Page 50 - Karnataka

BJP raises allegations of pro-Pakistan slogans in Karnataka Vidhana Soudha

Rajya Sabha member Syed Nasir Hussain has denied the allegations, clarifying that his supporters were chanting "Nazir saab zindabad" not "Pakistan zindabad"

Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka: Big setback for BJP as its MLA cross-votes for Congress

Rajya Sabha elections: Karnataka BJP MLA ST Somashekar cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections in favour of the Congress. Watch the video to know more

Pro-Pak slogan allegations: K'taka CM says serious punishment if found true

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said serious action would be taken if it's found true that a pro-Pakistan slogan was raised after the Rajya Sabha election results were declared. "It is not only an allegation by the BJP, it is also an allegation by the media," he said, referring to the charge that "Pakistan zindabad" slogan was heard after one of the Congress candidates, Syed Naseer Hussain, was declared the winner at "Vidhana Soudha" on Tuesday. "We have sent the voice report to the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory). When the report comes, if it's true that somebody has made a slogan that 'Pakistan zindabad', such person will be punished seriously," the chief minister said. If somebody has raised such a slogan, there is no question of sparing them. "If it is true, we will take strict action, serious action," he said.

RS polls: Cong wins 3 seats in Karnataka; BJP bags lone seat in HP, 8 in UP

The ruling Congress in Karnataka won three seats and the BJP one in the Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka on Tuesday. Those who were elected to the Upper House are Ajay Maken, G C Chandrasekhar and Syed Naseer Hussain, all belonging to the Congress, and Narayansa K Bhandage of the BJP. Five candidates were in the fray for the four seats in the elections, including JD(S) contestant D Kupendra Reddy. The elections were marred by cross-voting. While one of the BJP MLAs, S T Somashekar, voted for the Congress's Maken, the other, A Shivaram Hebbar, abstained.

Govt waives penalty, approves interest-free loan of FCV tobacco growers

The Ministry of Commerce & Industry have announced measures to support tobacco growers impacted by heavy rainfall, drought in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

Temple bill defeat in Legislative Council: CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday blamed the opposition, especially the BJP, for the defeat of a bill to tax Hindu temples in the Legislative Council and accused the saffron party of spreading "misinforamtion" about it. The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024 which was passed by the Legislative Assembly earlier this week, was defeated by a voice vote in the Upper House, where the opposition has a majority, on Friday. "There was nothing in it, they have done it intentionally. They are indulging in misinformation. The bill was to take a part of money from rich Hindu temples and give it to those Hindu temples (which earns) less, not for anything else, it will not be used for any other religious centres," Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "if we bring in a bill with this purpose, the opposition will defeat it in the Council, as they have a majority there." To a question about BJP leaders alleging

People against Constitution indulging in negative propaganda: Karnataka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday a negative propaganda is underway for a long time that the Constitution is only for "salvation" of Dalits and not in accordance with the socio-economic situation. This negative propaganda should not be tolerated, he said after inaugurating the 'Constitution and National Unity Conference' organised by the Social Welfare Department at the Palace Grounds here. It should be realised that people who are against the Constitution are indulging in negative propaganda; Constitution clearly states freedom, equality and fraternity, the Chief Minister said. "This propaganda has been going on since it came into effect on January 26, 1950. This should not be tolerated. If the Constitution is protected, we will all survive. Otherwise we will be in danger", Siddaramaiah said. Eradicating social inequality is the responsibility of every government, he added. In a society with social and economic inequality, political democracy can succeed on

Karnataka ministers defend 10% tax on temples amid row, criticise BJP

Minister for Transport, Ramalinga Reddy alleged that BJP is 'anti-Hindu' adding that the party which was in power in 2011 had made the amendments to the Bill

Protesting 'localisation' push: Karnataka Inc bats for merit over politics

Karnataka is home to over 5,500 IT and IT-enabled services firms and nearly 750 MNCs, contributing to over $58 billion in exports

Uttar Pradesh govt to tap into CSR funds for development projects

UP's Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra said the state will organise a 'UP CSR Summit' to script a new chapter in the process of collaborative socioeconomic development

Bommai criticises Karnataka state budget, warns of economic downturn

He stressed the need for resource mobilisation without compromising capital expenditure

K'taka HC grants relief to Byju's; calls resolutions passed in EGM invalid

The edtech firm said this development marks a significant victory for edtech firm, with court recognizing urgent need to protect the company's interests and uphold the principles established by law

Karnataka HC refuses to stay Byju's EGM called by investors on February 23

Karnataka High Court on Wednesday refused to stay an emergency shareholder meeting called by select investors of Think and Learn Pvt Ltd -- the owner of BYJU'S -- to oust the company's CEO Byju Raveendran and his family from the leadership in the edtech firm. BYJU'S had approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on the EGM but the court only gave an interim relief that any resolution passed at the EGM on Friday cannot be implemented before the next court hearing. "It is further submitted that the conditions for convening the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) are not complied and no notice is issued as contemplated under Section 100 (3) of the Companies Act 2013," the court order said. It further passed an interim order that "the decision, if any taken by the shareholders of the petitioner company in the EGM scheduled on February 23, 2024, shall not be given effect to, till the next date of hearing," the order said.

