The inaugural ceremony of seminar of the first International multilingual calligraphy exhibition and seminar was held on Friday afternoon at the Falcon’s Den at Prestige Falcon Towers here in the city.

Syed Beary, Chairman of Bearys Group and Institute of Indo Islamic Art & Culture ( IIIAC) welcomed the guests and audience at the event and presided over the event.

Syed Beary spoke about how Calligraphy had moved on from being only based in Arabic language and how artists today in most of regional languages of India were practicing calligraphy.

Syed Beary further added that the artists can use calligraphy as a tool to thrive towards building a hate-free society.

“We should spread awareness of calligraphy and its significance among the general public in a bid to revive this historical art. It is with this motive, we had established IIIAC and Miraj 2023 is also a part of that vision.

Mufti Sageer Ahmed, Ameer-e-Shariyat, Karnataka, Principal & Shaikul Hadees, Darul Uloom Sabeelur Rashad, made supplications for the success of the event.

Ziaulla Sheriff, Chairman, India Builders Corporation, Bangalore, Shabeena Sultana, Consul of the Republic of Tunisia, Bangalore and Pusphamala N, Artist, Sculptor, Writer and Curator, Chiranjeevi Singh, IAS, Former Ambassador of India to UNESCO, Paris., Prof. K.C. Janardhan Artist, Sculptor, Calligraphy Maestro, Professor of Management & Penmanship, were guests of honor during the inaugural event.

Ziaulla Sheriff unveiled profiles of Calligraphy artists who have taken part in the exhibition.

Chiranjeevi Singh released brocher of IIIAC. In his address, Chiranjeevi Singh shared his knowledge on the history, and traditional and cultural significance of calligraphy.

Prof. KC Janardan also spoke about how modern technology has taken away little joys of the classical arts and how the newer generations are drifting away from original calligraphy and art of writing.

He also lauded Syed Beary, Bearys Group and Muqtar Ahmed, Principal and Chief calligrapher of IIIAC for their efforts in establishing the IIIAC and promoting calligraphy.

Shabeena Sultana called on people and artists for coming together and uniting through the art and bringing back the lost glory of diversity of the country in testing times of hate and communalism.

Pushpamala shed lights on the history of scripts of various languages of the world.

Muqtar Ahmed presented the vote of thanks.

The event began with the recitation of verses from Holy Quran by Syed Usman while Shaheena and team from Bearys Seaside School Kodi Kundapur voiced prayers.

Mohammed Faisal compered the event which concluded with national anthem.

Several talks, discussions and seminars will also be held as a part of three-day program.

Experts and artists from more than 10 countries including Turkey, Japan, Sudan, and Middle-East will take part in the event. Calligraphy experts in Urdu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and other regional languages will also be a part of the event. The three-day program will continue till March 12 with free entry to arts enthusiasts.

CHITRADURGA: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday dismissed the Congress demand for his resignation following the recovery of Rs 8.23 crore cash from BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashanth Kumar M V, saying that the opposition party is left with no other job.

Hitting out at former chief minister Siddaramaiah, he said there were 59 corruption cases, which could not be investigated because he had weakened the Lokayukta institution by bifurcating it and creating an anti-corruption bureau.

Speaking to reporters here, he said his government has given independence to the Lokayukta which made the impartial probe possible.

“The opposition has no other job other than seeking my resignation. I would like to ask Siddaramaiah whether he had resigned as chief minister when Rs two lakh was found from a minister’s house,” Bommai said.

He also said that Siddaramaiah would have been arrested had there been a strong Lokayukta in the state.

“Siddaramaiah had weakened the Lokayukta institutions to cover up such cases. Today the impartial probe is taking place due to a strong Lokayukta,” Bommai said.

The Congress which shut 59 cases cannot wash off its sin by making these allegations, the Chief Minister said adding that the Congress resorted to demonstration and was seeking my resignation to cover up its corruption cases.

Stating that his government has waged a fight against corruption he said no one would be spared irrespective of party affiliation.

