PM will address farmers’ rally at govt college in Tumkur where the Mahatma had stayed

TUMAKURU: On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will create history of sorts. He will address a farmers’ rally at the Government Junior College ground that evening, where Mahatma Gandhi had addressed a gathering way back in 1934. The 119-year-old composite college with a high school section was founded by then Maharaja of Mysuru Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1900. Siddaganga Mutt seer Sri Shivakumara Swami, who died at 111, was an alumnus of the high school and until his death on January 21, 2019, he was a patron of the alumni association. Many scholars, including scientist Raja Ramanna, are some of the alumni of the school. Gandhiji had stayed overnight in a small room on the school premises during his visit on July 16, 1927, which has now been made ‘Gandhi Bhavan.’

Although there is some ambiguity regarding the dates, as some claim that Gandhiji addressed the gathering in 1934, the fact that he paid a visit to Tumakuru on both occasions was certain. There is a framed picture at the Bapooji Institution, run by Gandhian N Basavaiah, who claims it was from the 1934 visit. Gandhiji visited the college while on a mission to abolish untouchability. He paid a visit to the panchama hostel, where another Gandhian, the late HM Gangadharaiah, offered him ragi rotti. On one of his visits, Gandhi visited the Pranidaya Sangha and held deliberations on the essence of showing compassion to animals. “We are happy that the Prime Minister will deliver his speech where Mahatma Gandhi addressed people,” said octagenarian N Basavaiah, who inspired by Gandhi, established the Bapuji Institution in 1969.

Yediyurappa oversees preparations for visit

As Tumakuru braces for PM Modi’s event on Thursday, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa held an official meeting and oversaw preparations for the same on Tuesday. The PM will launch the second year of Kisan Samman Nidhi and release funds for farmers.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal, and Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal will receive national-level awards for the best performance in the agriculture sector. As many as 28 progressive farmers and three fish farmers will be honoured on the occasion, the CM said. The PM will land at the helipad of Tumkur University at 2.10 pm and reach Siddaganga Mutt by road. He will lay the foundation stone for an exhibition centre on the seer. He will leave for Bengaluru by 5 pm to take part in a function at DRDO.

Pramesh Jain

Bengaluru CCB sleuths of organised crime wing has arrested a gang of six inter-state arms dealers on charges of arms act.

The arrested includes an international athlete, who has represented India’s basketball team in the commonwealth games have been arrested near tank bund road under cottonpet police station limits.

The accused has been identified as,Kingpin of the gang,Aslam guthal alias Aslam,45,the international basketball player and a alleged a congress worker,Dharmanna Devalappa Chouhan,38,both from Haveri,Javed Khan alias Javed,39,of Mysuru,Rayanna Gowda,27,of Hubballi,Syed Rizwan,alias Alauddin,39,of Bismilla Nagar and Rohan Mandal,27,of Marathalli.

The gang was arrested near tank bund road area of cottonpet while they were waiting to rob people.

Acting on a credible information team headed by DCP Crime,KP Ravi Kumar and team swung into action and nabbed all the six accused and seized four weapons and live rounds from their possession.

Senior officer told,already eight cases, including four under the arms act, are registered in various police stations in the city on Aslam.Rohan Mondal is from West Bengal and the cops have also confiscated three pistols,one revolver and eight rounds of live ammunition.

Azam,the boss of Aslam has photographed himself with several Congress leaders with the shawl of Congress flag on his shoulders.It is also said that he is a alleged Congress worker.

It is said that Aslam had formed his own network and used to sell these guns to rowdies for Rs 10,000 to 20,000. It is known that he is the disciple of Azam, who is a rowdy sheeter of Brigade he added.

 Bhaskar Rao,Commissioner of police,told media persons that,a credible information was received by DCP Crime,KP Ravikumar acting on it the team headed by ACP,Ngaraj and team swung into action and rushed to the spot and nabbed all the six accused and seized all the illegal arms as three pistols,one revolver and 8 live rounds from their possession.

Bhaskar Rao,even said,in cottonpet limits our cops have arrested 6-member gang of arms dealers and robbers.One of them identified as Aslam is a national level basketball player.

He is prime accused and a kingpin of the racket in the case.Usually sportsperson are trustworthy but it may not be true is every athlete’s case.