K'taka Assembly passes bill slashing penalty on property tax in Bengaluru

The Karnataka Assembly has passed a bill to slash the penalty on property tax in Bengaluru city limits by 50 per cent. The bill - Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Amendment Bill 2024 - was tabled in the Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio and was passed on Tuesday. "With the passing of this Amendment Bill, the penalty amount is halved, saving Bengalureans a whopping Rs 2,700 crore. The BBMP will be able to collect penalties worth Rs 1,000 crore," a statement issued by Shivakumar's office said. This important amendment will benefit around 13 to 15 lakh people in Bengaluru city including 5.51 lakh taxpayers, five to seven lakh people outside the property tax bracket and three lakh partial property taxpayers, it added. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the BJP would oppose this bill as it would lead to large-scale corruption. The Amendment Bill has a provision to give a special rebate to the poor. Governme

'Tax rich, spend on poor to uplift them' is our economics: Karnataka CM

Strongly defending his government's guarantee schemes, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said there was nothing called "Siddanomics" and he and his government believed in "good economics", which means taxing the rich in accordance with law and spending the money on the poor for their uplift. He also asserted that his government is working towards protecting the Constitution and making Karnataka "Sarva Janangada Shantiya Tota" (the peaceful garden of all communities) and alleged that the BJP believes in "Manuwad" and not the Constitution. The CM was replying to the motion of thanks to the Governor's address to the joint sitting of Karnataka Legislature, in the Legislative Assembly. The motion was later passed by the Lower House, even as opposition BJP and JD(S) staged a walkout, alleging that the Chief Minister was making a political speech ahead of Lok Sabha polls, instead of replying to issues raised, while no developmental work has taken place in nine months since .

Protest march case: SC stays proceedings against Karnataka CM, others

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed proceedings against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in connection with a protest march held in the state in 2022. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and P K Mishra issued notice to the Karnataka government and the complainant in the case. The top court also stayed the high court order, which had imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him as well as Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, state ministers M B Patil and Ramalinga Reddy, and directed him to appear before a special court on March 6. The case was registered against the Congress leaders after they took out a march to lay siege to the then chief minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence in Bengaluru, demanding the resignation of K S Eshwarappa, who was then the rural development and panchayat raj minister in the southern state. The agitation was staged after a contractor, Santosh Patil, died by suicide accusing Eshwarappa of demanding 40 per cent .

Air India, Tata Advanced Systems to invest Rs 2,300 crore in Karnataka

Out of the total investment, Air India will invest Rs 1,300 crore to conduct maintenance, repairs, and overhaul of planes at the Bengaluru airport

K'taka Dy CM calls for regaining banking legacy which has disappeared

He further urged Karnataka Bank to think about how to improve the region and to give a report to the government on what can be done regarding this, you have our full support

Congress will win atleast 20 seats in Karnataka in LS polls: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that the Congress will win at least 20 out of 28 seats from the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He also junked the BJP's claim of winning all the 28 seats. "We are preparing to win at least 20 seats this time. The BJP is making exaggerated claims that they will win all the 28 seats because they have realised that people will bless Congress this time," the Congress leader told reporters at Malavalli in Mandya district. Regarding the Congress strategy to fight against the coalition of BJP and Janata Dal (Secular), Siddaramaiah said there are no two parties in the opposition. "This time we have only one opposition. There are no two parties but only one party in the opposition. JD(S) has merged with the BJP and is not functioning like a separate party," he said. The BJP swept the 2019 Parliamentary polls in Karnataka by winning 25 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won one seat.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to launch 'Asha Kirana' programme on Sunday

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will launch 'Asha Kirana Eye Care at Your Doorstep' under the aegis of National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment in Haveri on February 18, an official statement on Saturday said. An initiative by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, comprehensive eye check-ups will be done for individuals across all age groups under the 'Asha Kirana' scheme. Free spectacles will be provided to the visually impaired and cataract surgeries will be done free of cost, the statement said. According to the statement, with the objective of reducing prevalence of avoidable blindness, 'Asha Kirana' has already been implemented successfully in eight districts across two phases. The first phase covered Chikkaballapur, Kalaburagi, Haveri, and Chamarajanagar, while the second phase included Chitradurga, Mandya, Raichur, and Uttara Kannada district. "These initiatives have yielded promising results, with millions of individuals benefiting from