Jackie Shroff, Arjun Rampal join BJP, to campaign for Uttar Pradesh polls

Assan, Feb 9: Coming down heavily on Amit Shah, JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda said that the Union Home Minister is dreaming of a Hindu nation. Addressing the crowd at an anti-CAA/NRC rally in Hassan, he said that the Home Minister has forgotten that India is a secular, multi-lingual country.

“Shah cannot make India into a Hindu nation. People should come forward and oppose the Acts in the interest of peace and welfare of the nation,” the former PM said, urging secular leaders to unite and fight against the undemocratic policies put forth by the Centre.

“Only secular forces can protect minorities by taking to the streets,” he said. Talking about the controversy around former Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde’s statements, Gowda said BJP leaders are airing anti-national comments, which is disturbing peace. “Muslims, Christians and Hindus should unite to fight against the BJP’s unilateral decisions.”

Mangaluru, Jan 7: A ten-year-old boy who suffered severe injuries after drowning in Kadri temple pond died on Monday,

Police said that the deceased has been identified as Sandesh, resident of Athani taluk.

Sandesh drowned while taking a dip in a pond at Kadri Shree Manjunatha Temple on Sunday evening. He was immediately rushed to the hospital in the city, however, he died on Monday morning after he stopped responding to the treatment.

Mangaluru, Jan 12: Sudarshan Moodbidri and Robin Devaiah were today unanimous elected presidents of Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu district units of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Karnataka BJP vice-president Nirmal Kumar Surana oversaw the election process of the two district units at the BJP’s party office here.

While Sanjeeva Matandoor, Puttur MLA and incumbent president of DK unit of the party welcomed his successor Sudarshan, it was the turn of BB Bharatheesh, president of Kodagu unit to welcome Robin.

K Uday Kumar Shetty, DK district election officer and Ravi Kalappa, Kodagu district assistant election officer conducted the election under the supervision of Surana in the presence of MLAs of the party from respective districts.

Sudarshan started out his career as taluk and then district convener of Bajrang Dal before taking up responsibility as seva pramukh of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

He formally joined the BJP as general secretary of Mulki-Moodbidri assembly unit of the party, moved on as convener of training cell of the party and was the general secretary of the district unit of the party before his elevation. A B.Com student of Dhavala College, Moodbidri, he is 44.

Robin, 50, who started out as a RSS volunteer as a student, too is incumbent general secretary of the Kodagu unit. Having been a member of ABVP for 8-years, he joined BJP formally in 1996 through Yuva Morcha and was its district treasurer, national executive member and state general secretary.

A product of Field Marshal K M Cariappa College, Kodagu, he served two terms as general secretary of the district unit prior to his elevation.