“It’s our battle against corruption irrespective of party affiliations. If there is anyone who has morality then it is us. We are very clear. Our policies are very clear. Whoever indulges in such an act, we have given independence to the Lokayukta to probe it impartially. The law is doing its duty and the guilty will be punished,” Bommai said.

More than Rs eight crore unaccounted cash has been seized in subsequent raids at various locations by Lokayukta two days ago.

Prashanth, a Karnataka administrative services officer, is the son of Madal Virupakshappa, the MLA representing the Channagiri constituency in the Davangere district of the state.

Lokayukta sources said apart from cash, documents for huge investments in land, gold and silver were also found in the MLA’s house.

The MLA Virupakshappa, who resigned as the Karnataka Soaps and Detergent Limited chairman, the office where his son was caught red-handed receiving cash, termed the trap a conspiracy against him.

HUBBALLI: Launching a tirade against former CM Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the Congress Legislature Party leader had given a target to his ministers for collection. “Ask MB Patil, HC Mahadevappa and KJ George about the target,” Bommai said, adding that Congress has always encouraged corruption and have no moral grounds to question BJP.  

Reacting to Congress calling for a bandh over alleged corruption in the state government on March 9, Bommai said, “The Congress would itself be bandh soon as it is a den of corruption.”

“The time has come for the party to become extinct. No one will support their bandh,” he said. 

‘False prestige’
After Congress Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar re-inaugurated the Shivaji statue which was already inaugurated by the CM, Bommai said his predecessor BS Yediyurappa had released Rs 50 lakh for it, and called the re-unveiling a drama staged by the Congress as for false prestige. 

BELAGAVI: Ahead of the Assembly polls, several aspiring candidates are busy wooing voters by distributing gifts on the pretext of religious rituals. In the latest case, several women were believed to be injured in a minor stampede that occurred during the distribution of sarees by supporters of a high-profile leader, who is likely to be the Congress candidate from the Raibag Assembly segment.

Thousands of women thronged the farmhouse of Shambhu Kallolikar, a senior IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre who recently took a voluntary retirement to enter politics, to attend the pooja to the newly dug well at the farmhouse at Jodatti village in Raibag taluk on Sunday.

Even as the distribution of sarees was on, the massive crowd of women went out of control and some of them sustained injuries in the mad rush. Sources said the number of women swelled after the news of free sarees spread in Raibag taluk.

Over 20,000 women gathered at the farmhouse, more than the organisers expected. Unable to control the rush, the organisers cancelled the distribution of sarees.

On the pretext of holding haldi-kumkum events, leaders are distributing sarees, utensils, mixers and dinner sets. Recently, Kagwad MLA Shrimant Patil distributed sarees on the premises of his sugar factory in Kagwad. Prior to that, MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar, former MLA Sanjay Patil and Congress leader Nagesh Mannolkar too distributed goodies to the voters.

With Congress certain to field Kallolikar against sitting MLA Duryodhan Aihole of BJP in Raibag, the contest between the two is expected to be close. Aihole has won the last three elections in a row and yet he is expected to face a tough challenge from Kallolikar, given his rising popularity in the constituency.

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday attacked the BJP over a Karnataka MLA’s son being arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe, with AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge saying it proves that it is a “40 per cent commission government” in the state.

Lokayukta sleuths recovered unaccounted cash of more than Rs 6 crore from the house of BJP MLA K Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashanth Madal close on the heels of his arrest for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh.

Prashanth, the chief accountant of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was caught red-handed on Thursday evening while accepting the bribe from a contractor at the Karnataka Soap and Detergents Limited (KSDL) office. The MLA is the Chairman of KSDL, makers of ‘Mysore Sandal’ soap.

“It is very bad. It has been proved that what the people were alleging that this is a 40 per cent commission government,” Kharge

The Lokayukta should quickly take action against the “culprits who are doing all this”, he added.

Asked whether this incident would “benefit” Congress in the run up to the election, Kharge said, “We don’t make allegations to get votes. In the interest of the party, we will not just exploit such a situation but we have been saying that this (BJP) is a 40 per cent commission government.”

