Vikram Gopal
Vikram Gopal is Hindustan Times’ state correspondent for Karnataka.
Articles by Vikram Gopal
Karnataka ex-CM Siddaramaiah hits back as BJP attacks him over ‘politics based on caste’
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 29, 2019 06:23 AM IST
In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said his statements were being misinterpreted. “Casual private discussion at my residence is being misinterpreted by @BJP4Karnataka leaders to derive sadistic pleasures.
‘Not allies’: Siddaramaiah criticises DK Shivakumar for holding JD(S) flag
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON JUL 15, 2020 06:17 AM IST
The reference was to the rally to welcome Shivakumar back to Bengaluru from Delhi, where he had been in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate for 50 days in connection with a money laundering case.
A day after raids on ex-deputy CM of Karnataka, his aide commits suicide
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 12, 2019 04:18 PM IST
Ramesh was with Parameshwara during the raids, but a senior I-T official said neither was he covered in the raids nor was his statement recorded.
I-T dept raids continue in Karnataka, Rs 9 cr seized from several medical colleges
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 12, 2019 01:52 AM IST
The raids were conducted at the Sri Siddhartha Medical College and Sri Siddhartha Dental College, that are affiliated to Tumakuru-based Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education, where Parameshwara is chancellor.
Lalitha Jewellery heist: Mastermind S Murugan surrenders in Bengaluru
By M Manikandan/Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Chennai/Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 11, 2019 09:26 PM IST
The case pertains to the October 2 heist at the jewellery store, which was captured on CCTV cameras that showed a masked duo looting jewels worth Rs 13 crore.
I-T raids on Karnataka ex-dy CM G Parameshwara continue for 2nd day, over Rs 4 cr seized
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON JUL 09, 2020 11:00 PM IST
As many as 30 premises were searched by the (I-T) Department on Thursday as part of its investigation into alleged sale of government quota seats in the three institutes, officials said.
BJP MLA hits back at party, says people working against CM Yediyurappa
By Vikram Gopal | Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 09, 2019 06:31 PM IST
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was again attacked by its own MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who said on Wednesday that some people in the party were trying to end both his and chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s careers.
Karnataka orders capture or shooting of tiger that killed 2 persons in Bandipur Reserve
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 09, 2019 11:12 AM IST
According to a forest official, the tiger has killed two people since September as well as 13 heads of cattle in the past three months.
‘JD(S) a broken house’: BJP predicts more exits from Kumaraswamy’s party
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 08, 2019 08:23 PM IST
In his address to party workers Jagadish Shettar also took aim at the Congress, saying there was no better fact to highlight that party’s weakness than its inability to name a person to the vacant Leader of the Opposition post.
BJP braces up for stormy winter session of Karnataka assembly
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 07, 2019 08:06 PM IST
The winter session has already run into trouble after the government decided to hold it in Bengaluru and not the northern city of Belagavi, where the winter session is held annually.
Siddaramaiah musters state unit backing for LoP in Karnataka assembly
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 06, 2019 09:02 PM IST
One Congress leader confirmed that all state unit estimates put former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s support base at 57 MLAs out of 66 and 30 out of 38 MLCs.
BJP issues show-cause notice to Karnataka MLA who criticized party leaders
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 04, 2019 09:35 PM IST
Yatnal had said that though the state had elected 25 BJP MPs, out of the total 28 seats, these MPs had not raised their voice in the matter. He said the party must remember that the nation and state were bigger than the party.
HAL asks union, seeking wage revision, to call off strike in national interest
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 04, 2019 06:49 PM IST
The All India HAL Trade Unions Coordination Committee (AIHALTUCC) had announced its decision to go on an indefinite strike on Monday. It had said then that it was forced to do so because of the “adamant/arrogant” attitude of the management of the company.
Farmer’s suicide in Karnataka draw sharp responses over relief delay
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
PUBLISHED ON OCT 04, 2019 12:03 AM IST
A farmer in Karnataka’s Chickamagaluru allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday as he had not received relief after part of his four-acre coffee plantation was destroyed in the heavy rains that lashed the state last month.
