Bengaluru News Updates: Cong to organise marches across Karnataka on Bharat Jodo Yatra’s first anniversary

The High Court of Karnataka has granted an interim stay on the August 31 corrigendum order of the State government ending the tenure of Shanth A Thimmaiah as the Chairperson of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). The stay will remain in force till the next date of hearing of a petition filed by Thimmaiah challenging the Government order. The Court specified that the stay does not endorse the continuation of Thimmaiah, and said he will continue as the chairperson but will not undertake any policy measure.

A woman who allegedly stabbed her live-in partner to death in Bengaluru has been arrested, police said. According to the police, Renuka alias Sheela (34) from Belagavi killed her live-in partner, Javed (24), from Kerala.

The incident took place in Hulimavu police station's Akshay Nagar service apartment on September 2. (ANI) 

Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the central government is wontedly not giving rice for the Anna Bhagya scheme. He said, "At the time of elections,  we assured five more kgs of rice. We won the elections and we asked for rice. There is a lot of rice at Central Govt godowns but they have refused to give.” 

The High Court of Karnataka has pulled up the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for not issuing the death certificate of an excavator operator who was washed away during heavy rains in 2017, and ordered the municipal corporation to hand over the document within 30 days to the kin of the victim. The victim’s body was never found, and though the BBMP paid compensation to his wife, it refused to issue a death certificate, stating that the procedure did not permit it without a doctor certifying the cause of death.

After Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah called the BJP government ‘neech’ for not providing rice to implement Anna Bhagya scheme, union minister Pralhad Joshi called Siddaramaiah ‘ghamand’ in return. He said that the Congress party and Gandhi family show its arrognace on PM Modi. 

“Not just to Karnataka, but the union governement has stopped providing rice to even BJP rules states in the country. There is a drought situation in the country and we have stopped the export of rice. The Congress party and its leaders are just jealous of PM Modi,” he said.  

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday asked the BJP leaders of the state to put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the clearances and permission for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir across Cauvery river in Ramanagara district. (PTI)

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said on the first anniversary of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' today that he has directed Congress workers in the state to organise marches. “We have directed Congress workers in all districts of Karnataka to hold a 'yatra' on the anniversary of Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he said. (PTI)

The Karnataka governement stopped taking Gruha Lakshmi scheme registrations temporarily, reported local media. The decison is taken to avoid confusion in the process of depositing ₹2000 to the account of the registered beneficiaries for Gruha Lakshmi. The scheme was officially launched in the end of August at Mysuru. It will provide cash assistance of ₹2000 women house heads of the state. 

Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge questioned BJP leader BL Santosh's recent statements where he said that there is an ‘allergy’ in the society. He said, “If you heard BL Santosh's statement he said yes there is an allergy in the system. Just because there is an allergy in the stomach does not mean you cut off the head. Please ask him what allergy it is?” 

He earlier said that any religion which does not treat humans equally is as good as a disease. His comments sparked a row along with Udayanidhi Stalin's statement on Sanatana Dharma. 

The Moharram procession will take place on Thursday afternoon at central Bengaluru and below is the traffic advisory from Bengaluru police.  It will take place  from Jonson Market to Elgin apartments on Hosur Lashker Road, between 1 pm to 5. 30 pm

Traffic Advisory

1.  Vehicles moving from Brigade Road towards Hosur Road via Vellara Junction (Shoole Circle) must take Richmond Road Via Rhenius Cross and proceed towards Nanjappa circle and further use the Longford road and take right turn at CMP junction to join Hosur road.

2.  Vehicles coming from Hosur Road Audugodi Junction must take Cemetery Cross Road - Berlie Street - Longford Road and Reach Nanajappa Circle further either join Richmond road or Shanthi Nagara Junction and move further.

3.  Heavy Goods Vehicles Coming from Hosur road can move an Audugodi Junciton Mico Junction - 8th Main, Willson Garden Main Road and reach Siddaiah Road.

Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge said that the IT/BT department has started a Fintech task group for the Fintech industry in the state. He met leaders from the Fintech groups and said that the goal is to have Karnataka's Fintech firms service $500 billion of the total market size of $1 trillion by 2030.

In an X post, he wrote, “I had an excellent conversation with FinTech industry leaders. The Department of IT/BT has established a Fintech Taskgroup with the goal of having Karnataka's Fintech firms service $500 billion of the total market size of $1 trillion by 2030. Furthermore, they have shown a keen interest in being part of the State's Center of Excellence for FinTech.” 

The late-night hike in the bus fare which was 1.5 times more than the usual day time bus fare in Bengaluru has ended officially. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has announced that the bus fare is going to be the same round the clock and the practice of surge pricing is cancelled. Read full story

Karnataka agriculture minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said that the state is not in a position to release Cauvery water to the neighboring Tamil Nadu. 

“We are not in a position to release more water, and the verdict has been reserved for September (21). I will hold a discussion with the chief minister and water resources minister [DK Shivakumar]. Yesterday [Tuesday], even they had suggested approaching the [Cauvery Water Management] Authority with a submission that we are unable to release more water. We will also discuss with the legal team what further steps need to be taken,” he told reporters in Mandya.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge spoke to reporters after an FIR was registered against him over his ‘Sanatan Dharma’ remarks, saying, “My statement was not against any religion. I said that any religion that discriminates between human beings is not a religion. If they want to file an FIR against me or they want to arrest me, it is up to the individuals, I really don't care. All I have said is that the Constitution is my religion. Let them file as many FIRs as they want, they are free to do so.” (ANI)

Bengaluru city celebrated Krishna Janmashtami with great fervour this year, with several residents decorating their homes, doing pujas, observing fasts, visiting temples and dressing up as Lord Krishna and Radha. Many donned new clothes, cooked elaborate meals and distributed sweets. Schools and other institutions held programmes for children. Read more here

A BMTC bus broke down in Nagawara towards the Hennur junction on Thursday morning, due to which traffic is slow moving, cops warned. “It will be removed shortly. Kindly co-operate,” they said.

Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil said that the 257 km Gadag-Wadi railway work would be completed by March 2026. The track already exists between Gadag and Talakal along this route. Works up to Hanumapura have been completed. Furthur works up to Kushtagi would be accomplished by March 2024 and later trial runs would be commenced, Patil informed. (ANI)

Fans in Bengaluru expressed their excitement on Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan's release and said, “We are very excited, we urge everyone to watch this movie.” (PTI)

The Bengaluru traffic police issued an advisory to commuters in the Chickpet area, saying that a lorry has broken down near Satellite Bus stand, Old Guddadahalli. Vehicular movement was hit due to this and cops requested the public to co-operate and plan their commutes accordingly.