This gang procured arms in North India and sold here.The gang is said to have been supplying arms to local criminals at cheaper rates.

A case has been registered in cottonpet police station under arms act and further investigation is on,and finally I appreciate,Joint CP,Crime,Sandeep Patil and his team as,DCP,Crime,KP Ravikumar,ACP,Nagaraj and his whole team who has nabbed the gang and busted the racket and a suitable reward will be given to whole team he added.

KSCA #BCCI #ICC #CCB #SIT

SouravGanguly

AjayShah

Political Interference

AvoidableIgnominy

By Joseph hoover

According to reports, a couple of office-bearers have been running from pillar to post, prostrating at the feet of politicians to save themselves from the possibility of being arrested by the Central Crime Branch.

In their desperation to save themselves from the ignominy of being arrested for their alleged involvement in the KPL match-fixing scandal, they have exposed themselves to the elements of doubt and guilt.

If they had conviction about their innocence, they wouldn’t have to plead for mercy. They could have steadfastly held their head up high and discarded any lingering doubts about their unholy alliance with corrupt cricketers and franchise owners .

They have sought the help of political stalwarts from the BJP, which came to power with the pledge to incinerate the corrupt, and Congress. But this isn’t going to bail anyone out of trouble.

KSCA secretary Santosh Menon’s house was raided a fortnight ago by the CCB. The CCB had availed a search warrant from the court.

It is common knowledge that no government department/ agency would raid someone’s house without evidence. No judge would issue a search warrant without clinching/corroborative evidence.

It is public knowledge that a very senior IPS officer had saved Santosh Menon from being arrested.

Menon has been asked to report to the CCB headquarters for frequent interrogation.

KSCA, Karnataka cricket and Santosh Menon could have been saved this embarrassment had the KPL governing council, chaired by Vinay Mruthunjaya, had acted on the match-fixing complaints of Sreenath Arvind and Balchander Akhil in 2017. They had briefed the then office-bearers about matches being fixed. But KSCA threw caution to the wind.

The reluctance to take action is now hurting KSCA’s reputation, Karnataka cricket and genuine cricketers.

Instead of threatening others with defamation suits, the present managing committee would do well to reprimand office-bearers who have heaped embarrassment on what was once the best administered cricket association in India.

The least the managing committee could do is to ask those who are being investigated to stay away from the affairs of the cricket association, until they are given a clean chit by the Special Investigation Team, put together by Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao to cleanse Karnataka cricket.

The seer catapulted to the national scene in the early 1960s when then RSS Sarsanghchalak M S Golwalkar and Swami Chinmayanand sought his advice for the establishment of Vishwa Hindu Parishad

UDUPI: Pejawar seer, who came from Udupi, a small town, made his way to the national scene over a half a century ago, became an icon of Hindu religion and played a significant role in all the major movements related to Hinduism.  

The seer catapulted to the national scene in the early 1960s when then RSS Sarsanghchalak M S Golwalkar and Swami Chinmayanand sought his advice for the establishment of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Incidentally, he was the last founding member of VHP to pass away.

The first time he was known all over the country was in 1968 with his slogan at the regional conference of VHP  held in Ujire of Dakshina Kannada. The slogan “All Hindus are brothers, my job is to protect Hindus and no Hindu should remain backward” reverberated across the country after it made to the cover pages of most of the newspapers across the country. “Because of this, the scope of his influence spread and also respect from people. It was because of this reason that though he wrote two letters to then PM Indira Gandhi condemning the imposition of national emergency, she did not dare to touch him,” said Vasudev Bhat, the seer’s disciple.  

Unlike other seers, the Pejawar seer had the great ability to reach out to people without being confined to the restrictions followed by religious leaders. He played a major role in bringing different Hindu sects and also seers and religious leaders under one banner to fight for the protection of Hindu religion. Some of the major movements in which he was actively involved were related to cow protection, anti-conversion, protection of Rama Setu, Save Tirupati, Ram Janmabhoomi, eradicating untouchability etc.
 Whenever he sensed threat to the Hindu culture, he was among the first to protest it besides guiding the community in the right direction. His words carried weight because of the huge respect he would command from his sea of followers.  

Says Sondekoppa facility is meant for African drug peddlers; govt affidavit in HC gives details of centres  

BENGALURU: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is now Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai who is backing off, and claiming that the state does not have a detention centre. Bommai says the centre, located in Sondekoppa village, 40km from Bengaluru, is meant to lodge African nationals found guilty of drug peddling. 

