Karnataka businessman killed in Pahalgam terror attack, CM Siddaramaiah chairs meeting
Pahalgam terror attack: A businessman named Manjunath Rao from the Shivamogga district in Karnataka was shot dead in the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday, April 22, which prompted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to hold a meeting with his officials over the incident, reported the news agency PTI.
CM Siddaramaiah extended his condolences for Rao's demise, and also a team of officials from the government of Karnataka has left for Kashmir, according to the official statement cited in the report.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah conducted an emergency meeting on an urgent basis with senior state officials, along with police, to review the terror attack which happened in Pahalgam, J&K, killing tourists.
'I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, J&K. Kannadigas are among the victims of this shocking incident. Upon receiving the news, I convened an emergency meeting and reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretary and senior police officials,' said Siddaramaiah in his post.
As per reports, Siddaramaiah's move came after reports emerged that Karnataka-origin tourists were killed and injured in the attack on tourists in Kashmir. He assured the people that the government was monitoring the issue and was willing to extend all the necessary support required.
'I have also spoken to the Resident Commissioner in Delhi. Following my directions, two teams -- one of senior officers and another of police personnel -- have been dispatched to J&K. An adventure team from the Sports Department, led by Commissioner Chethan, is also en route. We are closely monitoring the developments. All necessary support will be extended. Please be assured, the Government of Karnataka stands firmly with those affected,' he said.
A group of terrorists belonging to the Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, killed 26 tourists, including two foreigners and two locals and injured 20 people in the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam, South Kashmir.
According to the local police, cited by the news agency, the terror attack happened around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22. After the incident, security was beefed up in Pahalgam, and forces rushed to cordon off the area.
According to a post on the social media platform X, the Anantnag police announced the launch of a tourist helpdesk in the aftermath of Tuesday's terrorist attack, which injured several people in Pahalgam.
Phone: 9596777669 / 01932225870
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Cong brass ordered new caste survey: K'taka CM
The decision to conduct a caste re-enumeration in Karnataka was taken by the Congress high command and not the state cabinet, chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday, setting a timeline of 60-70 days to complete the exercise. Accepting the earlier report 'in principle', Siddaramaiah said that there were some complaints regarding it as it has been 10 years since the survey was conducted. 'I am following the high command's directive. It is not my or the Cabinet's decision. It is not a decision of the government. It is a decision of the high command. The high command has asked for the re-enumeration and a re-survey to be carried out,' Siddaramaiah said. 'The high command said that some complaints have come because the survey had happened in 2015-16, it has almost been nine-ten years old. So in a short period, in about 60-70 days a re-enumeration will be done. We are not rejecting the entire report (given by the Backward Classes Commission). Principally the report is accepted, only re-enumeration will be done,' Siddaramaiah said. Following a meeting of the Congress leadership on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said that a fresh caste survey will be conducted to address complaints from several communities who alleged that they were either excluded or underrepresented in the controversial 2015 exercise. The meeting came after weeks of discontent over the findings of the caste survey originally carried out in 2015 at a cost of ₹162 crore during Siddaramaiah's earlier tenure as chief minister. Several ministers, MLAs, and MPs had raised objections, citing that the data did not fully represent the diverse caste composition of the state. Siddaramaiah, a key AHINDA (a Kannada acronym for Alpasankhyataru or minorities, Hindulidavaru or backward classes, and Dalitaru or Dalits) leader, pointed out that a number of stakeholders — including religious leaders, community organisations, and even members of his cabinet — had raised doubts about the comprehensiveness of the original report. Criticism of the survey has intensified in the recent months, particularly from influential community groups. The Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, Karnataka's two dominant communities, strongly objected to the findings, demanding that the report be scrapped and a fresh survey conducted. Asked if he was disappointed with the party high command's directive for re-enumeration instead of acting on the report under the consideration of the cabinet, he said, 'We will go by the high command's decision. It is not my decision, it is not the decision of the cabinet or our government, it is a decision of the high command. High command has asked for re-enumeration.' Addressing media in Kalaburagi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said re-enumeration is essential as the data available is 10 years old. 'The criterias that were used in the earlier survey will remain, along with that if anything was left out it will be added. But the re-survey is essential because the data available is ten years old and in ten years many have come into OBC, many were added. So considering all these things a fresh survey has to be done, nothing other than that,' he said. the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes' survey report was placed before the cabinet for the first time on April 11. The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had in 2015 commissioned the survey in the state. The State Backward Classes Commission, under its then chairperson H Kantharaju, was tasked with preparing a caste census report. The survey work was completed in 2018 towards the end of Siddaramaiah's first tenure as Chief Minister, and the report was finalised by Kantharaju's successor K Jayaprakash Hegde in February 2024. Experts said that a fresh survey could help the Congress consolidate OBC votes. 'A caste census alone won't achieve much unless it's used as a tool to mobilise the OBCs, who have never come together as a unified group. In AHINDA, the loose link is the OBCs, Kurubas support the Congress because of Siddaramaiah, not necessarily due to any resentment towards the BJP,' said political analyst A Narayana. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly R Ashoka said the move is an 'embarrassment' and 'defeat' for CM Siddaramaiah, while it is a political win for deputy CM DK Shivakumar. 'We had all opposed this report. The Congress High Command also felt that this report was not right. The High Command has given a slap in the face to Siddaramaiah. Despite the CM's insistence that he would implement the report no matter what, he has now gone back on his words, so it would be appropriate for him to resign. ₹160 crore has been wasted, and they don't have the funds to conduct another survey. They must answer for this,' he said. BJP leader N Ravi Kumar alleged that the Congress high command and its top leader Rahul Gandhi were never in agreement with Siddaramaiah's caste census right from the beginning. 'In fact, Rahul Gandhi had urged the Centre to consider Telangana's example as a model while taking up the caste census. He would have mentioned Karnataka's caste census as the model if he had faith in it,' the BJP MLC argued.


Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
In Bhopal, a bridge with 90-degree turn draws criticism, minister says will look into it
A railway overbridge near Aishbagh Stadium in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has run into controversy just as it nears completion – not for delays or cost overruns, but for what some critics say is a fundamental design flaw that could make it unsafe for motorists. Concerns have been raised around the bridge's sharp, almost 90-degree turn, which vehicles must negotiate soon after ascending. With the Congress taking to social media to take a jab at the design, the state PWD Minister Rakesh Singh promised to look into the issue. 'Whenever a bridge is made, a lot of technical considerations are taken into account. So if there are such allegations, we will look into it,' he said, while dismissing the Congress party's concerns as baseless and politically motivated. Constructed at Rs 18 crore, the 648-metre-long, 8.5-metre-wide overbridge is intended to link the congested areas of Mahamai Ka Bagh, Pushpa Nagar, and the railway station zone with New Bhopal. Conceived as a relief project, it promised to eliminate long wait times at railway crossings and spare residents a circuitous detour that many have endured for over a decade. Government estimates suggested that the bridge would benefit around three lakh commuters daily. The bridge, whose construction began in March 2023, has also faced delays. Initially set for completion in 18 months, it is only now approaching readiness after more than 36 months, delayed by factors such as the shifting of electrical lines and coordination issues between the Public Works Department and the Railways. Public Works Department (Bridge Department) Chief Engineer V D Verma told PTI, 'Due to the Metro station, there is limited availability of land at the point. Due to the lack of land, there was no other option. The purpose of the RoB is to connect the two colonies.' Only light vehicles will run on this overbridge, he said, adding that heavy vehicles will not be allowed. — With PTI inputs


Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Lokayukta police seek details of allotment of sites under MDA
Mysuru: Lokayukta police, conducting a thorough investigation into the Mysuru Development Authority's (MDA) controversial 50:50 site-sharing scheme, have sought details of the allotment of sites under the scheme. The special court overseeing the case granted Lokayukta police additional time until June 17 to complete their investigation and submit a comprehensive report in connection with the sites given to institutions and individuals in the land-swap scheme. Earlier, the Lokayukta probed charges against chief minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, brother-in-law BM Mallikarjuna Swamy, and a landowner, Devaraj, and submitted a report to the court clearing all charges against the CM in the case. Later, Lokayukta police bought time from the court to probe other cases. According to the Lokayukta probe, about 1,055 sites were given to various individuals and institutions, including societies, in the land-swap scheme, in which sites in developed layouts were given to owners and GPA holders for land acquired by the development authority. Superintendent of police, Lokayukta, TJ Udesha, who is the investigation officer in the case, told TOI that they sought documents of sites given under the controversial 50:50 scheme. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The team requested an extension of time to properly analyse the substantial volume of documents and conduct necessary interviews with relevant stakeholders. Following the submission of the application to MDA, the Lokayukta office received about 200 property documents, which the investigating team members are examining in each case to uncover potential irregularities in the allocation process. The MDA officials are cooperating with the investigation by providing requested documents and information, he said. The probe aims to determine whether there was any wrongdoing of established guidelines or misuse of power in the implementation of the site-sharing scheme. The investigation is particularly focused on the verification of beneficiary credentials, adherence to allocation criteria, and proper documentation of the entire process. MDA special land acquisition officer KR Rakshith, who is holding additional charge as commissioner of MDA, said the authority has been sharing all details and documents sought by Lokayukta police. Recently, the Lokayukta cops sought documents of sites given to individuals and institutions when DB Natesh served as commissioner of the erstwhile Muda, Rakshith stated. Sources claimed that the investigation agency is focusing on 42 sites given during the time of the former commissioner. Natesh earlier denied the charges.