Karnataka Governor lauds govt for its "achievements" amid COVID-19, Congress stages protest
Bengaluru: Opposition Congress on Thursday staged a symbolic protest during the joint sitting of Karnataka legislature, accusing the BJP government of 'neglecting' the northern districts, even as Governor Vajubhai Vala lauded the state administration over its "achievements" amid COVID pandemic.
As Governor Vala began his customary address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, Congress legislators led by their leader Siddaramaiah rose up holding placards for a couple of minutes, before they sat down and listened to the speech peacefully until completion.
In the placards, Congress MLAs charged the government with 'neglecting North Karnataka by not holding a legislature session in the border district of Belagavi.
Legislature session is held once a year at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, modeled on the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru.
The Governor in his address said his government has tried its best to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19.
"We have used the crisis as an opportunity, to build on our strengths, to create additional health infrastructure and enhance production capacity (of medical equipment)."
Despite the challenges and the hardships imposed by the pandemic, the achievements of my government are noteworthy, he added.
Listing out the various achievements and reform measures undertaken by the state government, the Governor said "my government has declared a war on drugs, considering its adverse impact on the society, especially youngsters." Highlighting the government's handling of the flood situation in the state, he said, in total Rs 1,345 crore has been released for flood relief.
He further said despite the current challenges, the government has collected Rs 30,467 crore through commercial taxes and Rs 16,788 crores through excise department to ensure smooth funding of development programmes of the state.
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Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee drowns in sea
Kolkata (PTI): Popular Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee died on Sunday after drowning in the sea at Talsari beach in Odisha, film industry sources said.
He was 43, and left behind his 13-year-old son and actor-wife Priyanka Sarkar.
He had gone to the beach, located near Digha in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, for shooting a Bengali soap titled 'Bhole Baba Par Karega', his co-actor Diganta Bagchi said.
"After today's shoot, he went alone to the water but somehow got entangled in something under the water... The exact circumstances are not clear. Suddenly, people, including crew members, were shouting that Rahul was drowning and we pulled him out of the water. We rushed him to Digha hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead," Bagchi said.
A West Bengal Police officer said the actor was declared dead at Digha hospital after being brought from a sea beach in neighbouring Odisha.
"We have contacted our counterparts in Odisha to ascertain the sequence of events. A case of unnatural death has been registered in Digha police station as well. We are also talking to his production team members and eyewitnesses," he said.
Expressing grief over the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a statement, "I am shocked, deeply saddened to hear the news that the distinguished, young, and popular actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee is suddenly no longer among us."
"I am unable to comprehend what exactly happened. He was one of my favourite actors and a person I truly admired. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family, loved ones, and countless admirers," she added.
"Rahul's sudden passing is an irreparable loss to the Bengali entertainment industry, to both Tollywood and television," she pointed out.
Rahul, known in the Bengali television industry for his character roles, had been active in soaps for several years.
He shot to fame with his role in the blockbuster 'Chirodini tumi je amar' in 2008, followed by a string of hits such as 'Tumi asbe bole' (2014), 'Zulfiqar' (2016), 'Byomkesh Gotro' (2018), 'Biday Byomkesh' (2018), 'The Academy of Fine Arts' (2025), among others.
He had acted in TV serials such as 'Hargouri pice hotel' and 'Mohonna'.
Expressing shock over the news, director Raj Chakraborty said, "After I received phone calls about his death, I wished it was not true. But, later it was confirmed."
Chakraborty, who had directed 'Chirodini tumi je amar', casting Rahul in the lead role, said he was a spontaneous actor and had immense possibilities.
"I am in a state of shock," he said.
Actor-director Anjan Dutta said he had known Rahul for many years and was not in a condition to speak about the incident.
