Basavaraj Bommai govt completes 100 days in offices
says satisfied with taking administration in right direction
Hubballi (K'taka)(PTI): As his government completes hundred days in office, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said he is satisfied with the decisions taken so far in taking the administration in the right direction, and the work is on towards inclusive economic progress.
He also ruled out any discussions regarding expanding the cabinet immediately.
"I'm satisfied with the decisions that have been taken with regards to taking the administration in the right direction, by taking officials into confidence," Bommai said in response to a question whether he is satisfied with the hundred days of his administration.
Ending months of speculation about the change of guard in the state, Bommai on July 28 had taken over as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, from BJP stalwart B S Yediyurappa, who stepped down from the coveted post, coinciding with his government completing two years in office.
Though the hundred days is not a major milestone, it is certainly a clear indication on our way forward, the Chief Minister speaking to reporters said, "the strong and promising steps that we have taken in the last hundred days, and the decisive decisions that we have taken, will indicate about the pro-people path that our government will take in the future."
Pointing at the programmes of his government like 'Amrith' schemes, scholarship to children of farmers, and social security initiatives, he said, the economy is slowly recovering, and looking at the recovery the administration plans to take several progressive steps for the welfare of the people.
"I have two plans- one is to improve the system and see to it that the government and its programmes reach the people. Second is, utilising of human resources effectively, with economic progress, for example- though our per capita income is among top five states, there has to be contribution from all sections of society for it, like- SC/ST, OBC, poor and women- in our economic progress, we are working on it," he added.
Bommai also highlighted the implementation of "CM Dashboard", that is said to be in line with the Prime Minister's Office, which facilitates him to review progress of various Departments on a digital platform, as a major step towards administrative reform.
Ruling out any talks regarding the cabinet expansion, he said, he will not go to Delhi on November 7 and will be attending the National Executive meeting via video conferencing from the party office here.
Speaking on his government's decision to reduce both petrol and diesel prices by Rs 7 per litre, Bommai said, "after the central government's decision to reduce fuel prices I spoke to the Union Finance and Home Minister and they expressed desire that the state too slash the prices. I spoke to our senior officials and decided on it."
Stating that the cut in prices will be effective from this evening, he said, it may cause an estimated loss of Rs 2,100 crore to the state's exchequer.
Buckling under pressure, the central government on Wednesday had cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre to help bring down rates down from their highest-ever levels.
Stating that the 'Janasevaka', an initiative, under which government services are delivered to the doorstep of beneficiaries, will be rolled out across the state on January 26, the Chief Minister in response to a question said, it will be done in stages, and staff will be trained for it.
Noting that it has been launched in Bengaluru, he said, "if there are any shortcomings, we will rectify it and then proceed to other places."
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US SC rejects 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s plea seeking stay on his extradition to India
New York, Apr 7 (PTI): The US Supreme Court has rejected 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana's appeal seeking a stay on his extradition to India, moving him closer to being handed over to Indian authorities to face justice.
Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles.
He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. Headley conducted a recce of Mumbai before the attacks by posing as an employee of Rana’s immigration consultancy.
Rana had submitted an ‘Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus' on February 27, 2025, with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit Elena Kagan.
Kagan had denied the application earlier last month.
Rana had then renewed his ‘Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus previously addressed to Justice Kagan’, and requested that the renewed application be directed to US Chief Justice John Roberts.
An order on the Supreme Court website noted that Rana's renewed application had been “distributed for Conference” on April 4 and the “application” has been “referred to the Court.”
A notice on the Supreme Court website Monday said that “Application denied by the Court.”
Rana was convicted in the US of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to the terrorist plot in Denmark and one count of providing material support to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashker-e-Taiba which was responsible for the attacks in Mumbai.
New York-based Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra had told PTI that Rana had made his application to the Supreme Court to prevent extradition, which Justice Kagan denied on March 6. The application was then submitted before Roberts, “who has shared it with the Court to conference so as to harness the entire Court’s view.”
The Supreme Court justices are Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In his emergency application, Rana had sought a stay of his extradition and surrender to India pending litigation (including exhaustion of all appeals) on the merits of his February 13.
In that petition, Rana argued that his extradition to India violates US law and the UN Convention Against Torture "because there are substantial grounds for believing that, if extradited to India, the petitioner will be in danger of being subjected to torture."
"The likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks,” the application said.
The application also said that his “severe medical conditions” render extradition to Indian detention facilities a “de facto" death sentence in this case.
The US Supreme Court denied Rana's petition for a writ of certiorari relating to his original habeas petition on January 21. The application notes that on that same day, newly-confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio had met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington on February 12 to meet with Trump, Rana’s counsel received a letter from the Department of State, stating that “on February 11, 2025, the Secretary of State decided to authorise” Rana’s "surrender to India,” pursuant to the “Extradition Treaty between the United States and India”.
Rana’s Counsel requested from the State Department the complete administrative record on which Secretary Rubio based his decision to authorize Rana’s surrender to India.
The Counsel also requested immediate information of any commitment the United States has obtained from India with respect to Rana’s treatment. “The government declined to provide any information in response to these requests,” the application said.
It added that given Rana’s underlying health conditions and the State Department’s findings regarding the treatment of prisoners, it is very likely “Rana will not survive long enough to be tried in India".
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi in the White House in February, President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.
A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
