BJP includes its tainted leaders in 2nd list

Bengaluru, Feb 21: A young woman in Bengaluru was detained today for holding a placard saying ''Free Kashmir'' at a demonstration in the city to protest against the arrest of college student Amulya Leona who had raised pro-Pakistan slogans at an anti-CAA rally a day ago.

The arrested has been identified as Ardra Narayan, a 20-year-old student of an engineering college at Malleshwaram in the city's western suburb.

"Ardra Narayan is being questioned at the Silver Jubilee Park police station after she was whisked away from the spot and detained for holding the placard with ''Free Kashmir'' written on it," Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said.

On a complaint by Sri Ram Sena activists, who were protesting against Amulya at the venue, the police booked a suo moto case against Ardra under sections 153A and 153B of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) for disturbing peace and harmony.

The placard also displayed ''Give Us Liberation'' and ''Freedom from India'', a Sri Ram Sena activist alleged.

The development comes a day after Amulya, 19, was arrested under section 124A of the IPC for sedition and jailed for 14 days for allegedly shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" at the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally at Freedom Park in the city centre on Thursday.

"We are trying to ascertain if there is any connection between Amuly and Ardra though she was alone at the spot holding the placard," Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) R. Chandrashekar told news agency.

Bengaluru, Apr 18: Virtually defending the Gowda family for conducting a marriage reportedly defying lockdown restrictions, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said it was performed in a simple manner and well within their limits, "for which they are to be congratulated."

"All the necessary permissions were given and the marriage was performed in a simple manner. There is no need to discuss about it. They had done it well within their limits for which I congratulate them," Yediyurappa said to a query from reporters during the post-COVID-19 briefing.

Scores of people had thronged a farmhouse on Friday to get a glimpse of the wedding of former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda's grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy, ignoring appeals not to visit the venue in view of the ongoing lockdown to check the COVID-19 outbreak. Nikhil, son of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, tied the nuptial knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Karnataka housing minister M Krishnappa.

The marriage was solemnised at Kumaraswamy's Kethaganahalli farmhouse at Bidadi in the neighbouring Ramanagara district, a JD(S) stronghold. Kumaraswamy had taken to Twitter after the marriage, thanking his party MLAs, leaders and workers for staying away from the event and blessing his son from their houses. In a series of tweets, he had said social distancing was maintained and all precautionary measures were taken throughout the event.

BJP had hit out at the JD(S) first family for flouting the norms, alleging that at least 150 to 200 vehicles were given permission to attend the event, that too at at time when social workers wanting to serve the badly affected poor people were not being allowed to ply any form of transport JD(S) leader N H Konareddi and MLC T A Sharavanna had denied the charges, saying the union government guidelines had been followed and that social distancing was maintained.

New Delhi, Mar 19: The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the validity of Karnataka's 2018 reservation law, which granted reservation in promotion to employees belonging to SC and ST categories.

A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud holds that applications filed by a group of general category employees for applying 'post-based quota' and the principle of the creamy layer at entry-level in public employment are not maintainable.

The apex court had, in November last year, reserved its order on the applications filed by general category candidates in the matter.

In May last year, the top court had upheld the law allowing reservations in promotions for SC and ST candidates with consequential seniority.