noon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House when it was adjourned amid loud protests.

While Swaraj and Raje are under fire for helping tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi, who faces an Enforcement Department probe for alleged money laundering and forex violations, Chouhan is under pressure to quit over the Vyapam admission and recruitment scandal.

Similar scene played out in Rajya Sabha as the Opposition stuck to its guns demanding Swaraj's resignation despite the government's stance that it is ready for a discussion on the controversy.

"You want to discuss Sushma Swaraj, start the discussion on the issue right now," said finance Arun Jaitley amid the ruckus.

Jaitley sought to turn the heat back on the opposition saying that any debate over scams in statesshould also involve Kerala and Assam, where Congress chief ministers Oommen Chandy and Tarun Gogoi are facing corruption charges.

The ruckus forced deputy chairman PJ Kurien to adjourn the Upper House for 15 minutes.

On Tuesday, the monsoon session of Parliament began and ended on stormy notes amid signs of continued disruption over the demand for the resignation of Swaraj and BJP chief ministers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Lok Sabha was adjourned immediately after it met as a mark of tribute to a sitting member who died away recently. Wednesday is the first working day of the Lower House in the session which concludes on August 13.

Rajya Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments with Congress members trooping into the well of the House to press their demand for foreign minister's resignation. It was supported by parties like CPI(M) as well as the Samajwadi Party.

  • Published in National

Vasundhara Raje meets BJP chief Amith Shah

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who is embroiled in a controversy over links with former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi, on Sunday, met BJP chief Amit Shah in New Delhi against the backdrop of persistent opposition demands for her ouster.

The meeting assumes significance as BJP is bracing for an onslaught by opposition parties in Parliament during the Monsoon session beginning on Tuesday over her.

Ms. Raje is understood to have presented her version of her dealings with Lalit Modi, who is facing ED probe in connection with IPL tournament of 2009.

Opposition parties, led by Congress, have been aggressively demanding Ms. Raje’s ouster and have threatened to rake up the issue in Parliament.
  • Published in National

Raichur-Bagalkote-Belagavi State Industrial Corridor to foster industrial development in North Karnataka

Bengaluru: The government has proposed to set up Special Industrial Regions (SIR) in Belagavi and other districts, and also a Raichur-Bagalkote-Belagavi State Industrial Corridor to foster industrial development in north Karnataka.

Announcing this in a written reply to a question raised by BJP’s Tara Anuradha, chief minister Siddaramaiah said in the Legislative Council that the government had also proposed to develop a new industrial area in the Yadagir district.

In an attempt to dispel criticism that the state government was neglecting north Karnataka, the CM said that during the last two years, the State Level Single Window Agency and the high-level committee had approved 77 industrial projects worth Rs 58,264.73 crore in north Karnataka. These units were expected to generate 41,095 jobs. The government would offer anchor unit subsidy for mega industries investing a minimum of Rs 250 crore in the backward taluks, he said.

CM Siddaramaiah replying to a question from Raghunathrao Malkapure said the government had approved four different heavy and medium indu- stries in Bidar district. The government had set aside Rs 7.29 crore to develop additional layout at Humnabad industrial area and Rs 12,767.16 lakh for the second phase of Kolhar industrial area to come up at the cost of Rs 675 crore.

The state government had received in-principle approval from the Union government to establish National Investment Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in 12 villages of Bidar and Bhalki taluks, the CM informed.

Veterinary colleges

The state government has proposed to establish two more veterinary science colleges in the state, one each at Gadag and Athani. Announcing this in the Legislative Council, Minister for Animal Husbandry T B Jayachandra said the government had given administrative approval for setting up these two veterinary science colleges. The government had also taken steps to provide the infrastructure as per the guidelines of the Veterinary Council of India (VCI).

The minister was replying to MLC Basavaraj Horatti (JD-S). He said there was no proposal to set up a veterinary college in Dharwad as Gadag was just 60 km away from Dharwad.

(Representational image)
  • Published in Karnataka

Opposition may move motion for removal of Lokayukta

Bengaluru: The Opposition parties walked out of the Legislative Council within an hour after meeting on Thursday on the issue of corruption in Lokayukta. They are expected to move a motion for removal of Loakayukta later in the day.

While Leader of Opposition K.S. Eshwarappa sought to move an adjournment motion on the issue when the House assembled, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah objected to the Opposition trying to move adjournment “too many times” and said the Government had already replied to the issue in the Lower House.

There was an exchange between the Opposition and the ruling party members when Mr. Eshwarappa sought to know why the Government was not moving an impeachment motion against Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao. The Chief Minister countered this saying there were no direct allegations against him and impeachment was not possible under law.

“If you cannot move the motion, we will,” said Mr. Eshwarappa. When the ruling party members continued to intervene while he was making preliminary submission on the issue, Mr. Eshwarappa led the Opposition out of the House.
  • Published in Karnataka
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