BENGALURU: With the state Assembly polls in the next few months, the state BJP is preparing a list of its leaders who are over 70 years old to convince them not to contest the polls to give way for the next generation of leaders. However, conditions apply.

In the present Assembly, BJP has 120 seats, including Savadatti that was represented by late Anand Mamani and Hukkeri whose MLA was Umesh Katti. Sirsi is represented by Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri. There are many MLAs who have been elected three to four terms and are over 70 years old. A few months ago, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who is 79, had openly said he will not contest in the coming polls. BJP sources said a few more party MLAs are also likely to step back from electoral politics. “A few seniors have said they will not contest because of various reasons, including health,” they said.

A senior BJP leader Said that they are preparing a list of such leaders. “Not all can be prevented from contesting as we need some for their winnability, caste factor and popularity. Some senior leaders are over 70 years old, but are also physically fit. We may choose a few leaders and convince them to allow newcomers,” said the leader. But at the same time, these senior leaders cannot be forcibly stopped from contesting, he added.

In the recently held Gujarat Assembly elections, BJP denied tickets to many sitting MLAs, allowing newcomers to contest. Karnataka BJP too is expecting a similar mechanism here. “There are such talks here and in New Delhi. The list will not be announced now as it could affect the party prospects. There is a buzz that a few ministers from the Basavaraj Bommai cabinet too may be denied tickets,” the sources said.
The opposition Congress too may adopt this strategy and allow new faces in the elections.

BELAGAVI: The North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) on Wednesday suspended its services to Maharashtra after reports emerged of the buses getting damaged  in the regions bordering Belagavi district.

Both states have voiced out concerns regarding Belagavi with Maharashtra staking claim that the region should be merged with it while Karnataka has reiterated its jurisdiction over the area.

“We are operating our buses only up to Nipani (in Belagavi district) due to tension, which has been there since morning,” an officer in the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation told PTI.

According to him, a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus that was coming from Maharashtra to Ranebennur was also damaged.

“The glasses of the bus were damaged. Other than this incident, some buses were defaced,” the officer added.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike again held agitations in the border regions following the defacement of buses.

The activists said that they will also retaliate with similar vigour if the buses were targeted.

In view of the tension resurfacing in the border region, the police on both sides tightened security.

Buses were provided extra security to protect the vehicles and the passengers.

The row over the region started after two Maharashtra ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai, who have been appointed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to coordinate with the legal team dealing with the border dispute, announced their visit to Belagavi on December 6.

Following vehement protests by the pro-Kannada organisations in Maharashtra, the duo postponed their trip.

In reaction, there were protests in the western state as well.

Maharashtra has been demanding the merger of Belagavi on the ground that there is a substantial Marathi-speaking population in the border district.

However, the Karnataka government rejected their claim.

The neighbouring state has approached the Supreme Court as well.

MYSURU: In a case of road rage, an SUV driver attempted to kill three youths by running over his vehicle on them twice for questioning him why he did not put the indicator on before taking a turn. The victims who sustained serious injuries are battling for their lives at a hospital. After a verbal duel between the SUV driver Darshan and the three youth, Darshan started his car and ran over all the three. As they were still lying on the road, he drove the vehicle in reverse and ran over them again

The Saraswathipuram police have arrested Darshan, who is in his 20s, on Tuesday, on charges of attempt to murder (IPC sec 307), voluntarily causing hurt (IPC 324) and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace (IPC 504).

The three youths are Rahul, Prajwal and Anand, who are also in their 20s. Rahul, an MTech graduate received severe injuries on his head and ribs. 

FIR filed, SUV driver arrested

Prajwal, a BCA graduate sustained injuries to his spinal cord, ribs and left leg bone which broke into three pieces and Anand, who owns a fast food centre, received injuries all over his body.

The incident happened on Monday evening when Rahul and Prajwal, who are cousins, along with their friends attended a function and had returned home in Sharadadevinagar. But one of their friends, who had come with them for the function, called and told them that he had left his room key in the car. So both left the house in the car (Maruti Bolero) to give the room key to their friend.  