Interestingly, Additional Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel has, in his affidavit before the high court, said that migrants will soon be shifted to the permanent detention centre in Sondekoppa. A copy of the affidavit is with TNIE. “I respectfully state that in response to the aforesaid letter dated 19-11-2019, the Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Police has furnished the temporary foreign detention centre details in Karnataka, including Bengaluru city, till such time the permanent detention centre becomes operational at Sondekoppa Village, Tavarekere, Bengaluru North. The copy of the 35 temporary detention centres with proper address is produced,” the affidavit states. 

Interestingly, Bommai had himself announced in the first week of October that the detention centre was being readied, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be implemented in the state. He is now changing tack, “In qualified terms, it is not a detention centre…there is no purpose, per se, to detain someone on the issue of citizenship. I have no information about the facility being operational yet.” 

It must be noted that the state government had submitted to the Centre, locations of the 35 temporary detention centres, and said th at illegal migrants who had been granted bail would be kept in the centres till the one at Sondekoppa was ready. “All the 35 temporary detention centers, including Bengaluru city, will be equipped with basic facilities such as bedrooms, bathrooms, water and electricity, driving water facility, medical facility, food and sufficient police protection as per the requirement in each of the temporary detention centers, till such time they are shifted to permanent detention center at Sondekoppa or they are deported to their country,” the affidavit said. 

The minister claimed he has no information about the centre’s activities. “Please check with the social welfare department. I have no information about it being started. If it is operational, then people should have been there,” he said. However, senior police officials told TNIE that Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has visited the centre recently, and also done a recce on whether it can be operational soon. 
“The date given to us by our seniors is January 1. We are getting everything ready, including the kitchen. A warden has been appointed,” said an official. 

Asked about this, Deputy Chief Minister and social welfare minister Govind Karjol said, “We were entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of people who will be lodged here, irrespective of which country they belong to. The department will provide food, clothes and accommodation and other facilities till they depart. I don’t know anything about what the home minister is saying.” 

However, a social welfare ministry source said that 30 people are likely to be lodged at the centre soon, and they “might be sending the first 10 to 15 from January 1”. A senior advocate said the state government cannot “lie so blatantly”. “There are court documents in which they have submitted under oath, saying that a permanent detention centre is ready to be operational. Now, they can’t say it is only for African drug peddlers. They will have to explain it to court once bail petitions of these people under the Foreign Regional Registration Act come up for hearing,” he said.

After finding out that the man, arrested in Saudi Arabia, has no criminal background, officials want him released

UDUPI: With efforts on to have Harish Bangera, who was arrested in Saudi Arabia for a ‘hate’ comment, released, Udupi district police have written a letter to Facebook to check from which IP number the second Facebook account in the name of Harish was created and the ‘objectionable’ comments posted. Meanwhile, the police have learnt that Harish has no criminal background in Kundapur, his hometown, before he moved to Saudi Arabia for work.

Harish Bangera, a 32-year-old man from Beejady village in Kundapur in Udupi district, is a trained air conditioner mechanic. He went to Saudi Arabia in March 2014 to join the Gulf Carton Factory in Dammam. He shared a video of a riot that was supposed to have taken place in Mangaluru, which he had received from someone in India on December 19. Subsequently, he felt that the video was unwarranted and deleted it from his account. In order to put an end to the controversy, he also posted a video apologising for his ‘unwarranted’ post. Further, he deactivated his Facebook account. The matter ended there.

However, on December 20, a miscreant created another account in his name and several of his photographs were posted in it. The next day, two ‘highly objectionable and blasphemous contents’ were also posted. Bangera said that he was unaware of these developments until his wife, Sumana, brought the matter to his notice. Before he could bring this up in front of the Saudi Arabian Police, the comments went viral. Engr Meshari A M Al-Jabr, general manager of Gulf Carton Factory dismissed Bangera and the Saudi Arabian police arrested him. His family members in Kundapur are still unaware of the charges against him.

“Once we receive the details, we shall send them to the Saudi Arabian police, so as to prove Harish’s innocence,” an official said.

At first appearance, it looks almost like an imposing jail — with a formidable 10-ft high boundary wall, barbed wires and two watch towers.

