New Delhi: Senior journalist and TV anchor Girish Nikam died in New Delhi Tuesday following a massive heart attack. Nikam, 59, complained of uneasiness after a programme shoot in the studios and was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where he breathed his last, according to his associates.

He started his journalistic career with “Star of Mysore” in Mysuru and later shifted to Indian Express, Bengaluru. He had worked in other media organisations including India Today, Deccan Chronicle and News Today before doing programmes for Rajya Sabha TV. Nikam’s body is being taken to Bengaluru tomorrow for the last rites.

Prasar Bharati Chairman A Suryaprakash was among others who condoled the death of Nikam. Suryaprakash said Nikam was an extremely versatile mediaperson who traversed the worlds of print, television and social media. Vice President Hamid Ansari also condoled Nikam’s death saying he was a valued and respected member of Rajya Sabha Television.

Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venakaiah Naidu said he was saddened at the death of Nikam who had made great contribution to the profession of journalism. He also visited the RML hospital, where 59-year-old Nikam had breathed his last.

Rajya Sabha TV CEO Gurdeep Singh Sappal said his passing away was a huge loss for RSTV. “Girish was a voice of sobriety and compassion in the debates he conducted,” he said.

A release by RSTV said Nikam anchored ‘The Big Picture’ programme ever since its inception. His “understated style and rich content stood apart in the cacophony of prime time TV discussions”, it said.

(PTI)

Bengaluru: Karnataka Urban Development Minister Roshan Baig has filed a Rs 10-crore defamation case against BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje, charging her with making a ‘baseless allegation’ against him.

Baig, in the petition, said that Karandlaje had needlessly dragged his name in the RSS worker R Rudresh’s murder case. He said that Karandlaje is indulging in character assassination and damaging his public image, without ascertaining the facts.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: The Press Club here strongly condemned the 24-hour ban on NDTV India by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I & B) on charges of airing “sensitive information” while reporting on the Phatankot terror attack.

The protesting journalists also demanded the Centre that the one-day ban imposed on Hindi Channel NDTV India on November 9 should be immediately withdrawn.

Bangalore: Two Kannada actors are feared to have drowned when performing stunts during a movie shoot at Tippagondanahalli lake about 30 km from here today.

According to reports, three actors, Duniya Vijay, Anil and Uday jumped from a chopper into the lake during the shooting for a Kannada movie titled “Masti Gudi”.

Visuals of the two Kannada actors before they went missing, after they jumped from a chopper during movie shoot in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/wor8vBM8iA

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2016

A news footage showed two people jumping off a helicopter followed by another person.

While Vijay managed to swim to safety, the two others are missing. Police say the chances of finding them are slim.

New Delhi: Kerala’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it favours the entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple, effectively changing the state’s position on the issue.

The Kerala government’s U-turn comes just months after it filed an additional affidavit in the Supreme Court in July, supporting the ban on women’s entry into the historic shrine.

“On being asked as to what is the stand of the state, senior advocate Gupta states that the state intends to place reliance on its original affidavit (2007) and not on additional affidavit…women of any age group should not be debarred from entry into the temple to worship the deity,” a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan said on Monday. The next hearing will take place on February 13 next year, the Supreme Court bench said.

The LDF in 2007 had been in favour of women’s entry into the temple, but the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) which took over from it took a contrary stance, citing temple tradition.

Senior advocate K K Venugopal, who represents the Travancore Devaswom Board (which manages the Sabarimala Temple) today told the bench that the state government couldn’t afford to alter its stand as per its convenience.

The Kerala government’s+ U-turn comes just days ahead of the start of the three-month-long ‘mandala pooja’ and ‘makaravilakku’ pilgrimage season at the Sabarimala temple on November 15.

Nearly four crore devotees throng the temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, during the festival period.

The Supreme Court says may refer the issue to a constitution bench. The Supreme court on July 11 indicated that it may refer to a five-judge constitution bench the issue of the centuries-old practice of barring entry of women between 10 and 50 years of age in the Sabarimala temple.

