Archives for 2024

MANGALURU: The atmosphere of fear and biased attitude in India, created by the right wing people can be tackled only with the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, said MLC B K Hariprasad on Monday, during a talk on ‘Gandhi’s visit to coast’ organised by DYFI on the occasion of assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

“Nathuram Godse is this nation’s first terrorist. Terrorism entered to our country because of Godse. As many as 144 countries across the world celebrate birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi because he brought freedom without firing a single bullet. Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King were all followers of Gandhi but such a great personality is being portrayed as a villain by few. There is no bigger Hindu than Mahatma Gandhi, ” he said.

Former Dakshina Kannada DC A B Ibrahim who presided over the programme opined that there is a helpless situation where both Godse and Gandhi are being worshipped.

Retired principal Dr Udaya Irvattur delivering a talk on the topic said that there is no death for Gandhi’s principles.

“We are talking about Sanatan Dharma and culture but it was Gandhi who showed us what is ‘dharma’. Gandhi didn’t fight to defeat anyone but to bring change. Gandhi visited coastal Karnataka thrice and gave a message on Hindu and Muslim unity, self-sufficient life, idea of Swarajya, removal of untouchability,” he said.

B K Hariprasad later talking to media persons accused BJP of disrupting peace by hoisting the Bhagwa flag in place of national flag at Keregodu in Mandya and the government must take strict action against the accused.

“BJP is trying to woo the majority by insulting the tricolour and the Constitution.”

To a question on Jagadish Shettar rejoining the BJP, Hariprasad said that Shettar is a decent gentleman and Congress should have ensured he stays in the party however he wished him well.

To Leader of Opposition R Ashok’s statement that state government will collapse after Lok Sabha polls, Hariprasad said that Ashok is daydreaming on becoming the chief minister but there is a long queue in his party and his dream will not be fulfilled.

BENGALURU: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers, led by Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, staged a protest in Bengaluru against the lowering of a Hanuman flag at Keregodu village in Mandya district.

Hundreds of party workers gathered near Mysuru Bank Circle on Monday, where police detained them. There was high drama as police initially did not allow workers to stage protests. Jayanagar MLA CK Ramamurthy, former deputy mayor S Harish, Sapthagiri Gowda and others were present, wearing saffron shawls, holding Hanuman flags and chanting ‘Jai Shriram’. A large number of police personnel were deployed in Bengaluru.

Later, BJP Bengaluru City office-bearers met the Bengaluru DC and submitted a memorandum, condemning the lowering of the Hanuma Dhwaja. They claimed that it was done on the direction of local Congress MLA Ravi Ganiga and district minister N Cheluvarayaswamy. They also demanded that the Hanuma Dhwaja be hoisted at the same place in Keregodu. The party held similar protests in various parts of the state.

BJP leaders termed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah “anti-Hindu” and alleged that he brings up the Constitution when the issue is related to Hindus.

BJP Karnataka posted a series of tweets on social media, with the hashtag #HinduVirodhiSarkaara. They also recalled that in its previous term, the Congress government had hit protesting farmers and lost elections, now they are hitting Hindu activists.

Bommai, Ashoka protest

Kolar: Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai claimed that permission to fly the Hanuman flag on the gram panchayat office was received three to four months ago. Heading a protest against lowering of the Hanuman flag at Keregodu village in Mandya district, the BJP leader said all norms have been followed. Opposition leader R Ashoka, Kolar MP S Muniswamy and former minister Varthur R Prakash among others were present.

NEW DELHI: Even as the Uttarakhand government is preparing to bring a draft bill on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) next week, the BJP’s long-time poll promise of a nationwide UCC is unlikely to materialise before the Lok Sabha elections, according to highly placed sources in the government.

According to the source, the 22nd Law Commission of India, which is tasked with drafting of the bill, is yet to complete consultations with stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive draft bill on UCC. “The consultations are still on and it is unlikely that the commission will submit its report before LS polls,” said the official.

