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Bengaluru, May 10 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and former Karnataka Cabinet minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Wednesday claimed that state unit Congress president D.K. Shivakumar has "tried to threaten" him, saying "some CDs that could tarnish his reputation will be released".

Speaking to journalists at Gokak in Belagavi district, Jarkiholi said: "Till Tuesday night, Shivakumar tried to threaten me saying that he would release CDs that would malign my reputation. However, I told him that I am not afraid."

He, however, did not clarify whether Shivakumar had a direct conversation with him.

"Shivakumar was my good friend earlier, and he was good to me. I don't know what went wrong. He also said that he would release himself from the clutches of 'Vishkanya' but did not elaborate whom he was referring to," he added.

The former minister said that he would request the Union government and the new government (that would be formed in Karnataka) to order a CBI probe into the sleaze CD case in which he was accused.

The BJP leader said that this (the probe request) was not for his sake but for hundreds of people who are being targeted by the "CD gangs", and are victims of this gang.

It may be recalled that an activist had approached the Bengaluru Police in March 2021 seeking a probe against Ramesh Jarkiholi for allegedly abusing a woman and seeking sexual favours in return for a government job.

Clips of intimate moments reportedly between the minister and the woman had gone viral on social media platforms.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, May 9 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday allowed distribution and serving of free food at hotels after voting in the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday.

The court has permitted hotels to serve food in order to encourage voting. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had prohibited serving of free food on election day after voting as many hotels came up with the offer.

The State Election Commission had also warned hotels of strict action on this count. However, the Hotel Owners' Association and the owners of Nisarga Grand Hotel in Bengaluru had challenged the order and approached the high court. The high court, after admitting the petition, has quashed the orders in this regard by the BBMP and the State Election Commission.

Senior counsel Satish Bhat, who appeared for the Hotel Owners' Association and the Nisarga Grand Hotel, submitted before the court that the hotels have come up with the offer to create awareness among the voters.

It would have been a lure if the food was to be offered before voting, the court noted. The food will be served only after checking the black ink mark on the fingers of the voters. Considering this argument, the court permitted serving of food.

Krishnaraja S.P., the owner of Nisarga Grand Hotel, welcomed the decision.

"Free food and cold drink are served to the voters after polling at the hotel to create awareness among the electorate," Krishnaraja said.

Nisarga Grand Hotel will offer butter dosa, Mysuru pak (sweet dish) and cold drinks to the people after voting. Free cinema tickets will also be offered to 100 first-time voters, he said.

Many hotels across the state have made similar offers.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, May 9 (IANS) The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Madhya Pradesh police on Tuesday arrested five suspects from Hyderabad for their alleged links to the radical Islamist group Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HUT).

In an operation conducted in coordination with the local police and central agencies, the ATS arrested the suspects, including the head of biotechnology department at a local college, a cloud service engineer and a dentist.

According to sources, the suspects hailed from Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and other places and were residing in Hyderabad for some time now. They were picked up from Golconda, Hafiz Baba Nagar and other places in and around Hyderabad.

The arrests were made based on the information collected from 11 other suspects held earlier in the day from Bhopal and Chhindwara in Mdhya Pradesh.

Intelligence agencies reportedly found that Mohammed Saleem from Bhopal was working as a lecturer of biotechnology at a college here. Abdul Rehman from Odisha was working as a cloud service engineer at a firm.

Another suspect, Mohammed Abbas, was working as an autorickshaw driver and was staying at Hafiz Baba Nagar. Mohammed Hamid was working as a daily wage worker and was residing at Maqdum Nagar in Jagadgirigutta. Mohammed Salman was also working as a daily wage worker and residing in Jawahar Nagar.

As per the interrogation of the 11 persons held in Madhya Pradesh earlier in the day, they were reportedly planning to set up a base in Madhya Pradesh.

The ATS reportedly seized jihadi literature, knives and airguns from those arrested.