When they were travelling near Taralabalu Junction, a speeding SUV (Toyota Fortuner) driven by Darshan, whose parents were also in the car, came from behind, overtook the Bolero and took an immediate turn without giving any signal. The youth who applied sudden brakes to avoid hitting the SUV, asked the SUV driver to put the indicator on before taking a turn. This provoked Darshan and his father Vasu. While Darshan stopped the vehicle, his father Vasu came out of the vehicle and hit Rahul who was in the driver’s seat. Darshan too joined his father and used abusive language and beat the youth.

Prajwal’s father Nagaraj said that while the three youth walked a little distance from the spot, Darshan went and sat in the car. His parents were still standing near the SUV. Prajwal turned back to pick his spectacles which had fallen on the road during the clash. “Darshan’s mother, who saw Prajwal coming back, told her son to hit him, following which he started his car and ran over all three”, Nagaraj said.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been filed against Darshan and he has been arrested.

BELAGAVI: The tussle between Karnataka and Maharashtra states over the boundary dispute between the two states took a violent turn on Tuesday as a large number of Kannada activists who were stopped by the police at Hirebagewadi toll plaza indulged in throwing stones at Maharashtra-registered vehicles and damaging them.

Belgaum or Belagavi is at its centre as Maharashtra has been claiming that this Marathi-majority area was wrongly given to Kannada-majority Karnataka in the language-based reorganisation of states in the 1960s.

Maharashtra, since its inception in 1960, has been entangled in a dispute with Karnataka over the status of the Belgaum district and 80 other Marathi-speaking villages, which are under the control of the southern state.

The incident occurred when the activists of Karnataka Rakshna Vedike, headed by its state president Narayanagowda tried to enter Belagavi via the Hirebagewadi toll plaza on Tuesday morning.

The activists were on their way to Rani Chennamma Circle, Belagavi, in protest against the possible arrival of two Maharashtra cabinet ministers, Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai, to Belagavi. In spite of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s appeal against entering Belagavi, the two ministers had issued statements that they would enter Belagavi on December 6. However, the two ministers decided against visiting Belagavi due to the escalating tension on the border and the pressure exerted by various Kannada groups and Bommai for the past few days.

The activists indulged in verbal clashes with the police at Hirebagewadi and many of them were hurt while trying to escape from the clutches of the police who were trying to stop them.

Several Kannada activists were taken into custody by the police soon after the violence broke out at Hirebagewadi. The activists were released later in the day.

Speaking to media persons near Hirebagewadi, Narayanagowda said Belagavi had been an integral part of Karnataka and nobody could take it away.

He also lashed out at the police department for stopping Kannada leaders and activists from entering Belagavi and questioned the police as to whether they were ruling the state. He also questioned the way police assaulted the activists and said it was not fair of the police to attack Kannadigas.

“I will discuss the issue with Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on why the police did not allow us to enter Belagavi today. We are not visiting Maharashtra but the city which is in Karnataka state,” he added.

Belagavi saw another case of violence over the border row around a week ago, at a college fest, when a student waving the Kannada flag was assaulted by some Marathi students. Teachers and other staff members of the host college at Tilakwadi in Belagavi intervened to stop the fight, followed by an inquiry which was conducted later by the police.

Another incident that took place was when activists from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction sprayed black and orange paints on at least three Karnataka state transport buses in the Swargate area of Pune city.

They also wrote “Jai Maharashtra” on these buses. A local leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction confirmed this.

BELAGAVI/HUBBALLI : Even as two Maharashtra ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shamburaj Desai have made it clear that they will visit Belagavi as planned on December 6, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said his government will not hesitate to take legal action against the duo if they enter the district.  
Speaking to reporters in Hubballi on Monday, Bommai warned the two ministers against going ahead with their visit to Belagavi while indicating that his government was mulling taking legal action against them if they did so. “The boundary dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra is a closed chapter

And the visit of Maharashtra ministers to Belagavi at this juncture is an act of provocation. Already, the Maharashtra government had been requested through bureaucratic channels not to send their ministers to Karnataka. As the situation is volatile in Belagavi, their visit could lead to a law and order problem. However, it is unfair of the two ministers to remain unrelenting despite the state’s objection to their visit,’’ he added.

