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Defying ban, VHP airs Togadia speech at Hindu Samajotsava

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Despite Police Ban, Praveen Togadia Addresses VHP Supporters Via Video at National College grounds in Bengaluru on Feb. 08, 2015. Photo: Handout email

Despite Police Ban, Praveen Togadia Addresses VHP Supporters Via Video at National College grounds in Bengaluru on Feb. 08, 2015. Photo: Handout email

Bengaluru: The organisers of the Virat Hindu Samajotsava in the City played a pre-recorded video clip of a fiery speech by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international working president Praveen Togadia in Hindi on Sunday. This is despite a police ban on airing his speeches in any form.

In the speech, Togadia said: “Let no one come and teach us religious tolerance. From the time of creation of the universe we have religious tolerance,” hinting at US President Barack Obama’s remark during his recent visit to India. Obama had said the “acts of intolerance” experienced by religious faiths of all types in India in the past few years would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi.

“Teach it to those who are into religious conversions. From now on, no Hindu shall be converted and we will do ghar wapsi to bring them back.” He also said, “We will get rid of all Bangladeshi Muslims living in the country.”

He exhorted Hindus to come together, leaving the caste system behind, and demanded a “Samvyadhanik Hindu Rashtra” (Constitutional Hindu nation).

The clip — which was played at the end of the over three-hour conclave — stopped the crowd in their tracks, many of whom had started leaving the venue. As the two giant screens played the video clip, people stood in rapt attention.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar, who was present at the venue, said: “The organisers have violated the police order. We have made a note of this. We will consult legal experts and go ahead with the proceedings. So far, we have not detained anyone.

On Saturday, City Police Commissioner M N Reddi had issued an order prohibiting Keshav Hegde, VHP organising secretary, and other organisers of the ‘Samavesha’ from displaying and transmitting any speech of Togadia through audio, visual or any other media at the venue for two days, from 6 pm on February 7 to 6 pm on February 9.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: VHP to hold live telecast of Praveen Togadia's speech

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Praveen Togadia

Bengaluru: A day after Karnataka High Court rejected VHP’s plea for a stay on the police order banning its leader Praveen Togadia’s entry into the city on grounds of law and order, the saffron outfit has made all arrangements to live telecast his speech through video-conferencing at the ‘Hindu Virat Samavesha’ to be held here tomorrow.

“Togadia has already reached Karnataka borders and will enter the state today or tomorrow. There is a stay on his entry into Bengaluru city, but there isn’t on his giving speech through video-conferencing mechanism,” VHP’s State Public Relations Officer Manjunath Swamy told reporters here.

Justice Abdul Nazir had on Saturday turned down the interim prayer by Karnataka VHP Organising Secretary Keshav Hegde for staying the police commissioner’s order banning Togadia’s entry into the city from February 5 to 11.

City Police Commissioner MN Reddi had earlier this week imposed the ban on the ground that Togadia’s “provocative and inflammatory” speeches would have “grave” consequences and likelihood of breach of peace.

Swamy said they have invited some television channels to live telecast Togadia’s speech arranged outside Bengaluru for tomorrow’s event here.

On City Police Commissioner MN Reddi’s remark that the live telecast even from outside Bengaluru will amount to an offence, Swamy said, “It will not amount to an offence. The Police Commissioner can tell many things. Even I am an advocate and tell you that it will not amount to an offence. If it is done, then it will be an anti-democratic act.” Reddi told reporters that any speech made by Togadia through video-conferencing will amount to offence.

“It will amount to an offence. We will do everything to issue a ban order on Togadia using video-conferencing mechanism to deliver speech,” he said.

VHP had challenged the police commissioner’s prohibitory orders on Togadia’s entry into the city in the High Court with the interim prayer for a stay on the ban.

While declining the interim plea, the Judge, however, said the writ petition filed by Hegde was maintainable and adjourned the matter without mentioning the next date of hearing.

(PTI)

Protest in Bengaluru against 'Attacks' on Churches

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Bengaluru: Nuns, priests and archbishops chanted Hail Mary on the streets of Bengaluru on Friday, as thousands of Christians took out a procession in the city against the recent attacks on churches in Delhi.

The rally began at the St. John’s College of Nursing just off the busy Hosur Road and saw the protesters marching, carrying banners.

Participants spoke of the need to be allowed to practice their religion with freedom and called for attacks on churches to stop.

The Archbishop of Bengaluru, Rev Bernard Moras, along with other Archbishops from around the country brought up the rear of the procession.