Hizb-Ut-Tahrir is said to be a radical global organisation with presence in 50 countries.

--IANS
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Patna May 9 (IANS) In wake of the the Patna High Court on Tuesday rejecting the plea of Bihar government pertaining to caste-based census, RJD state General Secretary Ranvijay Sahu accused the opposition BJP of trying to divert the attention from it.

"We respect the proceedings and judgment of the court but BJP wants to divert the attention from the caste-based survey. BJP leaders were celebrating on the day when Patna High Court put an interim stay on May 4 and they are celebrating now," Sahu said.

"Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is thinking of counting poor people of the state to make policies. It was a great initiative of the Bihar government to implement the ideology of Ram Manohar Lohia who advocated for stake on the basis of the number of the caste and community. Hence, counting of caste was important," he said.

"The BJP is a party that believes in spreading rumours. It is trying to divide the society on the basis of temples and mosques. On the other hand, we are talking about jobs, education, and health," Sahu added.

After the High Court had put an interim stay on May 4, the Bihar government filed a plea for the hearing of the case on May 6. Accordingly, the court has given the date of hearing on May 9.

Advocate General Prashant Kumar Shahi appeared before the court and requested for a speedy hearing in this case. The court, however, was not satisfied with his arguments of Shahi and declined his plea, saying that the next hearing is scheduled on July 3 and that is final.

"The Bihar government failed to put its points before the court on Tuesday. That is the reason why the court has rejected the plea of Bihar government. It is not looking serious. CM Nitish Kumar failed to produce evidence in the court through his lawyer. It shows his dual character. He does not want to conduct caste-based surveys. He is doing picnics in Odisha, West Bengal, Lucknow and Delhi," state BJP spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh said.

--IANS
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New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Hours ahead of the crucial Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, the Congress on Tuesday said that all its party candidates have signed a pledge promising to implement the five guarantees it made to the people.

In a tweet, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said: "All our Karnataka Congress candidates have made a solemn promise to deliver on the 5 guarantees for the people of Karnataka. They have pledged to fight corruption and work towards a progressive Karnataka".

He also attached a picture of Congress' five guarantees made to the people of the southern state with signatures of all the candidates.

Congress General secretary and communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh said: "All 223 Congress candidates have signed a pledge promising to implement the five guarantees for the people of Karnataka.

"They have taken an oath to fight corruption, defend Kannada pride and dedicate themselves towards developing their constituencies."

Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter and wrote, "Yuva Nidhi: Assistance, Anna Bhagya: Sustenance, Gruha Jyothi: Affordability, Uchita Prayana: Accessibility, Gruha Lakshmi: Empowerment. Congress' #5GuaranteesPratigne will relieve people of Karnataka from the pain BJP's 40% Commission Sarkara has inflicted on them".

The Congress in its manifesto promised Gruha Jyothi (200 units of free electricity), Gruha Lakshmi - Rs 2,000 monthly to every woman head of the family, Anna Bhagya - 10 kg of food grains of their choice (among rice, ragi, jowar, millet) to every person in a BPL family and free travel to all women in regular Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses.

Polling for the 224 member assembly is scheduled on May 10 and counting of votes will take place on May 13.

The Congress had held aggressive campaigning in the state against the ruling BJP. It has targeted the BJP over the alleged corruption, unemployment, besides other issues.

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, General secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state chief D.K. Shivakumar and Karnataka incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala had held several public meetings in the state.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, May 9 (IANS) Foxconn, the world's biggest contract electronics manufacturer and assembler of iPhones, has bought a huge tract of land on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The key Apple supplier has stated this in its filing at London Stock Exchange. The news has come as a shot in the arm to the ruling BJP ahead of crucial Assembly elections scheduled on May 10.

Investment by Foxconn in the state had run into controversy following the opposition parties questioning ruling BJP and calling it a publicity stunt.