In spite of the fact that Kannada and Marathi people are living in harmony, the Maharashtra government moved the Supreme Court over the vexed dispute, he said, adding that for Karnataka, the dispute was a closed chapter. And now, when the case is before the apex court, it is unfair that Maharashtra leaders are provoking people and inciting their sentiments, he said.

Stating that he would once again appeal to his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde not to send his ministers to Belagavi, Bommai said he had asked his officials to check on what actions were taken during such situations in Karnataka by the governments of the past.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) activists staged a protest and performed urulu seve at Rani Chennamma Circle in Belagavi on Monday demanding that the district administration not allow the two ministers into Belagavi. They also urged the government to initiate stringent action against those police officers “who attacked and insulted a Kannadiga student for waving a Kannada flag” recently. The agitating activists took out a rally from Chennamma Circle to the DC office and submitted a memorandum to the DC Nitesh Patil.

THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED: BELAGAVI DC

Belagavi DC Nitesh Patil has said the two Maharashtra ministers will not be allowed to enter Belagavi on. Speaking to reporters in Belagavi on Monday, he said, “I have received the tour plan of the two ministers and an MP from Mahar-ashtra. Earlier, they were to visit on December 3 but now their visit has been pushed to December 6. The police commissioner of Belagavi city and SP of the district have informed that the law and order situation may get disturbed if they visit at this juncture. We expect the ministers to cancel their visit… else we will take action.’’ Prohibition orders would be imposed to ban their entry into Belagavi under IPC section 144(3) like it was issued on earlier occasions, he said.

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the government has not taken any decision on handing over the Mangaluru autorickshaw terror blast case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

He said the accused, who was injured in the blast, is being treated. “There is a pipe in his throat and he cannot speak. His family members have confirmed his identity. We have given details to the NIA, but have not taken any decision to hand over the case to the central agency,” he added.

The police have collected personal details of the accused and are probing his connections with various places. “After knowing his identity, the police are collecting more details, including his contacts, and old cases, if any. The police are checking if there is any organisation behind him. Once they get details, they will take further action,”he added.

On Leader of Opposition Siddaramiah blaming the state government’s for failure of law and order, Bomma said, “When Siddaramiah was chief minister, many such cases occurred. He cannot blame law and order for the present incident.”

NIA team visits Mysuru
A five-member team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached Mysuru on Sunday night and began investigation into the Mangaluru bomb blast after it was revealed that the prime suspect identified as H Mohammed Shariq (24) was staying in a rented house in the city. It is also suspected that Shariq, a BCom graduate, underwent training in mobile phone repair in Mysuru.

The NIA team will investigate the antecedents, contacts and places visited by Shariq in Mysuru. The team visited Shariq’s room in Lokanayaknagar which he had taken on rent using fake documents.  The NIA also took information about many incriminating material that were found in his room and other vital clues recovered by the police, bomb disposal squad and forensic teams who raided the room on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Mysuru police continued to question Shariq’s friend who is said to have supplied mobile phones and has found that the former had extensively visited Tamil Nadu since the last couple of months.
Also, intelligence network in Mysuru, including CCB officials and special branch, are collecting information on new tenants and keeping a strict vigil.

KARNATAKA POLICE TEAM VISITS COIMBATORE, DORMITORY SHUT   
 A special team of the Mangaluru Police visited Coimbatore on Monday as part of the investigation into the cooker bomb blast that injured two people, including the main suspect Mohammed Shariq, on Saturday. The five-member team headed by an inspector visited a dormitory in Coimbatore where Shariq had stayed a few days in September. They questioned the dormitory owner and the staff for more than an hour. Also, they visited a mobile shop at Gandhipuram where a SIM card was purchased after producing Aadhaar details of Surendran (28) of Thummanatty in Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris and questioned the shopkeeper. The Coimbatore police closed the dormitory for investigation purpose on Monday. According to sources, another team from Mangaluru visited the native of Surendran on Monday. Surendran, who worked as a school teacher in a private school in Coimbatore and helped the Shariq for purchasing the SIM card which was used by him, was taken to Mangaluru by a special team of Tamil Nadu police for investigation, sources said.

BENGALURU:  The passenger in the autorickshaw, in which an explosive went off on Saturday in Mangaluru, has been identified as Mohammed Shariq (24), who was earlier involved in the terror graffiti case in Mangaluru in November 2020 and was recently enlarged on bail

Shariq had recently travelled to Coimbatore where on October 23, a car with an LPG cylinder in the boot exploded at Kottaimedu killing the driver — 29-year-old Jamesha Mubeen of Ukkadam.

The police had recovered charred remains of Mubeen near the car, a crushed LPG cylinder, two-inch-long iron nails, tiny glass marbles and a black powder-like substance. The case, which was initially registered and investigated by the TN police, is now being probed by the NIA after the opposition BJP demanded a probe by a central agency, alleging that it was a terror act. 

“Shariq is allegedly a member of the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria module Al Hind, which is active in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This is his second alleged involvement in a terror activity in Mangaluru,” said sources. Shariq was also allegedly involved in radicalising two youth Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Syed Yasin, who were arrested in Shivamogga stabbing case in September. Shariq had been absconding since then.

MYSURU: In a reprehensible incident, a few villagers belonging to an upper caste drained drinking water from a mini-tank in Heggotara village in Chamarajanagar taluk and cleaned it with gomutra after a Dalit woman drank water from the tank.

The incident came to light after a villager uploaded a video of other residents opening taps and draining water from the tank. After the video went viral, taluk administration officials visited the spot, collected details and submitted a report to the tahsildar.

The incident occurred during a wedding of Dalits at the village on Friday. The bride’s relatives from Sargur in HD Kote taluk had arrived at the village for the ceremony. After consuming food, they were walking towards the bus stand when one of the women drank water from the tank on Lingayat Beedhi. A man from the area called others and they all berated the woman for sullying the water in the tank.

After the woman left the village, the residents of Lingayat Beedhi opened the taps of the tank, released all the water and cleaned it with gomutra. The village accountant and revenue inspector visited the village on Saturday and received a complaint from the SC youth.

Chamarajanagar Tahsildar IE Basavaraj said he has collected details from officers and directed the social welfare department assistant director to conduct a probe and submit a report. Action will be taken against the guilty, he added.

Chandrashekhar

Shivamogga: Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has said that the death of MLA and chief minister’s political secretary M P Renukacharya’s nephew Chandrashekhar seems to be a case of murder, at the outset, and will be thoroughly investigated.

Chandrashekhar’s body was found in a decomposed state inside his car which was lifted from the Tunga canal near Kadadakatte, Davanagere, on Thursday. The youngster had been missing since October 30.

Addressing reporters here on Friday, Yediyurappa said, “The death of Chandrashekhar will be further investigated. I will also speak to the chief minister and urge to ensure the investigation is conducted urgently.”

Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra visited the house of Renukacharya in Honnali and offered his condolences to the family members, said sources.

Raghavendra said, “Chandrashekhar was active in politics and his death is a loss to the BJP,” and concurred that the matter should be investigated, the sources added.

Mangaluru: IAS Officer Ravi Kumar MR will take charge as the Deputy Commissioner of the Dakshina Kannada district, according to an order issued by the state government.

Ravi Kumar was currently serving as the Registrar of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.

DK DC Dr. KV Rajendra was transferred last week to Mysuru following which the current CEO of Zilla Panchayath was holding additional charge of the Deputy Commissioner.