Bangalore

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday said in Lok Sabha that he will not contest any election in future.

“…I am not going to contest any more elections,” the 82-year old leader said during a debate on the motion of thanks to President’s address.

Virtually calling it a day in politics, the veteran Janata Dal (Secular) leader said there were always ups and downs in politics.

“Out of 15 elections that I contested, I lost only two,” he said, adding that he had spent most of his time in Karnataka and had shifted to Delhi only later.

One of the girls seen in the controversial photo uploaded on social media which shows a boy lying on their lap in a classroom, has claimed it was doctored by certain mischief-mongers, a day after it created a furore leading to suspension of six students from college.

In a complaint registered at the Suratkal police station near here, the girl said that the photograph was uploaded after hacking her Facebook account. She said it was clicked by one of her classmates on February 18 and uploaded later on Facebook.

A church was attacked here by some “anti-social elements”, Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader said Wednesday.

The minister, who visited the site in the morning, told IANS that he hoped the culprits will be nabbed soon.

“Some anti-social elements threw a stone and damaged the glass of a statue to create insecurity and panic in society,” Khader told IANS.

The minister said the site was littered with cigarette butts and hinted that the group might have been small.

He said police is looking for the culprits and that other citizens have also joined the operation.

Online real estate company CommonFloor Tuesday unveiled a virtual platform to allow consumers view and assess multiple properties from anywhere, anytime.

“Our product Retina enables consumers have a virtual tour of properties they would like to view, review and assess for taking an informed decision to buy or not,” CommonFloor.com co-founder and chief executive Sumit Jain told reporters at the product launch here.

As a new-age online realty player, the company adapts technology to the advantage of property consumers.

Mysore royals have adopted a 22-year-old prince, Yaduveer Gopalraj Urs, as the next in line for the throne in a lavish ceremony.

Celebrations were on in the Mysore Palace as few guests, mostly royal patrons, dignitaries and family members were invited to witness the traditional adoption ceremony.

Urs, who is studying in the U.S., will be coronated as king right after his graduation.

His family was elated and hoped he would be a successful king.

“We are very happy and it’s an honour and a privilege and it has come by divine grace,” said Urs’ father, Swaroopa Nand Urs.

Over one lakh people visited the air show Sunday to watch metal birds of different kind soar and roar on the final day of the Aero India trade expo at the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Yelahanka base on the city’s outskirts.

Braving a hot sun and navigating the city’s traffic snarls, thousands of people, including children and women descended on the venue for a spectacular flying display of fighters, trainer jets, stunt aircraft, transport planes, helicopters and drones.

One person was killed and two others were injured in clashes during and after a rally by the Popular Front of India (PFI) here, police said.

Prohibitory orders were clamped in the city till tomorrow evening following the incidents, they said today.

Clashes broke between PFI volunteers and others when vehicles parked on roadside were stoned during the rally, taken out as part of the organisation’s Founder’s Day last evening.

A Bangalore based engineer has been admitted to the government hospital here with symptoms of swine flu, officials said.

They said that the man, working at a software unit at Bengaluru had been receiving treatment for fever for the past few days and was staying at the house of his relative in that city. Since his condition did not improve, he came here.

Dr Scheyless, Resident Medical officer said the man exhibited symptoms of H1N1 (swine flu) and was being continuously monitored for confirmation.

–PTI

As it celebrated 50 years of flying home grown ‘Kiran’ trainer aircraft, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited says it will continue its maintenance for next three to four years.

“HAL’s indigenously-built Kiran aircraft, that has been the mainstay of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the past fifty years, would continue to be maintained for the next three to four years,” HAL Bangalore Complex Managing Director K Naresh Babu said.

Former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and the others accused in the OMC “illegal” mining case on Thursday appeared before a special CBI court here which posted the matter to March 20.

Reddy and his brother-in-law B V Srinivasa Reddy, the Managing Director of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), former Director of Mines and Geology department (Andhra Pradesh) V D Rajagopal, Reddy’s personal assistant K Mehfuz Ali Khan, former AP Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and former IAS officer and Mines Secretary B Kripanandam were among the accused who appeared before the court.

BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Thursday flew in Sukhoi-30 MKI, the frontline fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force at Aero India 2015 air show here.

“It was quite an experience, flying a robust machine which is one of the most versatile fifth generation fighter aircraft. Probably I am the only public figure who has flown a Sukhoi,” Rudy, who holds a commercial pilot licence, told PTI here.

Rudy, who is used to flying commercial flights, said the sortie was all about speed, power and precision which tested his endurance.

Bengaluru: A breathtaking display of air power and brilliant aerobatics by fighter jets and helicopters on Wednesday enthralled the audience at the 10th Aero India show where famed international aerobatic teams left the crowd awestruck with their death-defying stunts.