The UCC, which comes under Article 44 of the Constitution of India, calls for a common set of laws for all religious communities on matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession.

While the Uttarakhand UCC is expected to be a model for the Central UCC, the official said, “We cannot replicate a state model for the Central law. Indian personal law is pretty complex with each religion having its own specific laws. In each state, the situation is different. We may adopt some elements from it,” he said.

The commission, headed by justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, is in the process of holding consultations with experts and stakeholders, including religious scholars and representatives from various religious and women’s organisations, said the source. While various tribal groups across the country, including northeastern states, have strongly opposed the proposed UCC, the official said that the government is likely to exclude tribals from the ambit of the UCC.

In June last year, the Law Commission issued a notification calling for the opinion of various stakeholders on the proposed legislation. A political row broke out after Prime Minister Modi made a strong pitch for the implementation of nationwide UCC. Many political parties have questioned the Law Commission’s decision to revisit UCC despite the previous commission’s detailed consultation paper on the subject in August 2018.

Speaking to this paper, a member of the 21 st Law Commission said that Muslim personal laws will have to be codified before drafting laws for UCC as Hindu and Christian personal laws have already been codified.

Though two other BJP ruled states – Gujarat and Assam — are expected to follow Uttarakhand in implementing the Uniform Civil Code, opposition parties argue that if different states have different UCCs, the purpose of having a ‘common law for all’ will be defeated.

Bigg Boss 17: Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui was declared the winner of the 17th season of Bigg Boss after spending more than 100 days inside the Bigg Boss house. He defeated actor Abhishek Kumar to win the finale. Moments after winning the show, he took to Instagram and posted his first photo with the coveted trophy

In the photo, Munawar was joined by host Salman Khan. Munawar smiled big, next to Salman in a black-and-white suit. Salman, in his casual look, smiled for the camera.Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Ram Mandir

Sharing the photo, Munawar wrote, “Bohot Bohot shukriya janta aapke pyaar aur support ke liye aakhir kar trophy Dongri aa hi gayi (thank you my fans for all the love and support. Finally the trophy is here). Special thanks to bade Bhai @beingsalmankhan sir for all your guidance. Saari ‘Munawar ki janta aur Munawar ke warrior’ ka dil se shukriya (thanks to all of my fans from the bottom of my heart).”

Munawar took home a cash prize of ₹50 lakh. He was among the finalists alongside Ankita Lokhande, Mannara Chopra and Abhishek.

Munawar on winning Bigg Boss 17

The finale was extra special for Munawar as it was also his birthday. Talking to Times Now, he said in an interview, “Isse badiya birthday nahi ho sakta (it couldn’t have been better).”

Munawar was one of the strongest contestants in the Bigg Boss 17 house. He grabbed the attention of viewers ever since he participated in the show, a lot because of his shayaris. However, later on, his popularity fell a little after his game backfired on him following his ex Ayesha Khan’s entry into the house.

Ayesha made several allegations against him in the show. From blaming him for cheating on her to making alleged false promises, she even claimed that he proposed to another girl for marriage. She also mentioned Munawar’s ex-girlfriend Nazila on the show. Despite these, Munawar stood strong and won the show with heavy votes in his favour.

BILASPUR: A 60-year-old headmaster of a government school in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district has been arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after administering a pledge to people not to believe in Hindu gods and to embrace Buddhism, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on January 22, following which the district education officer suspended Ratalal Sarovar, who was posted as headmaster of a government primary school in Bharari village, an official said.

On January 22, when the consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol was held at the Ayodhya temple, Sarovar gathered a group of people including children in Mohtarai village under Ratanpur police station limits.

The incident came to light after a video of Sarovar’s alleged act went viral on social media, he said.

The complaint claimed his act hurt the sentiments of the followers of Sanatan Dharma, the official said.

Based on the complaint, Sarovar was arrested on Sunday.

He was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class, the official said.

A probe was underway into the case, the police added.