“Lots of corruption is there (in the government), and a lot of money is misused, and no project is qualitatively completed,” he said.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the BJP’s stink of corruption has not even spared the ‘Mysore sandal’ soap.

“People are distressed and have made up their mind for change. No matter how many road shows and rallies you (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) hold, people have made up their mind. We have constantly stood with the people and raised voice against corruption,” she said.

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said, “Whenever we said there is rampant corruption and 40 per cent commission is demanded from contractors, the chief minister asked us to furnish details. Isn’t this evidence that the 40 per cent commission government is functioning in the state.”

The Congress said it would lay siege to the chief minister’s residence on Race Course road in Bengaluru on Saturday demanding that Basavaraj Bommai quit his post taking moral responsibility.

Facing the heat, Virupakshappa, MLA from Channagiri constituency in Davangere district, on Friday tendered his resignation from the post.

In his resignation letter to the Bommai, he said there is no “relation” between him and the Lokayukta raid which he termed as a “conspiracy” against him and his family.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Bengaluru/Bidar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, dubbing them as ‘dynastic parties’, which are number one in corruption and keep their family’s interests on top, as he stepped up the BJP’s campaign in poll-bound Karnataka.

He also accused the Congress of insulting its veterans, and said the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated former chief minister B S Yediyurappa on his birthday is something which all the political parties should learn on how to treat such leaders.

Shah addressed two public meetings as part of BJP’s “Vijay Sankalpa Yatra” ahead of the polls due by May at the district headquarters town of Bidar and Devanahalli near Bengaluru.

“You have to decide whether you want to vote for FDI-friendly BJP, or Congress and JD(S), which are number one in corruption”, he told the gathering.

“Do you want BJP which made Karnataka number one in aviation and space, or Congress and JD(S), which keep their family interest at number one place?” he asked.

BENGALURU:  Union Home Minister Amit Shah continues to focus on Bengaluru city ahead of the Assembly elections with an aim to win all the 28 constituencies in the state capital which is crucial for BJP to retain power in Karnataka.

Shah, who addressed people from all walks of life at the Town Hall in the city during his last visit, will launch the Safe City project with allocations from Nirbhaya funds on March 3. Bengaluru is one of the eight cities across the country selected under the scheme by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

With polls to the Bengaluru civic body yet to be held, which if held would have helped BJP gauge the voters’ mind, the party will have to go the extra mile to woo the public who are reeling under several civic woes, including pothole-ridden roads. “Hence, visits by national leaders like Shah and PM Narendra Modi are needed for the party,” said a political expert.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, the then Ruling Congress won 15 of the 28 seats in Bengaluru. While BJP bagged 11, two seats were won by JDS. However, in 2019, three Congress MLAs (ST Somashekar, Byrati 
Basavaraj and Munirathna) and a JDS MLA (K Gopalaiah) switched over to BJP and won the bypolls later, taking the party’s tally to 15.

Shah is also leaving nothing to chance and will cash in on the legacy of the city’s founder Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda by launching the fourth ‘ratha’, part of the party’s Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra, from Chennakeshava temple in Devanahalli that was built by the ruler. He will also address a public rally.

KPCC working president and former minister Ramalinga Reddy, however, predicted that Shah’s repeated visits to the city will not have a positive impact on BJP’s poll prospects. “In every election, Bengaluru proved cosmopolitan with 20% of the  voters exercising their franchise without considering caste, creed, language, and even religion. This will be the case this time too. Congress will win more seats,” he predicted.

Belagavi: With Assembly polls in Karnataka round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a massive road show in this district headquarters city, waving at a large number of enthusiastic crowd, who had lined up on both sides of the route.

The Prime Minister is in the city to lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple development initiatives, and also to release the 13th instalment of PM-KISAN worth more than Rs 16,800 crores. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme launched by the Centre in 2019, all landholding farmer families in the country are provided income support of Rs 6,000 in three instalments of Rs 2,000 each, every four months.

