Siddaramaiah skips President’s Udupi event despite seer’s invitation

News Network
June 18, 2017

Udupi, Jun 18: In spite of being invited by Paryaya Pejawar Mutt seer Sri Vishvesha Tirtha Swami, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has decided not to accompany President Pranab Mukherjee to Udupi on Sunday where the latter will lay the foundation stone for a private hospital as it would mean visiting the Sri Krishna Mutt.

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According to sources in the CMO, the CM had other engagements and therefore deputed a minister to accompany the President.

Asked whether the Udupi Krishna temple controversy was also a reason, officials said: “The CM is not a devotee of the Krishna temple, but he does go to temples. I do not think it might be the prime reason for not accompanying the President.”

Since his days in JD(S), Siddaramaiah has had a blow-hot, blow-cold relationship with the Krishna Mutt. This reached a flashpoint when the Kanaka gopura, an old structure of disputed antiquity, was pulled down in 2004 by the Adamar Mutt to make way for a rajagopuram.

The agitation of Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha against the gopura's demolition was supported by Siddaramaiah. Vishvesha Tirtha swami had defended the demolition, offering to make amends if it was proved the gopura had any connection with Kanakadasa (revered by the Kuruba community), the 16th century Bhakti poet-saint.

In 2005, when Siddaramaiah was campaigning for Ahinda, he urged the government to take over the mutt administration by bringing it under the muzrai department. The demand by Kurubas and thinkers for taking over the mutt gained momentum after demolition of the Kanaka Gopura.

Tight security

The security measures for President’s visit are so tight that all the shops on Car Street and in the vicinities of Sri Krishna Mutt and the Inspection Bungalow in Udupi have been closed since Saturday morning. Shops around the Sri Mookambika Temple in Kollur too have been ordered closed for security reasons.

The weekly market at Kallianpur-Santhekatte held here on Sunday had been cancelled by the District Administration. “We have made very tight security arrangements for the President’s visit,” said Superintendent of Police, K.T. Balakrishna.

Devotees will not be allowed on the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple premises here from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. The meals for devotees at the temple will be served after 2 p.m. Devotees will also not be allowed inside Sri Mookambika Temple from 10.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Since the President’s cavalcade will move from Udupi to Kollur on road, the potholes on the roads have been filled.

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News Network
March 26,2024

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained two suspects in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru, sources confirmed on Tuesday.

The preliminary probe has revealed that the two suspects were in direct contact with the suspected bomber.

The NIA sleuths have picked up the suspects from an area in the state capital. However, a statement is yet to be made by the NIA in this regard.

Even as the investigating agencies, both NIA and state special wing CCB teams have launched an extensive search operation in various states, the bomber has remained elusive. The authorities had obtained the bomber’s images and videos from CCTV footage on March 1, soon after the incident.

Sources said that the sleuths were suspecting that the bomber had come from Tamil Nadu and was staying in a neighbouring state for two months before carrying out the blast.

The hair samples of the accused were gathered from the hat of the accused which he abandoned in Bengaluru near a religious place. The authorities have sent the samples for the DNA testing and were hoping for a breakthrough.

The Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast took place on March 1 on the International Technology Park Limited (ITPL) road in the Brookfield area. Low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used to carry out the blast and nine persons were injured in the incident.

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News Network
March 15,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 15: Former Karnataka chief minister and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor at his residence in Bengaluru last month.

Yediyurappa, 81, was booked after a woman lodged a complaint saying that she visited his residence on February 2 seeking justice in a rape case against her daughter and sought that a special investigation team (SIT) be formed to look into the case.

According to the first information report (FIR), Yediyurappa allegedly took the minor to a room, closed the door and sexually assaulted her. The woman further alleged in the FIR that when she confronted Yediyurappa, he said that he was checking if the girl was raped or not. Yediyurappa later allegedly apologised and asked the woman not to reveal the matter to anyone.

The Sadashivanagar police in Bengaluru have registered a case under Section 8 (commit sexual assault) of the Pocso Act and Section 354 (a) (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Reacting to the allegations, the former CM said that around one-and-a-half months ago, they (the victim and her mother) had come to his house seeking help and he had taken them inside. 

“After listening to her, I called the city police commissioner B Dayananda over phone seeking to address her problem. Later, they spoke against me and I then suspected that there is some health problem with her. I sent them to city police commissioner’s office. I even gave her some money as they were in distress. I came to know that an FIR has been registered and will look into it. But this is what I get for helping someone,” he added.

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News Network
March 17,2024

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Bengaluru: The Vokkaliga heartland of the old Mysuru region consisting of several southern districts will be the testing ground for the recently forged BJP-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls.

The ruling Congress will now look to consolidate its gains that it made in the assembly elections in May last year when it made inroads into the strongholds of the regional party headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in these districts.

In the 2019 Pariamentary elections, the Congress and JD(S) fought together but secured only one seat each in the state. The BJP bagged 25 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats.

The Congress and JD(S) win, in fact, came in the old Mysuru region -- Bangalore Rural and Hassan, respectively, while Mandya seat went to an independent backed by the BJP.

This time, the JD(S) has an alliance with BJP. According to sources, the JD(S) is likely to be alloted Hassan, Mandya and Kolar seats in the region, from where Deve Gowda's party draws its strength from in Karnataka.

The JD(S) is now looking to bounce back after the drubbing it received in the May assembly polls.

The Congress and JD(S) are considered to be traditional rivals in the region, where the BJP has also been improving its vote-share.

The BJP-JD(S) alliance hopes to counter the Congress' surge in the region, determined to consolidate Vokkaliga votes in their favour and banking on the Modi charisma. Both parties also hope to gain from each other with this alliance.

The Congress is hoping to further its prospects and continue its dominance in the region, with the help of its strong local leadership and riding on its five guarantee schemes.

Both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress state President D K Shivakumar, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister come from this region, and so does JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy, a former CM and that party's state President.

According to a political analyst, 'coordination among local leaders and transfer of votes between the parties are going to be key for the BJP-JD(S) alliance to click.' Lack of trust between sizeable workers and leaders of both parties on the ground had proved to be counterproductive for Congress and JD(S) combine in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, resulting in their rout and helping the BJP.

Both Congress and BJP have announced candidates for some seats in the region for the 2024 polls.

The Congress has re-nominated D K Suresh, brother of Shivakumar, from Bangalore Rural.

Interestingly, the BJP has fielded the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore and noted cardiac surgeon and Deve Gowda's son-in-law, Dr C N Manjunath, from Bangalore Rural.

In Karnataka, the Lok Sabha elections will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.

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