“Hardly a day has passed off in recent months without reports of attacks on Christians, Churches and Christian institutions from across the nation,” said a statement by the archbishops.

“The police manhandling of peaceful gathering of even women, children, nuns and priests at the gate of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the heart of New Delhi on February 5, 2015 raises questions whether constitutional guarantees are not applicable to the Christian community,” the statement added.

Yesterday, a large number of policemen cracked down on a protest in Delhi against attacks on churches, and dragged activists, including priests, into buses.

The protest outside the Sacred Heart cathedral in the heart of the city was “unlawful”, said the police, who were seen pulling women and even children, leaving bags and shoes scattered on the road.

Christian groups had organized a silent march to highlight what they called lack of serious action in recent attacks on churches. They said they would march to Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence.

There have been five attacks on churches since December. Some Christian groups suspect a pattern of orchestrated attacks, and say the police are undermining them.

(Agencies)

Karnataka high court upholds ban on Praveen Togadia

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Praveen Togadia

Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court today upheld Bengaluru police commissioner’s order on banning entry of VHP leader Praveen Togadia into Bengaluru.

He was to take part in Virat Hindu Samavesha, which will be held at National College grounds on February 8.

Advocate General (AG) Ravivarma Kumar on Thursday had submitted to the high court that Togadia was a dangerous man who could disrupt the communal harmony in the State through his provocative speeches.

In likelihood that Togadia may deliver provative speech at the Hindu convention, the Bengaluru police commissioner issued orders banning Togadia from entering Bengaluru between February 5 and February 11. The decision has been met with much criticism from right wing groups and religious leaders, and also the opposition BJP, which crippled the House proceedings for two consecutive days and even staged a walkout.

BJP walks out of Karnataka Assembly against ban on Togadia

Earlier, on Wednesday the BJP MLAs raised objection in the Karnataka Assembly to the ban on VHP leader Praveen Togadia entering Bengaluru, leading to the adjournment of the House repeatedly.

BJP leader R Ashoka raised the issue as the House met for the day and questioned the government’s intention behind the action and called it an attempt to “suppress” the majority, leading to a heated argument between BJP and Congress MLAs.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervened to say government would not allow anything that disturbs peace in society. This further angered BJP members.

The Speaker said he would give permission to raise the issue during Zero Hour and Question Hour should be allowed to function smoothly, to which members agreed.

(Agencies)

Alleged IM operatives brought to Mangaluru; custody extended

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Photo: R. Eswarraj

Photo: R. Eswarraj

Mangaluru: A court in Bengaluru on Tuesday extended the police custody of two of the Bhatkal based youth arrested last month on terrorism charges by two days for further interrogation.

Police said that Bhatkal based homeopathic doctor Dr. Syed Ismail Afaq and his cousin Abdus Subur were on Tuesday remanded in police custody for two more days in Bengaluru. Two other youth — Saddam Hussain and Riyaz Ahmed Sayeedi — were sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

The police, in their remand application submitted to the court, said that the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) wanted custody of the suspects to probe into their suspected role in bombings in Mumbai in 2011. The Maharashtra ATS is expected to move court soon.

Taken to Mangaluru

The Bengaluru police had brought three of arrested Bhatkal youth — Afaq, Riyaz Ahmed Sayeedi and Abdus Subur — to Mangaluru and Bhatkal on Monday in connection with the investigation.

Sources say that the team headed by the investigating officer Omakaraiah took Sayeedi to an outlet on Kudmal Ranga Rao Road in Mangaluru from where he had reportedly sent a parcel a few months before his arrest, apart from a host of other places in the coastal city. Mr Omakaraiah said that they had visited various places in Mangaluru to collect evidences.

VHP leader Praveen Togadia barred from entering Bengaluru

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Praveen Togadia

Bengaluru: Senior VHP leader Praveen Togadia has been barred from entering Bengaluru from February 5 to February 10.

Bengaluru police commissioner M N Reddi has issued a notice to Togadia prohibiting him from entering the city.

The VHP leader was scheduled to attend ‘Hindu Virat Samavesha’ convention on February 8 in the city.

The ban came in the wake of provocative speeches made by Praveen Togadia in the past.

Sources said that VHP is planning to organise ‘Ghar Wapsi’ after the convention on February 8.

(Agencies)

Another Bodo militant wanted by Assam police held in Bengaluru

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dv563013

Bengaluru: Another NDFB(S) militant, wanted in connection with the violence in Assam in December last year, was arrested here today, police said.