First to hit the sky was a tiny Tiger Moth, the vintage aircraft that was once used as primary trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force during World War II and was also the basic trainer aircraft in the IAF initially.

It was followed by India’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas which pulled off some stunts.

Israel is ready to explore making some defence products in India, its Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Wednesday, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ call to global aerospace firms to manufacture defence equipment in the country.

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday reiterated the government’s stand and said that he would order an inquiry into the video which reportedly shows Coast Guard Deputy Inspector General ( DIG) B.K. Loshali ordering the blowing up of a Pakistani boat.

“You are making a case of disciplinary proceedings for wrong statements. The Defence Ministry has given a very clear statement. We stand by it. The issue is over. If someone has made some wrong statements then you are making a case of disciplinary proceedings against him,” Parrikar told a press conference here.

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the government is working to make the process of exporting defence goods easier and transparent in order to give impetus to the domestic manufacturing in the sector.

“Defence is a sector where demand is almost restricted to one buyer i.e. the defence itself. Export comes next. We are also working on making the process of export easier and many other procedural formalities simpler but more transparent,” Parrikar said in his opening remarks at the first day of 10th Aero India-2015.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off South Asia’s biggest air show Wednesday on the city’s outskirts to showcase India’s air prowess and seek investments from global aerospace firms to realise his government’s ‘Make in India’ programme in the strategic defence sector.

Investigators have zeroed in on some terror groups in connection with the explosion outside a restaurant here that killed a woman and injured three others in December last year, city police said.

“At this stage, we can say that we have specific doubts and suspicion on one or two groups; we have our teams which are investigating on them, the contacts they have, the network they have,” City Police Chief M N Reddi told reporters here. ` He said these are “sleeper cells not based in but outside, we are collecting information on them and network behind them.”

The Defence Research and Development Organisation on Monday launched a three-day technical seminar, with a special focus on the ‘Make in India’ initiative, as a precursor to the upcoming Aero India air show here.

The seminar invited participating nations to participate in the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the aviation, space, defence systems, airport infrastructure, defence engineering, renewable energy and thermal power sectors.

Bengaluru: Traffic on the rail track between Anekal and Hosur near Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, disrupted by the derailment of the Ernakulam-bound Express train that claimed nine lives, was restored on Saturday.

“Yes, the (accident) site has been cleared and the route has been restored (for traffic) this morning,” Divisional Railway Manager (Bangalore) Anil Kumar Agarwal told PTI.

He also said the toll stood at nine and the injured were being treated at hospitals

Investigations were on to ascertain the cause of the derailment, he added.

Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu has announced a compensation for the families of those killed in the derailment of the Bangalore-Ernakulam Inter City Express near Bangalore.

According to reports, a compensation of Rs. two lakhs would be given to the families of the deceased while Rs 50,000 would be given to those severely injured and Rs 20,000 to those who suffered simple injuries.

Prabhu had visited the accident site yesterday along with the Railway Board chairman and ordered an inquiry into the mishap.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday condoled the loss of lives on account of the derailing of the Bangalore-Ernakulam Inter City Express near Anekal in Karnataka.

In his message to Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, the President called for the authorities to provide all possible assistance to the families of the victims.

“I am saddened to learn about the de railment of a train near Anekal Road, Bengaluru this morning, in which some persons have lost their lives and many others are injured. I understand rescue and relief operations are currently underway,” his message read.

At least 11 passengers were on Friday killed and over 60 injured, some of them critically, when an express train bound for Ernakulam in Kerala from Bengaluru derailed near Anekal, about 45 kms away here.

As per railway officials, about nine bogies of the Bangalore City-Ernakulam Intercity Express were derailed after a boulder fell on the track.

The train had left Bengaluru at 0615 hrs and derailed at 0735 hrs between Anekal Road and Hosur on Bangalore City-Salem Section, about 45 km from Bengaluru, Railways said.

There was no point in considering a bullet train with 350 kmph speed on the Bengaluru and Mysuru route as the train’s potential will not be fully utilised due to short distance between the two cities, Principal Adviser of DMRC E Sreedharan said.

In a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Sreedharan said that it would be a “sensible” proposal to run trains with a maximum speed of 200 kmph and not 350 kmph between Bengaluru and Mysuru on a high speed railway line on a different alignment.

Contrary to his earlier plans, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said he will be contesting the next Assembly elections in 2018 and lead the Congress party from the front.

Replying to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address in the Assembly, he said looking at the present day politics he had decided not to contest next polls, but as BJP has vowed to make India Congress free, “I have changed my stand and decided to contest next Assembly elections also.”

The Indian Railways on Friday confirmed that ten persons had lost their lives and over 17 others were critically injured after nine bogies of the Bangalore-Ernakulam Inter City Express derailed near Anekal this morning.
Additional Director General of Police (Railways), Rajvir Pratap Sharma, said relief and rescue operations are underway in full swing and added that all the injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals.