
Minister threatens suicide, if removed
Karnataka Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Goolihatti Shekhar on Monday threatened to commit suicide if he is dropped from the ministry during the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.
Shekhar said he would take appropriate action in case he is dropped from the ministry.
“I don’t know what turn it will take if I am dropped...it may even take the form of suicide. Let the BJP hoist its flag on my dead body,” he said.
The threats came even as Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa met the BJP brass in Delhi on Monday to discuss the reshuffle, which is likely to take place on Wednesday. Party sources say the CM is likely to drop three to four ministers and induct three new faces.
Shekhar was one of the independents who supported the BJP government to give it majority in May 2008 after it fell short of the magic mark.
BJP MLA Belur Gopalakrishna said a group of 20 MLAs, under the leadership of Excise Minister M.P. Renukacharya, have decided to submit their resignation to Governor H.R. Bhardwaj on Tuesday. He denied that it was pressure tactics.
Gopalakrishna, who led the rebellion against the CM last year, said Library Minister Shivanagouda Naik might be axed. “Red carpet has been laid out to outsiders and first-timers while injustice has been meted out to loyalists,” he rued. Yeddyurappa loyalist and minister A.V. Asnotikar said it was imperative to restructure the cabinet by dropping non-performers, scam-tainted persons who hurt the party’s image.
In a related development, MLA S.K. Bellubbi resigned from chairmanship of a state-owned corporation saying he has been sounded to get ready to become a minister again.
Three vacancies were created in the cabinet after resignations by ministers over various reasons, including scandals.

Miss India Delhi 2019 Mansi Sehgal joins AAP, says Kejriwal inspires her
- "Inspired by the honest governance of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and hard work of MLA Raghav Chadha, I chose to join the Aam Aadmi Party..." said Mansi Sehgal

News updates from HT: Modi govt worked for farmers, says Nadda and latest news

Chocolates, flowers, balloons for primary students as schools reopen across UP
- Uttar Pradesh opened schools in a phased manner with physical classes for Classes 1 to 5 from Monday and for those in Classes 6 to 8, schools restarted from February 10.

PM Modi takes homegrown Covaxin shot, interacts with health staff | In Photos

Covid-19: A year later, how politics changed and did not change

State-wise list of domestic Covid-19 restrictions
- The states of Goa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh have not imposed any travel restrictions so far.

UP: 17-year-old missing girl’s body found in Aligarh field

Modi govt worked for farmers unlike farm leaders who paid lip service: Nadda
- Nadda claimed that since the BJP was working to carry the country forward, therefore, those with the opportunity to work in the BJP were lucky

‘Is that it? Didn’t even feel it’: PM Modi tells nurse after getting Covid shot

Covid-19 vaccination phase 2 begins. Here’s how to register for jab on Co-Win
- Co-Win's citizen self-registration module will ensure fool-proof identification of deserving candidates for receiving the vaccines, the government has said.

Fuel prices hold steady for 2nd consecutive day after Saturday's record high
- The prices of petrol and diesel in New Delhi on Monday stood at ₹91.17 per litre and ₹81.47 per litre respectively.

Chinese hacker groups target at least dozen Indian organisations

India's single-day Covid-19 cases drop to 15,510, tally over 11.11 million

New curbs, night curfew in Punjab from today as Covid-19 cases continue to surge
- The decision to bring in a slew of new rules to help the state curb the rising number of cases was taken by Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh after a meeting with health experts and senior officers on February 23.