BENGALURU: With the Centre in denial over the existence of detention centres to house illegal immigrants, what will happen to the one coming up in Bengaluru’s backyard? Karnataka’s first detention centre in Nelamangala taluk, about 40 km from here, can house 25. Located in Sondekoppa, it is almost ready for inauguration.

At first appearance, it looks almost like an imposing jail — with a formidable 10-ft high boundary wall, barbed wires and two watchtowers.

The centre, which stands in a half-acre and 20 guntas land, has five rooms where illegal immigrants and overstaying foreigners will be housed, a common kitchen and a common bathroom.

What was once an OBC hostel is now busy with policemen patrolling the area and letting in only contract labourers, construction workers, electricians and plumbers.

“It was a women’s hostel earlier. The work started six months ago. The centre could be even inaugurated in the first week of January,” said an employee who is in charge of construction.

Even groceries have been stocked at the centre.

A senior police officer said the five rooms have five beds each. The work pending relates to the completion of staff quarters and toilets.

“Even that is almost done. Just plastering of the bathroom and staff quarters is to be completed. It will be done in another week’s time,” explained the officer. 

‘Centre might be opened anytime soon’

Sources claim that the building might even be inaugurated anytime soon, probably on the New Year as the groceries have also been stored. Also, a police jeep with five policemen is guarding the place on a shift basis.

According to locals, the entire construction work was done in a hush-hush manner —even the local panchayat had no idea what was coming up there.

A former Zilla Panchayat member said, “We wanted this building for the gram panchayat office but the social welfare department has not shared any details with us. And now a detention centre is coming up here.”

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had earlier said that NRC will definitely be implemented in Karnataka and construction of the detention centre has been almost completed.

A huge database of illegal migrants is also being put together by the state.

Bommai had recently said, “We are presently collecting information of all illegal immigrants, drug dealers from other countries who have been nabbed and also foreign nationals. A lot of them who have crossed the borders in South India have settled in Karnataka and it is the question of people’s security.”

The state government had also recently told the Karnataka High Court that 612 cases have been registered against 866 foreigners for overstaying their visa period and for violation of various laws, including the provisions of Indian Penal Code and Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act till October 2019.

Also the State Public Prosecutor (SPP)-II made a submission to that effect before Justice K N Phaneendra, during the hearing of bail applications filed by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants that 35 temporary foreigners’ detention centres were identified in various districts and commissionerates across the state.

When The New Indian Express asked a senior police officer how a detention centre that can house only 25 persons can accommodate many people who are detained, he said on the condition of anonymity,

“This place is ready for now. There are other places too which we are trying to zero in on. This place also has scope for expansion. We will build more rooms if necessary.”This building was re-purposed to be used as a detention centre during the coalition government. 

It is reliably learnt that Police Commissioner PS Harsha, who did not curb his men’s high-handed behaviour, was pulled up by his seniors who have recommended action against him.

MANGALURU:  The firing in Mangaluru, which killed two people and injured many more, has come in for sharp criticism from leaders and people alike, with commentators saying that police mishandled the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

It is reliably learnt that Police Commissioner PS Harsha, who did not curb his men’s high-handed behaviour, was pulled up by his seniors who have recommended action against him. 

First, while the police manual clearly says that in such a situation, cops should fire at people below their knees, seven out of eight police bullets hit victims above their waists.

Worse, one of the bullets brushed former mayor K Ashraf’s head, while another hit the chest of a student.

In many videos now in public domain, cops are seen firing at the chest level, not above the knees or in the air. 

Second, a purported video of a police inspector asking his colleagues why no one was killed despite firing several rounds, suggests that their intention went beyond curbing ‘violent’ protests.

The video has become fodder for opposition parties, with former chief minister Siddaramaiah releasing it before the media in Bengaluru on Friday. 

Police Commissioner Harsha said in his defence that he was not aware of any such video, and promised to look into it.

He also did not respond to questions on the video of cops smashing a door in a hospital, where the bodies of the dead men, Jaleel and Nausheen, were kept. 

The top cop also reportedly gave inflated figures in an attempt to justify police action. Soon after the two killings on Thursday, he said that police “had no option but to open fire as the violent mob attacked and grievously injured them”, after barging into Mangaluru North police station in Bunder.