The ruling BJP had announced the establishment of an iPhone assembling unit by Foxconn in Bengaluru. Later, the claim was disputed by the company.

An embarrassed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had released the letter of appreciation by Foxconn to defend against the attacks by the opposition.

According to latest reports, the company made the statement in this regard at London Stock Exchange. According to the statement, the 1.2 million square metre (13 million square foot) plot has been acquired near Devanahalli located close to Bengaluru International Airport. According to sources, the land was bought for Rs 106.24 crores.

This is seen as part of the company's strategy to look for alternative production destinations away from China following rigid Covid rules, the sources said.

The Karnataka State High-Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) had approved Foxconn investment proposal in March. The company proposed to manufacture mobile devices.

The official statement from the Large and Medium Industries Ministry said that Foxconn Hon Hai Technology India Mega Development Private Ltd (FHH) would invest Rs 8,000 crore with employment opportunities for 50,000 people.

The delegation led by Foxconn CEO and Chairman Young Liu had visited the state and held a meeting with Bommai in Bengaluru. The appreciation letter released by CM's office was written by Foxconn CEO to Bommai and termed their visit a great success.

JD-S leader and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy had asked the ruling BJP to clarify whether the announcement regarding Foxconn by the Chief Minister was a publicity stunt or if any MOU was signed.

He had earlier maintained that the Karnataka BJP government had the policy of maximum publicity and zero result policy.

"Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and two other ministers took free publicity by stating that iPhone manufacturer Foxconn company from Taiwan has come to the state for investment. They held the signed letters in their hands stating the MOU had been signed and posed before the media," Kumaraswamy had stated.

The Taiwanese company, on the other hand, told the media that there are no definitive agreements made to invest in Karnataka. At this, Kumaraswamy had said that if this is the case, what really happened in the presence of CM Bommai and demanded the government clarify the matter.

--IANS
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Jaipur, May 9 (IANS) As Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Abu Road on Wednesday, BJP has started a cleanliness campaign in the city.

Under the leadership of BJP state president CP Joshi, officials and workers took part in a cleanliness programme at bus stands of the city. The BJP leaders also made the people take a pledge of cleanliness.

Joshi said, "Swachh Bharat Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014 as a nationwide movement. By lifting the broom to clean the dust, he made the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a mass movement for the whole nation. People should neither litter themselves nor allow others to litter."

Giving a message to the general public, Joshi said that Swachh Bharat has taken the form of a 'people's movement' as it has got immense support from the public.

At the same time, 'Chai Pe Charcha' programme was organised at Abu Road railway station and BJP state president CP Joshi discussed with local dignitaries and senior BJP workers regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's general meeting to be held at Abu Road while having tea. Railway station coolies, taxi drivers, vendors, local shopkeepers, workers around took part in the discussion programme and they were also invited to be a part of Modi's programme.

He said that the BJP government will be formed in Rajasthan in 2023 and there will be all-round development in the state.

--IANS
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Bhopal, May 9 (IANS) India's Project Cheetah received yet another jolt as one more cheetah died at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP) on Tuesday - the third to die in just over a month.

'Daksha' is the second female and the second South African cheetah to die at the KNP after male cheetah 'Uday' last month. It died just a fortnight after six-year-old Uday, died of a heart attack, according to a post-mortem report.

"Daksha was found in injured condition in the morning by a monitoring team of the KNP. She was immediately given necessary medication and treatment but she died around 12 noon," a Forest Department official told IANS.

It was released in enclosure number one and two male cheetahs, Vayu and Agni, were released from boma 7 (enclosure) for mating, but it appears that the male cheetahs turned violent during the process - which is "a normal thing", according to the official.

The female cheetah may have got injured due to a "violent interaction" during mating with the adult males, Madhya Pradesh's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, J.S. Chouhan said.

"Daksha was immediately given necessary medication and treatment but she died around 12 noon," he added.