About 10.5-km-long road show route to Malini City (venue of the stage event) was decked up with saffron hues,as BJP flags, posters and banners were seen all along.

Standing on the ‘running board’ of his moving car, Modi greeted by waving at the crowd gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings, many of whom were seen chanting ‘Modi, Modi’ slogans and shouting loud cheers.

At many places, people showered flower petals as his cavalcade passed through the stretch slowly.

Over 10,000 women clad in saree and saffron peta (traditional headgear) accorded a ‘purnakumbha’ (ceremonial) welcome to Modi, party sources said.

There were also a number of stage shows, some also equipped with LEDs, put up along the route, depicting the culture and traditions of various regions of the country and historic personalities, also programmes of the BJP government, they said.

Karnataka, a BJP governed state, goes to Assembly polls by May.

After Bengaluru Urban with 27 Assembly segments (28 including Anekal), Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, is the second biggest district in the State with 18 seats.

In 2018, BJP won 13 seats in Belagavi, and emerged as the single largest party with 105 seats in the State.

Nasheman news

IV Chandanavana Film Critics Academy Awards 2023
The shortlists for the IV Chandanavana Film Critics Academy Awards 2023
were announced on Saturday in Bengaluru. The awards are constituted by
the Chandanavana Film Critics Academy and the nominations are based on
voting by Kannada film journalists and critics.

The Fourth edition of the Awards will include seven new award categories.
Five of these are for debut actors and technicians. These are Best Actor
(Debut) Sanchari Vijay Award, Best Actress (Debut) Tripuramba Award, Best
Director (Debut) Shankar Nag Award, Best Producer (Debut) Puneeth
Rajkumar Award, and Best Writer (Debut) Chi Udayshankar Award. The total
number of awards this year is 27.

The trophy of the 4th edition was unveiled by Sandalwood’s popular director
Yogaraj Bhat and actors Iti Acharya, Pavana Gowda and Sangeetha Bhat.
They praised the film critics for the initiative to constitute these awards.
“These awards are unique. I am a recipient of the Best Lyricist award last year
and I know its value. The opinions of critics shapes new creations forces film
makers to upgrade, improve and strive for something special all the time. The
stature of the Chandanavana Film Critics’ Awards is growing with passing
year and as film makers we look forward to this annual event with so much
expectation,” Yogaraj Bhat said.

Film critics have voted to select the nominations from Kannada films released
in 2022. Kanatra, KGF Chapter 2, 777 Charlie are among the films nominated
in multiple categories this year. The Awards Event is scheduled to be held On 5th March