27-year old Sanju Bordoloi, the organising secretary of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit), was arrested from his hideout in the Electronic City based on specific inputs.

He is the second NDFB(S) militant to be arrested here since last week after the detention of Birkhang Basumatary, also allegedly involved in the Assam violence, on January 23.

“City Crime Branch arrested Sanju Bordoloi, son of Dim Wser Bordoloi, of Kamrup District in Assam, from Electronic City Police Station limits based on specific inputs,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhishek Goel said in a statement here.

Bordoloi was hiding here after participating in the recent massacre, he said, adding that the militant admitted that he was the organising secretary of NDFB(S) and trained in Bangladesh in AK-series of weapons.

The miltants had launched an attack on adivasis in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts on December 23 following which there was retaliatory violence and police firing resulting in the killing of 81 people.

Goel also said the police are coordinating with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Assam Police to hand him over to them.

“The militant is presently kept at the Electronics City police station,” he added.

Basumatary alias Bhutur, a native of Chirang in Assam, had already been handed over to Assam police.

(PTI)

Suspected Bodo militant arrested in Bengaluru

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dv563013

Bengaluru: A suspected Bodo militant from Nagaland, Burling Bhutur a top leader of NDFB-Songbijit outfit, was arrested by the Bengaluru Police on Saturday, January 24.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner M N Reddi who confirmed the arrest stated that the militant was nabbed from a house located in Cottonpet, Bengaluru.

Also known as Birkhang Basumatary, Bhutur was directly involved in the killing of eight Adivasis at Lungsung on December 23 and six Hindi-speaking persons at Serfanguri in Kokrajhar district of Assam on January 16 last year, a PTI report from Guwahati quoted Assam IGP L R Bishnoi as saying. Terming the arrest as a “big catch”, Bishnoi said the arrest was made on a tip off by the Assam Police.

The NDFB(S) had launched an attack on adivasis in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts on December 23 last following which there was retaliatory violence and police firing resulting in the killing of 81 persons.

Earlier on January 16 last year six Hindi-speaking persons were shot dead after the armed insurgents pulled down around 12 passengers from a bus coming from to Shillong and opened fire on them at Athiabari under Serfanguri police station.

(Agencies)

BBMP demolishes shops in Malleswaram market

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shops in Malleswaram market

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) razed 80 shops to ground in Malleshwarm market area, to make way for market development project planned jointly by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and BBMP.

Lakshminarasiah, Joint Commissioner, West, BBMP, said that they have got the court order and a letter from the BBMP commissioner to go ahead with the demolition. The demolition will take place in a phased manner. He said that the demolition notice was issued to shop owners to evacuate the market even before December.

N Venkataswamy, President of Malleshwarm market association said, “We don’t know what to do and we are helpless. “He further added that he was not informed in advance about the demolition.

Earlier on Dec 12, 2014, 18 shops were demolished by the BBMP under police protection, despite opposition by the vendors.

The 2.08 acre market was slated to be developed jointly by the BBMP and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). Though the BDA has back tracked, the BBMP has gone ahead with the demolition.

Police custody of alleged IM operatives extended till Feb 3

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Bangalore City Police Commissioner, M N Reddi.

Bangalore City Police Commissioner, M N Reddi.

Bengaluru: Police custody of four suspected operatives of the banned Indian Mujahideen, arrested recently, was extended till February 3 by a court here today.

“Court has extended the Police custody of Dr. Syed Ismail Afaq, Abdus Saboor, Riyaz Syeedi & Saddam Hussain upto February 3, 2015 in IM Explosive Seizure case,” DCP Crime (Bengaluru) Abhishek Goyal in a tweet said.

The Police custody of all the four suspects ended today.

Bengaluru Police on January 8 had claimed to have unearthed a terror module of IM with the arrest of its three alleged operatives and seizure of a huge cache of explosives during raids on their houses at Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district and here.

The fourth alleged operative was arrested on January 11 at the Mangaluru international airport before flying to Dubai.

City Police Chief M N Reddi had earlier said that the suspects were part of a terror module that was used to procure, fabricate and deliver deadly explosives.

According to them police, the alleged IM operatives transferred money through Hawala channels for funding and at least one of them attended meetings in a foreign country, where a conspiracy was hatched to manufacture and deliver deadly explosives which were probably used for blasts in different parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Dr. Afaq’s defence counsel Advocate Sultan Beary, has maintained that his client is innocent, and has alleged that he has been framed.

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