DailyOh! BS Yediyurappa resigns as Karnataka CM, to no medals for India today in Tokyo Olympics

BJP leader BS Yediyurappa has resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister this afternoon, ending months of speculation. Announcing his resignation, Yediyurappa broke down and said people have lost trust in the government.

In a political career spanning over five decades, the 78-year-old Lingayat leader blazed a trail for the BJP in the South. The biggest of his achievements probably is when he led the BJP to form its first-ever government in the South in 2008. Karnataka remains the only state in the region to have ever seen the BJP in power. 

Sarvodaya through Antyodaya has been the guiding philosophy of our party. In the last 50 years, upliftment of poor, oppressed, backward communities, senior citizens, women and children has been my priority and I dedicated myself to bring positive changes in the lives of people.

— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) July 26, 2021

A leader with strong roots in the powerful Lingayat community, Yediyurappa rose to the attention of the BJP's national leadership when he helped the BJP win 18 out of 110 seats in the 1983 Assembly elections. With these seats, the BJP helped form Karnataka's first non-Congress government under Ramakrishna Hegde. Yediyurappa has held his own seat in the Shikaripura constituency seven times since 1983, losing only in 1999 to a Congress candidate.

So what next in Karnataka now? The BJP has decided to send a team of observers to Bengaluru who will convene the legislative party meeting to elect the next chief minister. Until then, BS Yediyurappa will continue to serve as caretaker chief minister of the state. Here is the list of leaders who are the BJP's front-runners to replace Yediyurappa as the next Karnataka CM.

While that was a slide in Yediyurappa’s political fortunes, a landslide claimed nine lives in Himachal Pradesh. In a rain-induced landslide, a massive boulder fell on a tempo traveller ferrying tourists from Chitkula to Sangla in the state’s Kinnaur district. Nine people died and three were injured. This landslide, and multiple others, were triggered by heavy rainfall in the region.

Our Word of The Day today is landslide. The dictionary defines it as ‘a collapse of a mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff.’ The word is a compound formed from the words 'land' and 'slide'. The word 'land' comes from the Albanian word, lëndinë, translating to “grassland”, and the word 'slide' comes from the Proto-Indo-European word sleydʰ which translates to “slippery”.

Coming back to the slippery slopes of Kinnaur, among the victims who died, was 34-year-old Dr Deepa Sharma — an Ayurveda doctor — from Jaipur, who was on her first solo trip. Dr Sharma had just tweeted a picture from the region a day before she passed away.

Life is nothing without mother nature. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5URLVYJ6oJ

— Dr.Deepa Sharma (@deepadoc) July 24, 2021

The PMO has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the victims' next of kin and Rs 50,000 as financial aid for the injured.

From Himachal, now to Bengal where CM Mamata Banerjee has said today that her government has set up a two-member inquiry commission to probe the Pegasus spyware row. The commission will comprise of retired Supreme Court judge Justice MB Lokur and former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya, and will probe the “illegal hacking, tracking and recording of mobile phones in West Bengal,” Didi said.

Now, if you are planning a road trip in India, the Supreme Court has made the travel safer for you. Today, the apex court issued directions to stop the grant of licenses for the sale of liquor along national and state highways.

This is to reduce the cases of drunken driving. In any case, Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides for punishment of imprisonment or fine or both for the offence of drunken driving cases.

Drinking alcohol while driving is dangerous. However, nothing stops you from indulging in a coffee milkshake. After all, who can say ‘no’ to good coffee? And on Coffee Milkshake Day today, we recommend you to try this super-easy recipe for a creamy and yummy milkshake.

Today is also an important day for India, as the country observes the 22nd Kargil Vijay Diwas, commemorating the Indian soldiers’ victory over the infiltrating Pakistani troops. A grateful nation remembers and honours the sacrifices of the soldiers of the Kargil War.

On Kargil Vijay Diwas, President Kovind laid a wreath at the Dagger War Memorial, Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir, to pay tributes to all soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defending the nation. pic.twitter.com/0ZheR8KIZr

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 26, 2021

We remember their sacrifices.We remember their valour. Today, on Kargil Vijay Diwas we pay homage to all those who lost their lives in Kargil protecting our nation. Their bravery motivates us every single day.Also sharing an excerpt from last year’s ’Mann Ki Baat.’ pic.twitter.com/jC42es8OLz

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2021

The Kargil War was fought between May and July 1999, in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC). The ground troops acted jointly with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to win the war. Did you know that the Kargil War was the first time ever that the IAF conducted an operation at the height of 32,000 feet above sea level? The pilots and engineers were, in fact, given only a week to train for Operation Safed Sagar. And despite the very short training, the IAF’s pilots and engineers successfully identified and interdicted the Pakistani troops and Mujahideens.

However, things aren’t looking too victorious for India in the Tokyo Olympics. Day 3 of the Games was a medal-less day for the country. From boxer Ashish Kumar to the much-touted men archers — many were shown the door today. Table tennis champion Manika Batra’s fine run in Tokyo came to an end in Round 3 after an emphatic  Round 2 win. Meanwhile, India’s sole medallist so far — Mirabai Chanu — has returned home to great fanfare. The weightlifter from Imphal won the silver medal in the women's 49 kg category. 

Weightlifter @mirabai_chanu receives a rousing welcome at Delhi Airport as she returns to India after clinching a silver? medal at #TokyoOlympics Let's welcome our champion with a loud cheer?️Indiaaaaaa...India!#Cheer4India #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/8WFrDSJk1C

— PIB India (@PIB_India) July 26, 2021

You can track all the live action from Tokyo here.

That is all from us today. We will see you tomorrow.

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Also Read | Kargil War: A salute to the nation’s heroes