1. Metro Staff Defer Strike as BMRCL Agrees for Talks
Bengaluru Metro union decided to defer its indefinite strike by a month after the BMRCL management submitted before the Karnataka High Court that they are ready to hold bilateral talks with the union to deliberate on their demands
The talks will commence from March 26 for a period of one month and the meetings will be held thrice a week.
Justice B Sreenivasa Gowda was hearing an interlocutory application (IA) filed by Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) seeking directions to vacate the stay granted by the court on invocation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).
The BMRCL employees union had planned an indefinite strike from 22 March over several demands, including higher wages and recognition of the union.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
2. Flyers Lodge Police Plaint After 4-hour Flight Delay
Miffed by the delay in the departure of their flight, over 70 air passengers lodged a complaint with the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) police accusing the airline staff of harassment.
This is perhaps the first time in the state that air passengers have collectively filed a police complaint. The passengers have alleged that they weren’t given proper information about the flight status and were denied food and beverages during their wait for the aircraft.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the complainants were to board an Ahmedabad-bound SpiceJet flight (SG-927). It was scheduled to take off from KIA at 6.55pm and the passengers had checked in on time. But the problem started when the flight didn’t arrive.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Haunted By a Memorandum, Yeddyurappa Plays Safe on Lingayat Issue
For almost 24 hours after the Karnataka government recommended the creation of the new Lingayat religion, BS Yeddyurappa – the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the state and a Lingayat leader – chose to not react. This was despite the BJP strongly opposing the state government’s decision.
Then appearing before the media on Tuesday morning, Yeddyurappa said he will stand by the decision of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha (AIVM), an umbrella organisation of Veerashaivas and Lingayats in India.
The announcement came as a surprise to many as the chairman of the Mahasabha, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, on Monday, had welcomed the government’s decision.
(Source: The Quint)
4. From Bengaluru to North Korea in an Ola? App Allows man to Book cab for Rs 1.5 Lakh
Road trips are fun. But have you ever imagined driving all the way from Bengaluru to North Korea?
On Sunday, Bengaluru youth Prashant Shahi was faced by such a ludicrous prospect.
While you might have often struggled to get cabs of app-based aggregators to travel a nominal distance at odd hours, Prashant managed to book a cab to an obscure location in North Korea.
The highlight of the booking was that the cost of travelling a distance of 13,840 kilometres was little less than Rs 1,50,000 and was estimated to take five days from Bengaluru. What's more, it came with a free cancellation and lowest fare guarantee!
(Source: The News Minute)
5. Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka: PM Modi Insulting Common Man by Claiming Credit for India’s Progress
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “insulting” the common man by claiming credit for India’s progress, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday, as he embarked on this third visit to poll-bound Karnataka. Gandhi accused the BJP of dividing people despite its talk of dharma. The Congress leader also accused the prime minister of favouring big businesses by waiving their loans while ignoring farmers.
“Wherever Narendra Modi goes, he says in the last 70 years nothing has happened. He is insulting your parents, poor farmers, labourers, small businessmen of India. If this country stands as equal to other countries of the world today, it has not happened in two years. It has taken years of time, sweat and blood of common people. Modi should stop insulting the common man,” he told a party rally at Padubidre in coastal Udupi district.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. Sasikala Granted 15-day Parole to Attend Natarajan’s Funeral
VK Sasikala who is serving her sentence following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prisons, has been granted an emergency parole of 15 days after her husband Natarajan M died at a private hospital in Chennai on Tuesday morning.
The parole was sanctioned after her advocates filed an application following her husband’s demise. The 15-day parole includes two days of travelling to and from Thanjavur, where the final rites of Natarajan is to take place, a senior jail official confirmed.
Sasikala left the Central Prisons on Tuesday noon by road and is expected to reach Thanjavur by night. She has been instructed not to take part in any political activity or interact with her supporters or the media. She has also been instructed not to travel anywhere outside Arulananda Nagar in Thanjavur and return back to the prison by 3 April.
(Source: The Hindu)
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