Govt planning NRC in Karnataka: State minister
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 04, 2019 03:07 AM IST
“There is a talk on the implementation of NRC across India. We are one of the states where people across the border have come and settled down. We are collecting information and will discuss with Union home ministry and go ahead,” state home minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Karnataka government looks at introducing NRC in state
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
PUBLISHED ON OCT 03, 2019 07:54 PM IST
Karnataka home minister Basavaraj Bommai’s comments on the citizenship screening exercise come after Union home minister Amit Shah’s repeated call for a nationwide NRC
Will discuss NRC with Centre, says Karnataka home minister Basavaraj Bommai
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 03, 2019 12:34 PM IST
Several other BJP leaders from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Tripura have demanded the exercise across the country after Amit Shah’s repeated call for a nationwide NRC.
Karnataka CM Yediyurappa postpones Ballari bifurcation decision after threats from within party
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 03, 2019 11:03 AM IST
Karnataka CM Yediyurappa decided to maintain the status quo on the proposal to bifurcate Ballari till December 5 bypolls for 15 assembly seats in the state after hearing out the elected representatives from the district on Wednesday.
Delhi Bookie asked KPL bowler to give more than 10 runs in over, arrested
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 02, 2019 10:51 PM IST
Bengaluru police arrested a bookie and booked another for trying to fix KPL matches. The arrest comes days after police picked up the team owner of KPL team Belagavi Ali Ashfak Thara for his alleged role in a betting ring allegedly linked to persons in Dubai.
Bookie arrested for trying to fix Karnataka Premier League matches
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 03, 2019 07:17 AM IST
Police said an FIR was registered against Bhavesh Bafna and Sanyam, two bookies, for allegedly approaching a bowler from KPL team Bellary Tuskers to fix a match.
JD (S) votes went to BJP, says Congress report on Lok Sabha poll debacle
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 01, 2019 10:18 PM IST
The Congress fact-finding committee’s report said that the Congress-JD(S) alliance polled only 41% of votes in the 2019 Lok Sabah elections which was substantially lower than the 57% vote share the two parties polled in the 2018 assembly elections.
After four years, BJP wins Bengaluru mayoral elections
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 01, 2019 09:31 PM IST
Mayoral polls are held every year, although councillors enjoy a term of five years. The BJP had been kept out of power in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the city’s civic body, over the past four years because of a coalition between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) at the local level.
BS Yediyurappa postpones Bengaluru mayor poll, overruled by IAS officer
By Vikram Gopal | Bengaluru
PUBLISHED ON OCT 01, 2019 09:16 AM IST
Harsh Gupta, regional commissioner of the Bengaluru Division, who is in charge of holding the polls, said that he had decided to go ahead with elections for the mayor and deputy mayor posts.
Yediyurappa postpones Bengaluru mayor poll, overruled by IAS officer
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 01, 2019 08:38 AM IST
The mayoral elections have assumed importance as the BJP is set to win after a gap of four years.
Rebel MLAs assured BJP tickets: BSY
By Vikram Gopal
PUBLISHED ON SEP 30, 2019 11:40 PM IST
‘Amit Shah has assured tickets for rebel MLAs in bypolls,’ says Yediyurappa
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON OCT 01, 2019 06:49 AM IST
By-elections are to be held on December 5 for 15 seats that fell vacant after rebel legislators from the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition resigned and were subsequently disqualified for ensuring the downfall of former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s coalition government.
EC’s decision to defer Karnataka bypolls offers Yediyurappa little respite
By Vikram Gopal | Hindustan Times, Bengaluru
UPDATED ON SEP 29, 2019 10:16 PM IST
The by-elections are being held for 15 seats after rebels from the previous Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government were disqualified for helping oust the alliance from power.
Discontent in JD(S) after govt collapse, concerns grow over desertions
By Vikram Gopal | Bengaluru
UPDATED ON SEP 28, 2019 11:38 PM IST
The party is struggling to convince doubters within its rank and file that there is still space for a regional political party in Karnataka, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under BS Yediyurappa came to power after the July 23 resignation of HD Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda’s son, who headed the JD (S)-Congress coalition.
BJP MP faces Dalit ire in K’taka over cancellation of festival
By Vikram Gopal | Bengaluru
UPDATED ON SEP 27, 2019 11:58 PM IST
Mahisha Dasara is an annual celebration of Mahishasura, who Dalit groups claim, has been misrepresented by Vedic myths as a demon, when in fact he was not.
Phone tapping scandal gives BJP a stick against JD(S)
By Vikram Gopal | Bengaluru
UPDATED ON SEP 27, 2019 10:47 PM IST
Allegations of phone tapping by the previous government are being investigated. Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Alok Kumar was questioned on Friday by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which had searched his house on Thursday.