A total of 20 cheetahs, translocated from Namibia and South Africa, were moved to Kuno National Park in September and February, respectively, in the initial phase of a plan to revive the species that disappeared from the country 70 years ago. Earlier, female Sasha (Namibian) and Uday (South African) died on March 27 and April 23, respectively.

Last week, a senior member of the National Tigers Conservation Authority (NTCA) had told IANS had maintained that 'Project Cheetah' is long project and the death of few cheetahs would not affect it. However, the NTCA member had said that a team would visit to KNP to review the condition of cheetahs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines -- five females and three males -- from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno on his 72nd birthday on September 17 last year.

--IANS
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Kochi, May 9 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday said a deadly cocktail of callousness, indifference, greed and official apathy was the cause of the never-ending boat tragedies occurring in the state.

"From 'Redeemer', which capsized in January 1924 drowning Mahakavi Kumaranashan and 34 others, to 'Jalakanyaka', which went down in water in 2009 at Idukki killing 45, and other Poseidon tragedies with fewer fatalities, happening with frightening regularity, citizens seem justifiably indurated to the news of loss of lives caused solely by the deadly cocktail of callousness, indifference, greed, and official apathy," said the vacation bench of the Kerala High Court.

The vacation division bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Shobha Annamma Eapen came down heavily on the government when it initiated suo motu proceedings into the boat accident that occurred on Sunday night in Malappuram's Tanur and claimed the lives of at least 22 persons, including several children.

The court opined that the tragic incident would not have occurred had the concerned authorities done their jobs by ensuring that tourist boats, such as the one involved in the Tanur accident, comply with safety standards.

"Had the officers and authorities invested with the vital legal and statutory duty to watch and monitor, done so, this mishap, like several others, never would have happened. Their responsibility and onus is not lesser -- if not much more -- than that of the operators, since it is because the latter's illegal actions obtained deliberate or other support, that violations are perpetrated with no fear of law," said the court.

"Why are the officers concerned silent? ... One other thing is that every time we award compensation to victims, there is no clarity if that is taken from the public exchequer or if it was taken from the officers concerned," Justice Ramachandran orally remarked.

The bench opined that without any intervention and actual change to the prevailing situation, many such incidents are waiting to happen in the state.

"How many more (such incidents) will we have to see? Many more, unless we now put our foot firmly down because the conspicuous and patiently visible causal factors -- overloading, blatant violation of statutory imperatives, and criminal absence of essential safety requirements, even life jackets -- are repeated with impunity, without any fear, care or caution...

"The obdurate refusal to follow and enforce the most basic safety protocols, which are taken for granted in the civilised world -- is the most infuriating, to say the least. More so, since our state has hundreds of boats in tourism, a further such incident, though unthinkable, is waiting to happen somewhere, someplace, if the present state of affairs are allowed to continue," the court said in its order.

The Registry was also directed to make several government authorities as parties to the case, which includes state chief secretary, district collector, police chief among others.

"The final loss is to the citizens because instances like this are erased from memory soon. Judicial intervention, therefore, in our firm view, now becomes necessary, lest the unfortunate loss of lives are forgotten. We direct the Registry to register a suo motu petition in public interest, after obtaining necessary orders from the acting Chief Justice, " the court ordered.

--IANS
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Chennai, May 9 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting raids at several places in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, has detained five people.

According to sources in the premium investigating agency, the detained people were supporting a banned terrorist organisation.

Details of those detained are not available as the raids were still being conducted. However, former Madurai region president of the Popular Front of India (PFI) Mohammed Qasier is one among those detained.

Sources in the NIA told IANS that the searches are a follow-up of the September 2022 searches and raids in various offices and residences of the Islamist organisation PFI which was subsequently banned in the country.

Around 100 senior leaders of the PFI are still in judicial custody.

According to sources, the raids are being conducted due to some tip-offs on certain persons funding the former PFI activists. The agency is conducting raids to get information on the money trail.

--IANS
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