The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Bilal Ali Shah questioning the cancellation of Tipu Jayanti.

BENGALURU: The state government on Monday informed the Karnataka High Court that it requires eight weeks time to reconsider its decision on cancelling Tipu Jayanti celebrations and take a fresh call. Accordingly, a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Hemant Chandangoudar granted time till March 18, 2020. 

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Bilal Ali Shah questioning the cancellation of Tipu Jayanti. In the affidavit filed before the court, the Kannada and Culture Department has stated that the state government is actively examining all available literature and material in the matter, which is vast and intensive. Due to this, and because the period in question traces back to more than 300 years, it is taking time to examine all material in order to pass a fresh order, it said.  

“The state is also in the process of tracing the orders, if any, and recording decisions to celebrate Jayantis of eminent personalities. This process is also very time-consuming,” the department said.  On November 6, 2019, the court had directed the state to reconsider its decision and take a fresh call after considering all  the material.

CCTV footage showed a man who arrived in an autorickshaw keeping the bag on a chair before leaving the spot.

MANGALURU: Tension gripped Mangalore Airport on Monday after a suspicious and unattended bag was found abandoned at the airport’s ticket counter near the entrance. 

The bomb squad, which was pressed into action, undertook a detailed check of the bag. A wired device, suspected to be a bomb, was said to be found inside the bag. However, the police is yet to confirm it. CCTV footage showed a man who arrived in an autorickshaw keeping the bag on a chair before leaving the spot.

The suspicious material has been placed into a bomb defusal vehicle with high alert being sounded in the airport and all vehicles entering the airport being checked. City police commissioner PS Harsha is monitoring the situation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in Bengaluru, said that when Hindu dharma was in danger, it was Adi Shankaracharya who gave it a big push and revamped it.

BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in Bengaluru, said that when Hindu dharma was in danger, it was Adi Shankaracharya who gave it a big push and revamped it. Many of his teachings are relevant even today, said the Home Minister, who stayed away from any political talk on the dias. Shah attended a mass chanting of Vivekadeepini by schoolchildren, written by Shankaracharya, on Saturday.

Speaking at the occasion, Shah, who has been seen spreading awareness on the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and other issues, was seen calm and composed as he spoke about Shankaracharya’s work. “In one lifetime, Shankaracharya did so much. He died early, but travelled across the country seven times by foot. He established Sharada Peeta at four different places to spread awareness one Hindu dharma. During that time, Hindu dharma was in danger, but because of one person, it stayed strong,’’ he said. 

Shah told children that whoever learns Vivekadeepini will not follow “a bad path, that is the beauty of our culture.” Through Kendra Sahitya Academi, the Union government is translating Vivekadeepini into 24 languages to reach more people, he said. “After many years, we are in a proud state to tell the entire world look at us, we have so much to give you,’’ he said. He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for flying our cultural flag across the globe.  

Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, speaking at the occasion, said that the BJP government has already given a nod to schools to teach Vivekadeepini, and that many schools have already started teaching it from June 2019 onwards.

 City police have made elaborate security arrangements at Palace Grounds, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend an event on Saturday.

BENGALURU: City police have made elaborate security arrangements at Palace Grounds, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend an event on Saturday. Over 1,400 policemen have been deployed for bandobast.Shah will attend the Viveka Deepini Convention on the grounds. Over one lakh people are expected to take part in the event. In view of protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the city, police have placed tight security measures in place for the event. 

As many as 1,487 police personnel has been deployed for security. The police conducted a rehearsal of the security to be in place on Friday. All officers have been instructed to carry service revolvers and pistols with them. Other policemen have been directed to wear helmet and body protectors and carry lathis.

“All those attending the event will be thoroughly frisked and anti-sabotage checks will be conducted at the venue. Besides, 12 KSRP and CAR platoons, a SWAT vehicle, a rapid intervention vehicle and a command and control vehicle will be deployed as security measure,” an official said.

Traffic snarls expected near Palace Grounds
As Shah’s convoy will take the road from Kempegowda International Airport, traffic snarls are expected on the stretch. It is adviced that those who want to go to the airport leave early or take the following route: 
South Bengaluru to Airport: Basaveshwara Circle—Old High Grounds Police Station Junction—T Chowdaiah Road—Windsor Manor Junction —Cauvery Theatre Junction—Bashyam Circle—Jeevaraj Alva Road—Sadashivanagar police station junction—New BEL Road—Hebbal flyover—and proceed furtherEast Bengaluru to Airport: MG Road—Kamaraj road—Thom’s Cafe—Wheeler Road—ITC Bridge—MS Nagar—IOC Bridge—Banasawadi Main Road—ORR—Hennur Ring Road—Nagawara Junction—Thanisandra Main Road—Hegde Nagar—Kattigehalli—Bagalur Cross—and proceed further. 

This comes after Bar announced its members would not appear for her, as she displayed a ‘Free Kashmir’ placard 

MYSURU: A few days after Mysuru Bar Association made an announcement that none of its members would appear for Nalini Balakumar, who is facing sedition charges for holding a ‘Free Kashmir’ placard during a protest at the University of Mysore recently, support has begun pouring in for the beleaguered woman and other students from several advocates.

