TDP boss N Chandrababu Naidu takes oath as AP CM for 4th term in presence of PM Modi

Bengaluru, Oct 22: Torrential rains wreaked havoc in Karnataka’s capital on Monday night, leading to significant flight disruptions at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). According to airport authorities, over 20 flights were delayed due to the downpour, as reported by ANI.

Among the diversions were an Air India flight from Delhi and three IndiGo flights from Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh, all rerouted to Chennai. A Thai Lion Air flight from Thailand also had to be diverted to Chennai amid the heavy rainfall.

After western Bengaluru bore the brunt of Sunday’s rains, it was the northern, southeastern, and eastern parts of the city that were pounded by intense thundershowers on Monday. Rainfall across the city varied from light to very heavy, leaving many areas waterlogged.

By 11 PM, Sahakaranagar and Yelahanka in northern Bengaluru had received 154.4 mm and 110 mm of rainfall, respectively, according to data from Weather Union, a platform for crowd-sourced weather information. Other areas that saw heavy downpours included Devanahalli and Koramangala (88.2 mm each), HSR Layout (81.6 mm), and BEL Road (70.4 mm).

While RR Nagar, the most affected neighborhood on Sunday, saw a significant drop with only 19.4 mm of rainfall on Monday evening, other areas faced relentless showers. HAL airport recorded 42.3 mm of rain until 8:30 PM, with a monthly total of 228.5 mm, far exceeding the normal average of 177.3 mm.

Kempegowda International Airport recorded 105 mm of rainfall, while GKVK saw 21.2 mm as rains intensified late into the night, leaving northern and eastern Bengaluru grappling with the aftermath.

New Delhi: After the MUDA chairman stepped down from his post on Wednesday, the BJP demanded that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also resign immediately as he is "deeply embroiled" in the land "scam".

Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) chairman K Marigowda resigned from his post amid the row over alleged irregularities in allotment of sites to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi B M.

"MUDA chairman has tendered his resignation... I call upon Siddaramaiah that if you have the slightest morality left in you, you should step down immediately. You should not wait for today's sunset," BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra said at a press conference here.

He said Marigowda's resignation and Siddaramaiah's wife "offering" to return the MUDA sites allocated to her make it clear that the chief minister is "deeply involved in the scam from head to toe".

"There is no doubt about it," Patra said.

Earlier in the day, Marigowda submitted his resignation to the Urban Development Department secretary.

"I have resigned following directions from the CM. Also, as I had health issues, I have resigned... there was no pressure on me, as I had health issues I have resigned," Marigowda told reporters in Bengaluru.

Responding to a question, he said, "The investigation is on, and it will continue...it will be known from the probe whether there were any irregularities." Siddaramaiah is facing probes by the Lokayukta and the Enforcement Directorate into alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.

The chief minister has denied any wrongdoing and rejected the opposition's calls for his resignation.

In her debut electoral contest, Vinesh Phogat, a celebrated wrestler-turned-politician, has secured a decisive victory for the Indian National Congress in the Julana assembly constituency of Haryana. Phogat garnered approximately 65,080 votes, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Captain Yogesh Kumar by a margin of over 6,000 votes. This win marks a significant turnaround for Congress, which had faced defeat in Julana for the last three assembly elections and had only won the seat four times since 1967.

Phogat's victory also saw her outpace the incumbent MLA, Amarjeet Dhanda, a Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader. The results of the Haryana Assembly elections were officially announced on Tuesday, October 8.

Phogat, who transitioned into politics after her wrestling career, had been disqualified from competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match due to weight category issues. Many speculated that she had been “deliberately defeated” in the competition, while Phogat herself alleged that the Union government had failed to provide her with adequate support.

In the aftermath of her disqualification, Phogat filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), seeking to share the silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzmán Lopez, whom she had defeated in the semi-finals. Four pro bono lawyers in Paris submitted the protest appeal on her behalf. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also sought more time to appoint legal representation. However, despite days of deliberation, the CAS ultimately dismissed the appeal.

On September 6, shortly after her sporting career came to an end, Phogat, along with fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, formally joined the Congress party. Reflecting on her decision, she remarked that she had not retired from wrestling during the Jantar Mantar protests in order to inspire young girls and women. “The whole country thought I would retire during the protests because the BJP IT cell tried to paint us as troublemakers, as though we were finished and only playing politics,” Phogat stated.

Vinesh and Punia were at the forefront of protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP, who faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment. The protests, which took place at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi last year, were met with significant police aggression.

During the protests, Phogat had publicly accused Singh of subjecting her to severe mental harassment, to the point where she struggled with suicidal thoughts. Despite these personal battles, she persisted, even as the Indian Olympic Association president and former athlete PT Usha accused the wrestlers of “tarnishing India’s image” during the protests.

In a candid reflection on her retirement, Phogat shared, “Many urged me not to retire, but I had to ask myself – for what purpose should I continue wrestling? There is politics everywhere. Now, I want to do politics that can bring real change, to fight for the future of our children and stand by them when it matters.”