#According to Congress state president D K Shivakumar

[filmishine]

"BJP Won't Cross 65 Mark In Assembly Polls": Karnataka Congress Chief

“This is definite, but according to me it will not be surprising if their number comes down to 40.” Bengaluru: A day after claiming that surveys indicated that the Congress is projected to win over 140 out of the total 224 seats in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, its state President D K Shivakumar today said BJP’s numbers would not cross beyond 65, and may even come down to 40 seats. He…

[baitdragon]

Rs 6 crores recovered from house of Karnataka BJP MLA's son

The Lokayukta sleuths raided Prashanth's house immediately after he was caught and continued their operations on Friday.

BENGALURU: The Lokayukta police have recovered Rs six crore cash from the house of BJP MLA Madaal Virupakshappa's son Prashanth Kumar a day after he was caught taking Rs 40 lakh bribe from a contractor.

According to Lokayukta sources, Prashanth, the chief accounts officer of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was caught red-handed on Thursday evening while accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor at the Karnataka Soap and Detergent Limited (KSDL) office.

Virupakashappa is the chairman of KSDL and Prashanth was allegedly receiving 'first instalment' of the bribe on behalf of his father, the Lokayukta sources said.

The policemen also found three bags full of cash from the KSDL office.

The Lokayukta sleuths raided Prashanth's house immediately after he was caught and continued their operations on Friday. The Lokayukta sources said on Friday they recovered Rs six crore in cash from Prashanth's house.

Prashanth was caught taking a bribe from a contractor who had supplied chemicals required by the KSDL for soap and detergent production. The MLA's son had demanded Rs 81 lakh and Rs 40 lakh was the first instalment.

The contractor had approached the Lokayukta a week ago and the trap was laid.

CM says trap proves BJP revived Lokayukta

Meanwhile reacting to the arrest, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the trap was proof that the Lokayukta has been revived to contain corruption, unlike the previous Congress regime which created a separate anti-corruption bureau apart from the Lokayukta institution to cover up their wrong deeds.

Due to the lack of a strong Lokayukta in the past, many corruption cases during the Congress regime could never get investigated, Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru.

"We have repeatedly been saying that we will conduct an impartial probe. Our stand, in this case, is also that the independent Lokayukta institution will carry out an impartial investigation and whoever has done wrong will face action. There is no change in our stand," Bommai said.

"All the information and the money found there everything is now with the Lokayukta. Let an independent and justified investigation take place. Our objective is that the truth should come out like whose money it was and for what purpose it was meant," he added.

Regarding Congress state president D K Shivakumar's statement that this incident was proof that the current BJP government is 40 per cent commission government, Bommai said there were many corruption charges against Congress MLAs and ministers but they covered it up by creating the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

He also said many corruption cases during the Congress regime have been given to the Lokayukta, which will investigate and bring out truth.

Alleging that the Congress MLA and former minister K J George had said in the Karnatkaa Assembly that the ACB should continue, the Chief Minister wondered what his intentions were.

"Whose side is he (George)? It's not possible to show off that they were the cleanest people based on this case (Lokayutka trapping MLA's son). There are many cases against them. Cases are being investigated. We will give all the cases to Lokayukta, which they had covered up," Bommai said.

[todaybharatnews]

via Today Bharat However, Medical Education Minister Dr. Sudhakar flouted quarantine norms and held a meeting in Mandya on Wednesday. Four out of five Karnataka ministers, who reportedly came in contact with the COVID-19 positive video journalist of a Kannada news channel recently, on Wednesday said they have tested negative for the virus. Deputy Chief Minister Dr. CN Ashwath Narayan, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Kannada and Culture Minister C T Ravi and Medical Education Minister Dr. K Sudhakar tweeted that their test reports have come out negative and they are under home quarantine. This is because protocol states that those who come into contact with a COVID-19 positive person have to be in quarantine for 14 days. However, Medical Education Minister Dr. Sudhakar held a meeting in Mandya on Wednesday flouting quarantine norms. ಮಂಡ್ಯ #COVID19 ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಚಿವ ನಾರಾಯಣಗೌಡರು, ಸಂಸದೆ @sumalathaA, ಶಾಸಕರುಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ, ರವೀಂದ್ರ ಶ್ರೀಕಂಠೇಗೌಡ, CS ಪುಟ್ಟರಾಜು, ಡಾ.ಅನ್ನದಾನಿ, ಅಪ್ಪಾಜಿಗೌಡ, KT ಶ್ರೀಕಂಠೇಗೌಡ, ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಹಿರಿಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಉಪಸ್ಥಿತರಿದ್ದರು. ಮಹಿಳಾ ಸ್ವಸಹಾಯ ಗುಂಪುಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಸ್ಕ್ ತಯಾರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಂತೆ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದೇನೆ. pic.twitter.com/CLL6TUMiPc — Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) April 29, 2020 #ಮಂಡ್ಯ #MandyaToday#Covid19India meeting with Hon'ble Ministers @mla_sudhakar #DrNarayanGowda along with Mandya legislators Dist Officials . https://bit.ly/3bQl1qH — Sumalatha Ambareesh ಸುಮಲತಾ ಅಂಬರೀಶ್ (@sumalathaA) April 29, 2020 Sudhakar said he went for the test after hearing that the journalist with whom he interacted had tested positive."However as abundant precaution, I have decided to be in home quarantine for the next seven days and carry out my duties from home," he tweeted. This is despite the protocol stating that people should be quarantined for 14 days. Reports allege that the other ministers too had flouted the mandated quarantine period and were going about with routine work. The other ministers who tested negative told the media that they will be quarantined at home. "After being informed that I might have come in contact with a COVID-19 affected person, I have been in home quarantine. I have tested negative, but will continue to be vigilant and take all necessary precautions," Ashwath Narayan said in a tweet. State Home Minister Bommai said that he has taken a swab test and it has come out negative. "I am under self quarantine and I am healthy." Culture Minister CT Ravi said, "Even though I had no close interaction with him (camera man) during my meetings, I got myself tested on 28th April.I am happy to share with You that I have tested negative for #CoronaVirus." Another minister who came in contact with the video journalist has not responded so far. Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar had questioned the government about ministers reportedly in contact with the video journalist not being quarantined, and termed it as "protocol violation". "A Kannada News channel's cameraman is COVID +ve.His primary contacts include CM, DCM Ministers. Why aren't they in quarantine? Isn't it double standards by those who must set an example to citizens? This is a protocol violation. This Govt is not serious about fighting COVID," Shivakumar tweeted. The journalist, who had visited containment zones demarcated by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (city civic body), was confirmed positive on April 24. As per the 34-year-old patient's (video journalist's) flowchart, he had met five ministers on work, between April 21 and April 24. Though he had also visited Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's home office "Krishna" multiple times during this period, according to officials, he had not met the CM.