1. 777 Charlie
2. Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage
3. Kantara
4. KGF 2
5. Wheelchair Romeo
   Best Director
6. Anup Bhandari (Vikrant Rona)
7. Jadesh Hampi (Guru Sishyaru)
8. Kiranraj K (777 Charlie)
9. Prashant Neel (KGF 2)
10. Rishab Shetty (Kantara)
    Best Screenplay
11. 777 Charlie (Kiranraj K)
12. Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage (
    Shridhar Shikharipura)
13. Kantara (Rishab Shetty and Anirudh
    Mahesh)
14. KGF 2 (Prashant Neel)
15. Love Mocktail 2 (Darling Krishna )
    Best Dialogues
16. 777 Charlie (Kiran K, Raj B Shetty,
    Abijith Mahesh)
17. Guru Shisyaru (Maasthi)
18. Kantara (Rishab Shetty)
19. Vedha (Raghu Niduvali)
20. Wheel Chair Romeo (Nataraj G)
    Best Lead Actor
21. Pruthvi Ambar (Sugarless)
22. Rishab Shetty (Kantara)
23. Rakshith Shetty (777 Charlie)
24. Ram Chetan (Wheelchair Romeo)
25. Yash (KGF 2)
    Best Lead Actress
26. Ashika Ranganath (Raymo)
27. Aishani Shetty (Dharani Mandala
    Madhyadolage)
28. Sapthami Gowda (Kantara)
29. Sonal Monteiro (Banaras)
30. Sharmila Mandre (Gaalipata 2)
    Best Supporting Actor
31. Diganth (Gaalipata 2)
32. Dattanna (Guru Shishyaru)
33. Gopal Krishna Deshpande (10)
34. Kishore (Kantara)
35. Suchendra Prasad (Wheelchair
    Romeo)
    Best Supporting Actress
36. Hema Dutta (Thotapuri)
37. Rachitha Ram (Monsoon Raaga)
38. Suhasini (Monsoon Raaga)
39. Sudharani (Thurthu Nirgamana)
40. Umashree (Vedha)
    Best Child Artist
41. Ekanth Prem (Guru Sishyaru)
42. Hruday Sharan (Guru Sishyaru)
43. Mahendra Prasad (Jordan)
44. Praanya M Rao (Jamaligudda)
45. Sharvari (777 Charlie)
    Best Music
46. Ajaneesh Loknath (Kantara)
47. Arjun Janya (Gaalipata 2)
48. Anoop Seelin (Monsoon Raaga)
49. Ajaneesh Loknath (Banaras)
50. Nobin Paul (777 Charlie)
    Best BGM
51. Ajaneesh Lokanath (Vikranth Rona)
52. Anoop Seelin (Monsoon Raaga)
53. Ajaneesh Lokanath (Kantara)
54. Arjun Janya (Padavipoorva)
55. Ravi Basrur (KGF 2)
    Best Lyrics
56. V Nagendra Prasad (Belakina
    Kavithe – Banaras)
57. Raghavendra Kamat (SanchariLove Mocktail 2)
58. Shashank (Jagave Neenu Gelathiye

• Love 360)

