My chair not vacant, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Jan 12: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that his chair is not vacant but yet journalists are reporting that a change of guard in the state is in the offing.
Referring to the media reports that his deputy D K Shivakumar would replace him anytime soon, Siddaramaiah took a swipe at the "speculative journalism".
Speaking at the Press Club of Bangalore (PCB) Award-2024, the CM said, "We don’t have any confusion amongst us but journalists are still writing that ‘CM will be changed’. My chair is not vacant but they still say that the CM will be changed."
He said reports are made based on assumptions, though no such things would have happened.
"If people gather for dinner, then it becomes news based on speculation that such discussions would have happened, though we would have discussed something else and not what is reported there," Siddaramaiah said.
He was referring to the dinner meetings hosted by ministers which became a major talking point in the corridors of power.
The CM asked journalists to keep society and conscience in their mind while reporting.
"These days, speculative journalism is taking centrestage. It’s a dangerous trend. You should verify whether it is true or false. At least your reports should be closer to truth," he said.
Siddaramaiah emphasised upon healthy criticism, saying that it helps people to improve and take corrective measures.
Noting that journalism is a sacred profession, he called upon journalists to become voice of people instead of promoting superstition.
In this regard, he recalled an incident which had happened during his first term as CM from 2013 to 2018. A news channel in 2016 had a panel discussion of astrologers about the possible fallout after a crow sat on the glass of his car.
"Two astrologers were brought to the TV studio for panel discussion. One of them said I would not be able to present budget, while the other said I, would resign soon after presenting the budget but, I continued despite it. Such superstitions should not be encouraged," he said.
He wondered whether promoting such superstitions would bring a change in society or increase the credibility of journalists.
"People have lots of faith in you, which you should retain. You are the fourth pillar of democracy. People look up to you to see how the three pillars of democracy are working," Siddaramaiah said.
Karnataka Commerce and Industries Minister M B Patil received the PBC Man of the Year Award, while Woman and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, Energy Minister K J George and Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa were given the PCB Special Award.
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Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police say
Melbourne (AP): A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach conducted firearms training in an area of New South Wales state outside of Sydney with his father, Australian police documents released on Monday allege.
The men recorded a video about their justification for the meticulously planned attack, according to a police statement of facts that was made public following Naveed Akram's video court appearance Monday from a Sydney hospital where he has been treated for an abdominal injury.
Officers wounded Akram at the scene of the Dec. 14 shooting and killed his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram.
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The New South Wales state government confirmed Naveed Akram was transferred on Monday from a hospital to a prison. Neither facility was identified by authorities.
The statement alleges the 24-year-old and his father began their attack by throwing four improvised explosive devices toward a crowd celebrating an annual Jewish event at Bondi Beach, but the devices failed to explode.
Police described the devices as three aluminium pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing an explosive, black powder and steel ball bearings. None detonated, but police described them as “viable” IEDs.
Authorities have charged Akram with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to the wounded survivors and one count of committing a terrorist act.
The antisemitic attack at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration was Australia's worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996.
The New South Wales government introduced draft laws to Parliament on Monday that Premier Chris Minns said would become the toughest in Australia.
The new restrictions would include making Australian citizenship a condition of qualifying for a firearms license. That would have excluded Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen with a permanent resident visa.
Sajid Akram also legally owned six rifles and shotguns. A new legal limit for recreational shooters would be a maximum of four guns.
Police said a video found on Naveed Akram's phone shows him with his father "reciting their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”
The men are seen in the video “condemning the acts of Zionists” while they also “adhere to a religiously motivated ideology linked to the Islamic State,” police said.
Video shot in October shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner” on grassland surrounded by trees, police said.
“There is evidence that the Accused and his father meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months,” police allege.
