Siddaramaiah

Addressing reporters at the airport here, he said eight moral policing incidents have been reported in Dakshina Kannada in the recent past. Condemning such acts by anti-social elements, he said strict action should be taken against those involved in moral policing.

The state government had recently promulgated an ordinance enhancing reservation for SCs from 15 to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 to 7 per cent.

The opposition Congress, which has taken up the police sub-inspector recruitment scam to target the BJP government in Karnataka and sought the resignation of the state’s Home Minister, was quick to react.

In a series of tweets, the Congress stalwart came down heavily on the BJP, particularly Amit Shah.

Because of this scheme in Karnataka, not only did the state's farmers end up earning Rs 6 extra for per litre of milk, but consumers in Bengaluru also ended up paying Rs 14 per litre less for toned milk than those in other metropolitan cities.

Praveen Nettar, a Zilla BJP Yuva Morcha committee member, was hacked to death in front of his broiler shop at Bellare in Dakshina Kannada district by three bike-borne miscreants on Tuesday night.

The PM's visit comes at a time when political atmosphere is beginning to heat up in the state ahead of the assembly election next year, in which the ruling BJP as well as opposition Congress have set a target of winning over 150 seats in the 255-member assembly.

A jail term of three to five years and a fine of Rs 25,000 has been proposed for those violating the law in the case of people from general categories, and a jail term of three to 10 years and a fine of Rs 50,000 for those converting minors, women or persons from SC/ST communities.

"High Command will decide. Congress party is a national party. Who made Basavaraj Bommai the CM? Did MLAs do it? It was the (BJP) high command and RSS which decided. Similarly, we too have the high command," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question on whether he will become CM if Congress wins assembly polls.

Speaking to reporters, Basavaraj Bommai said, because of the Macaulay's education policy adopted by the Congress during their rule, India was deprived of opportunities to compete at the global level.

The Chief Minister's statement came as the Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah quoted Swamy's February 2, 2021 tweet, which read, 'Petrol Rs 93 in Ram's India, Rs 53 in Sita's Nepal and Rs 51 in Ravan's Lanka.'

"Thousands have died in absence of adequate hospitals, beds, ventilators, and oxygen.It must be prevented from recurring but Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is running around for cabinet expansion instead of focusing on COVID-19," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Karwar, the headquarters town of Uttara Kannada district.

The phone numbers which were allegedly targeted include those of G Parameshwara, the then deputy chief minister of Karnataka, and personal secretaries of then Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and former state CM Siddaramaiah.

"Election has to happen, new legislators will come, based on their opinion, high command will decide, why discuss now," Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly in a series of tweets also said that the dilemma of Karnataka BJP leaders is the lack of an alternative leader for Yediyurappa in their party.

Alleging that the BJP leaders have not just lied about the Covid-19 related deaths but also regarding medicines,masks, sanitizers, PE kits and other procurements, Siddaramaiah said Sudhakar has been 'consistently lying' tohide the corruption and inefficiency.

The statement has come days after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had rubbished similar claims by Siddaramaiah terming it "irresponsible" and had even said the latter will be removed as leader of opposition by the Congress, following the party's defeat in bypolls to two assembly segments in the state.

Around 20 party leaders had written to Sonia Gandhi demanding a full-time, visible president and overhauling of the organisational structure including elections to the CWC and reconstitution of the Parliamentary board.

Siddaramaiah has "completely recovered", and according to doctors the throat swab and blood test conducted for the second time, have come negative, a statement said.

Siddaramaiah has also been admitted to Manipal Hospital where CM BS Yediyurappa is undergoing treatment for the novel coronavirus infection.