1. Trilok Trivikrama (Karmada Kallanu
   Edavida – Kantara)
2. Yograj Bhat (Prayashaha –
   Gaalipata 2)
   Best Singer Male
3. Mohan V – (Junjappa – Vedha)
4. Sai Vignesh (Varaha Roopam –
   Kantara)
5. Sanjith Hegde (Belakina Kavite –
   Banaras)
6. Sid Sriram (Jagave Neenu – Love
   360)
7. Vijay Prakash (Singara Siriye –
   Kantara)
   Best Singer Female
8. Ankita Kundu (Naa Ninage
   Kavalugaara- James)
9. Aishwarya Rangarajan, (Meet
   Madana – Ek Love Ya)
10. Ananya Bhat (Kantara)
11. Mangli (Yavano Ivanu Gillakko)
12. Sunidhi Chauhan (Ekka Sakka –
    Vikrant Rona)
    Best Cinematography
13. Arvind Kashyap (Charlie and
    Kantara)
14. Bhuvan Gowda (KGF 2)
15. Karam Chawla (10)
16. William David (Vikrant Rona)
17. Vishwajith Rao (Khasagi Putagalu)
    Best Editing
18. Prateek Shetty (Kantara)
19. K M Prakash (Guru Sishyaru)
20. Prateek Shetty (777 Charlie)
21. Sri Crazy Minds (Love Mocktail-2)
22. Ujwal Kulkarni (KGF2)
    Best Art Direction
23. Dharani – Kantara
24. Guna – Monsoon Raaga
25. Ravi Santhehaklu – Vedha
26. Shiva Kumar – Vikrant Rona
27. Shivakumar J – KGF Chapter 2
    Best Choreography
28. Harsha A (Veda – Junjappa)
29. Imran Sardariya (Raymo Faymo –
    Raymo)
30. Jaani Master (Ra Ra Rakamma –
    Vikrant Rona)
31. Murali (Rama Rama – Dil Pasand)
32. Mohan (Ek Love Ya – Meet
    Madona )
    Best Stunt/Action
33. Anbariv (KGF-2)
34. Chetan Dsouza, Arjun Raj, Vikram
    Mor, Dr Ravi Varma (Vedha)
35. Vinod, Chetan Dsouza ( Head Bush)
36. Vikram Mor (Kantara)
37. Vijay (Vikrant Rona)
    Best VFX
38. 777 Charlie – Rahul V
    Gopalakrishna – Pinaka Studios
39. KGF 2 (Udayravi Hegde – Unifi
    Media)
40. Thurthu Nirgamana (Nitin Anand,
    Indrajith Unni Pulliath – Sutra and IVFX )
41. Vedha – Jupiter – Elango, Subeesh
42. Vikrant Rona ( Nirmal Kumar –
    Radiance)
    Best Debut Actor – Sanchari Vijay
    Award
43. Karthick Mahesh (Dollu)
44. Pruthvi Shamanoor (Padavipoorva)
45. Raana (Ek Luv Ya)
46. Rohit Sridhar (Vasanthi Nalidaga)
47. Zaid Khan (Banaras)
    Best Debut Actress
48. Anjali Anish (Padavipurva)
49. Reshma Naniah (Ek Love Ya)
50. Rachel David (Love Mocktail 2)
51. Shwetha Leonilla D’souza (Khasagi
    Putagalu)
52. Yasha Shivakumar
    (Padavipurva/Mansoon Raaga)
    Best Debut Director – Shankar Nag
    Award
53. Karm Chawla – 10
54. Nataraj G – Wheelchair Romeo
55. Sridhar Shikaripura – Dharani
    Mandala Madhyadolage
56. Sagar Puranik – Dollu
57. Shashidhar K – Sugarless
    Best Debut Producer – Puneeth
    Rajkumar Award
58. Abhilash Shetty (Koli Taal)
59. Geetha Pictures (Vedha)
60. Manju V Raj (Khasagi Putagalu)
61. Omkar Arya (Dharani Mandala
    Madhyadolage)
62. Pawan Wadeyar (Dollu)
    Best Debut Writer – Chi
    Udayshankar Award
63. Dollu (Sagar Puranik and
    Shreenidhi D S)
64. Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage
    (Sridhar Shikaripura)
65. Kamblihulla (Naveen Srinivas)
66. Kasagi Putagalu (Santhosh
    Srikantappa)
67. Window Seat (Sheetal Shetty)
    Best YouTube Creator of the Year
68. Gagan Srinivas (Dr Bro)
69. Asha and Kiran (Flying Passport)
70. K S Parameshwara (Kala
    Madhyama)
71. Raam Mahabala (Global
    Kannadiga)
72. Sandeep Gowda (Tech in Kannada)
    Best Social Media Entertainer of the
    Year
73. Raghu Gowda (Vine Store Raghu)
74. Pavan Venegopal
75. Sonu Venugopal
76. Pavan Kulkarni (Udaal Pavvya)
77. Vikas (Vicky Pedia)
    26-02-2023
    Sunday
    Shortlist of Nominations for the
    

BENGALURU:  Taking a cue from New Zealand, which has passed a new law that prohibits anyone who is born after 2008 from buying cigarettes or tobacco products, the state health department is coming up with a similar model for Karnataka to create a tobacco-free generation by 2025. As a result, as the years pass, only fewer people will be able to buy tobacco and pave the way for a tobacco-free generation.

The State Tobacco Control Cell, a wing of the health department, has prepared a roadmap. According to its vision, all those born in and after 2007 cannot have access to any tobacco products across Karnataka.

“The legal age for tobacco use is 18. Those born in and after 2007 will attain 18 years by 2025. We want to build a society where tobacco products are inaccessible even after 18 years. For example, a 2007-born will attain 23 years in 2030, but he cannot purchase tobacco. So as years pass, the number of tobacco users will come down,” said a source, who is aware of the initiative.

The source said that the whole idea is to put an end to easy access to tobacco by children who experiment with it and get addicted. “Majority of the tobacco-users pick the habit in their childhood and teenage. As per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2, in Karnataka, 22.8 per cent of adults (approx 2.5 crore) use tobacco products. Youths are the  wealth of our nation and this tobacco-free generation initiative is to address the root cause of the easy availability of tobacco to children,” the source said.