In a statement, senior advocates from across the state said that they are ready to represent Nalini and other students who are booked in the case, and help them by providing necessary legal assistance. Offering to appear in court to represent Nalini and the other students who are booked under IPC sections 34 and 124A (sedition), the advocates stated: “Every person has the fundamental and constitutional right to be represented in a court of law.”

“As senior advocates, we are ready to represent the accused in court and provide her necessary legal assistance. So, students are requested not to worry and concentrate on their academics,” the statement says, undersigned by senior advocates CS Dwarakanath, S Shankarappa, KN Jagadeesh Mahadevu, BT Venkatesh, JD Kashinath, Srinivasa Kumar and R Jagannatha, among others. On Wednesday, a group of advocates from Bengaluru issued a statement calling the Mysuru Bar Association’s decision a blatant attack on the ideals of the Constitution.

BALLARI: The police detained Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan and his followers while they were on their way to the residence of Ballari MLA G Somashekara Reddy. Khan was in Ballari on Monday to stage a protest against an alleged hate speech by Reddy. They were taken to Kuditini police station and later released.

Recently, during a pro-CCA rally held in the city, Reddy had made provocative statements against the Muslim community. A police case was filed against Reddy over his remarks, after which Khan said he would stage a protest at Reddy’s residence.

Addressing a rally, Khan had charged that the BJP and RSS were targeting minorities and that issuing warnings for anti-CAA protests was undemocratic. “Keep in mind that we are Indian Muslims, we want to live like brothers in India,” he had said.

Further, he said that no action has been taken Reddy yet, giving the police a ten-day deadline to arrest him. Ballari SP C K Baba said that as police had denied permission to Khan to protest, he was detained 5 kms outside the city. “We released him and he returned to Bengaluru later, Baba added.

Konaje: An Eicher truck parked at the site of Sunday’s protest in the city against the CAA and NRC was charred down to ashes after it was reportedly set on fire by miscreants on late Sunday night.

According to the reports the Eicher truck which was plying to chairs to the protest site was parked at the site in Deralakatte after people protested against the CAA and NRC on Sunday evening. The truck was under the flames when people noticed it at midnight.

The incident resulted in panic among the locals who informed the police immediately after noticing the fire. It is speculated that miscreants might have set the truck on fire.

Police reached the spot and controlled the situation. An investigation into the matter is also initiated.

Mangaluru: In a tragic road accident reported from near Nanthoor on Sunday night, a 18-year old college student died when his bike skidded here.

The deceased has been identified as Mohammed Omar (18), a first year engineering student of St. Joseph Engineering College in the city.

According to the reports, Omar was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment after the incident where he breathed his last after not responding to the treatment.

Bengaluru: With the selection of next Congress Legislature Party leader and state Congress president on the cards, former chief minister Siddaramaiah will meet the party high command in Delhi on Tuesday, a senior leader said on Sunday.

“Yes… He is leaving for Delhi on Monday evening. There is a meeting scheduled with the party high command on Tuesday,” said a Congress leader close to Siddaramaiah.

Names that are doing rounds for the post of CLP leader include H K Patil and former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar whereas D K Shivakumar and K H Muniyappa are the top contenders for the state party chief’s post.

Siddaramaiah had stepped down as the CLP leader while Dinesh Gundu Rao had resigned as state Congress president on December 9 after the party’s poor performance in the assembly bypolls at 15 places.

While the ruling BJP won 12 seats, Congress could secure only two seats namely Hunasuru and Shivajinagar. An independent candidate won from Hoskote.

The bypolls were necessitated due to the disqualification of 17 MLAs which brought down the coalition government of Congress and the JD(S).

The bypolls were held at 15 places whereas the decision regarding the two other assembly segments was put on hold pending court order. The BJP’s thumping victory in the bypolls helped the saffron party gain majority in the Karnataka assembly with 117 seats minus the speaker.

The Congress and the JD(S) were expecting a substantial victory in the bypolls but the BJP’s stellar performance left the leaders of the two parties in a state of shock. The bypolls were being seen as an acid test for Siddaramaiah and Rao.

The strike has also been called to press for demands like fixed minimum wages.

NEW DELHI: Trade unions across the country will go ahead with their proposed 24-hour Bharat Bandh beginning 12 am on Wednesday despite warnings from the Centre, which said the unions would have to face consequences if they went ahead with the strike.A total of 25 crore workers are expected to take part in the strike which has been called by the CITU against the policies of the government which it calls anti-labour. The strike has also been called to press for demands like fixed minimum wages.

The CITU on Monday had claimed that the Centre’s policies and labour laws had affected 80 crore people and the country was going through a “major crisis”. Department of Personnel and Training in its letter to all government departments has said that the instructions prohibit government servants from participating in any form of strike including mass casual leave etc.

“Any employee going on strike in any form would face the consequences which, besides deduction of wages, may also include appropriate disciplinary action.” The order also prohibited government servants from participating in the strike. The order urged government officers not to sanction leave asked by employees during the period of the proposed strike and called on the CISF to keep vigil. Union leaders have claimed the government has failed to tackle challenges posed by a crisis-ridden economy.