The apex court observed that women are conferred rights under the Constitution and it would pass a detailed order in case the matter is referred to a five-judge constitution bench.

“A temple is a public religious place. You cannot refuse entry to a woman who comes there … It violates the rights of women. We understand the seriousness of issue. Every right needs to be balanced but every balancing has its own limitations…” the court remarked.

The apex court had earlier questioned the practice of barring entry of women to Sabarimala temple, saying it would test whether “faith and belief” could differentiate among persons of same denomination.

The management of the Sabarimala temple, located on a hilltop in the Western Ghats of Pathanamthitta district, had earlier told the court that the ban on entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years existed because they can’t maintain “purity” while menstruating.

(PTI)

New Delhi: NDTV India today moved the Supreme Court against the government’s order banning its telecast for a day on November 9 for its coverage of the Pathankot terror attack.

The petition challenges the Constitutional validity of the government order, the channel said in filing to the stock exchanges.

In the filing, NDTV said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had directed stopping of transmission or re- transmission of its Hindi news channel, NDTV India for a day from 00.01 hrs of November 9, 2016 till 00.01 hrs of November 10, 2016.

“We now update that NDTV Ltd and others have filed a writ petition before the Hon’ble Supreme Court challenging the said order, inter-alia, challenging the constitutional validity of the said order and the provisions of law pursuant to which the said order has purportedly been passed,” the company said.

Sources said a senior advocate is likely to mention the matter tomorrow, a day before the channel has been asked to keep away from broadcasting.

On its website, NDTV has mentioned that it has challenged the government’s one-day ban.

NDTV has refuted the allegations and pointed out that other channels and newspapers reported the same information.

The ban has been widely condemned by journalists and editors with all press councils drawing parallels to the Emergency of the 1970s when basic constitutional rights including the freedom of the press were blatantly violated, the channel said on its website.

(Agencies)

Photo credit.

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s chief information commissioner DN Narasimha Raju resigned, the first CIC to relinquish office before the end of his five-year tenure.

Raju sent his resignation to governor Vajubhai Vala on Thursday and the governor accepted it on Friday.

Sources said Raju may take up an important assignment in New Delhi. A 1984 batch IAS officer, he was considered close to CM Siddaramaiah; he was his principal secretary before retiring in April this year. He was appointed CIC in May.

(Agencies)

Chennai: DMK on Saturday described the “violation of freedom of expression” the one—day ban on NDTV India over the Pathankot attack broadcast and said if such instances continue “it will lead to a second Emergency in the country“.

Party President M Karunanidhi also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to “guarantee” that the freedom of expression will not be affected in the BJP regime.

The 93-year-old leader said the latest action reminded him of the days of Emergency when his articles in party mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’ were “banned“.

“If the Central government continues with such activities, it will lead to a second Emergency and those black days will be etched in the minds of people,” he added.

“Therefore, the Prime Minister himself must intervene and come forward to give a guarantee that there will be no threat to the freedom of expression. Else, the accusation across the country that the BJP government at the Centre is implementing authoritarianism under the garb of democracy will be construed as true,” he said in a statement.

The decision of an inter-ministerial panel to take the leading Hindi news channel off air for a day over its reporting of the Pathankot terror attack has already come under severe criticism from media bodies and opposition parties such as Congress and AAP.

Karunanidhi said the move amounted to “violation of the freedom of expression.”

Referring to the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue, the DMK chief took exception to the three-time detention of Congress Vice—President Rahul Gandhi over the suicide of an ex—serviceman on the matter.

He said expressing condolences and supporting a protest came under the purview of democratic rights and that “arresting (someone) is a violation of human rights“.

OROP was implemented during the UPA regime and was .“welcomed and supported” by all, Karunanidhi said, adding, the BJP government should remove anomalies and implement it without any hassles.

(PTI)