He had said there were 6,000 to 7,000 people, but reliable sources said this figure was inflated, and that no policeman sustained serious injuries.

Harsha also said that DCP (L&O) Arunangshu Giri’s hand was almost cut off by the agitators, which reliable sources said is not correct. His claims that 33 cops were injured is also inflated, sources said. 

On Friday morning, the commissioner told some TV channels that they had arrested 50 people, who in the garb of journalists had tried to enter District Wenlock Hospital where the injured were admitted. He also said that some of them carried lethal weapons.

But at a press conference in the evening, his defence was that since the journalists were strangers to the city, he could not allow them to do a reportage. 

In fact, there were only eight journalists, not 50, as he had claimed. Harsha also did not have answers on whether they possessed weapons and why he misled the media.

He also tried to underplay the number of people injured, keeping it at five, while at least 25 civilians are being treated at several hospitals. 

Two people were killed in police firing in Mangaluru on Thursday as the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent.

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is visiting Mangaluru which was rocked by violent protests against the CAA leaving two dead in police firing, on Saturday and will hold meetings with top officials to review the situation there.

“I’m going to Mangaluru along with Govind Karjol (Deputy Chief Minister) and Basavaraj Bommai (Home Minister). I will hold meetings with officials there to know the reasons (for the violence),” Yediyurappa told reporters here before leaving for Mangaluru.

Asked whether an inquiry will be ordered into the incident, he said, “I will go there and hold meetings, after knowing things I will take a call.”

Two people were killed in police firing in Mangaluru on Thursday as the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent.

The situation in the curfew clamped city was by and large peaceful on Friday, barring stray incidents of violence.

Police said the curfew was lifted in the city for a couple of hours on Saturday morning to facilitate public to buy daily essentials from the market.

The Karnataka government had on Thursday night also prohibited mobile internet data service of all service providers for the next 48 hours in the jurisdiction of Mangaluru City and Dakshina Kannada district.

Yediyurappa said he would be travelling to Udupi later to pay a visit to Pejavara Mutt’s Vishvesha Teertha Swamiji, who is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital.

“By the grace of Sri Krishna there is a slight improvement in the health of Swamiji,” he said.

The 88-year old pontiff is being treated for extensive pneumonia with antibiotics and supportive treatment.

Shaik Zakeer Hussain

In a shocking video that is doing rounds on social media, police personnel in Mangaluru are seen questioning each other, why no protestor was killed, even after firing at them.

The clipping of the video was shared by Mahila Congress’ National Social Media Coordinator Lavanya Ballal on Friday, causing a widespread uproar.

“Listen to what the cops are saying . “Even after firing, not a single shot hit anyone, no one died”. #KarnatakaRejectsCAA_NRC,” Ballal tweeted and tagged the Karnataka State Home Department, asking for action against the cop.

Expressing outrage at the incident, Indian Youth Congress in-charge Srivatsa, tweeted alleging the cops “were shooting with the intention to kill?”

At least two people were killed in police firing in Mangaluru on Thursday during the ongoing nationwide protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the draconian NRC.

The Home Department of Karnataka has imposed a suspension on mobile internet services by all mobile providers in Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada district for 48 hours, and curfew has been imposed in parts of the city until midnight on Saturday (December 21).

Anti Citizenship Act (CAA) demonstrators across India are carrying out peaceful protests as anger swells against the highly sectarian and anti-Constitutional law. However, the BJP-ruled Karnataka government on Wednesday evening clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 in Mangaluru and other parts of the state starting from 6 am on Thursday till the mid-night of December 21.

On Thursday, over 6,000 people gathered at various parts of Mangaluru defying prohibitory orders to protest against CAA. Videos from the violence-affected area show police personnel firing at the protestors and using tear gas and brute force to disperse the crowd.

Two people, Jaleel Kudroli (49) and Nausheen Bengre (23) were killed in the police firing.

According to the Citizenship Amendment Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. The Act intentionally leaves out Muslims.

The BJP-led government has said the new law will be followed by a National Register of Citizens (NRC) that means Muslims must prove they were original residents of India and not refugees from these three countries. Non-Muslims listed in the law, by contrast, have a clear path to citizenship.

The religiously discriminatory mechanisms of the Act shares worrying similarities with the rhetoric and policies of the Nazi German state between 1929-1940.