'Fake news specialist' Mahesh Vikram Hegde taken into custody over provocative letter; BJP stands with him

News Network
April 25, 2019

Bengaluru, Apr 25: Mahesh Vikram Hegde, the editor of Post Card News, which is notorious for producing fake news to promote BJP and to spread communal hatred, was taken into custody by the Karnataka police yesterday for circulating a fake and inciting letter that was falsely attributed to Karnataka home minister and Congress leader M B Patil to defame him and his party during Lok Sabha polls.

According to senior police officials, Mr Hegde, who was picked up from Virajpet in Kodagu, was only taken in for inquiry and was not arrested. 

Mr Patil had filed a complaint against former BJP MP Vijay Sankeshwar-owned Kannada daily Vijayavani, for carrying a copy of the fake letter with the former’s signature on 16 April.

The fake letter was in fact first carried by Mr Hegde’s portal just before the Karnataka Assembly elections last year. Though Mr Patil did not follow through with a complaint last year, he had taken it up after it appeared in the Kannada newspapers earlier this month, in which he named the role of Post Card News as well. The portal has since taken down the article fearing legal action.

The letter that has since been ruled as fake, was addressed to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, which stated that the Congress had hatched a plan to unite the minority communities under faith and divide the Hindus based on caste and sect to help the party win the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The letter referred to capitalising on the “prevailing differences between the Veerashaiva-Lingayat" community to break up Hindu voters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had alluded to the contents of the letter in an election rally in Bagalkot earlier this month, stating how the Congress had tried to divide the Lingayat community.

“This is done with the intention to polarise the votes," Patil had said at the time of filing a complaint with the police and Election Commission earlier this month.

BJP stands with him

The action by the police sparking off bitter reactions by state leaders of the BJP who accused H D Kumaraswamy-led Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government of misusing the police to carry out vendetta politics. The BJP IT cell even trended the hashtag #IStandWithMaheshHegde and encouraged him to continue such work. 

“Karnataka govt again arrested @mvmeet today! The only crime of Mahesh Vikram Hegde is that, he has been exposing the lies of Gandhi family. Height of Vendetta politics, Coalition govt is imposing real emergency. Shame!!," tweeted Shobha Karandlaje, the member of Parliament from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru.

C T Ravi, BJP leader and MLA of Chikkamagaluru tweeted: Realizing that their Unholy Alliance Government is on the death bed, CM @hd_kumaraswamy and @siddaramaiah have let loose State Police on Nationalists. I urge them to stop playing "Neech Politics" & do something good for the People in the remaining days. #IStandWithMaheshHegde

It can be recalled that Mr Hegde was arrested in March last year for spreading a fake news that a Jain monk was attacked by Muslims in Bengaluru. In reality, the monk was injured in a bike accident. He had used an image of the accident to paint a picture of attack by Muslims.

Comments

harsha vardan
 - 
Thursday, 25 Apr 2019

These type of Hegde are curse to humanity....let him begg and fill his family stomach instead of divide and fake news spreading...

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News Network
July 29,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 29: A day after Congress staged a nationwide 'Save Democracy' protest, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy slammed Congress for "dividing" the political parties and "buying MLAs" and questioned their "democratic behaviour" to lure Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs who supported them.

Kumaraswamy, in a media statement, said, "Is it a democratic behaviour to lure MLAs of other parties through political shenanigans and later merging with them?"

"Congress is an expert in dividing political parties and purchase of MLAs," said Kumaraswamy adding, "If you are dividing the like-minded party MLAs through deceit, who would support you?"

He alleged that the term "horse trade" in politics came to be used because of Congress.

Congress had tied to divide the Janata Dal (Secular) in 2004. To this, he added, "To avoid the party being hijacked by the Congress, I had to oust the Congress-JD(S) coalition government through a political coup."

Kumaraswamy further accused, "Haven't the Congress who is making a big noise about the purchase of MLAs divided the JD(S) in the past? Is it not a fact that for the sake of one Rajya Sabha seat, the Congress government in Karnataka purchased eight JD(S) MLAs?"

Both -- Congress and BJP -- are "criminals" in purchase matter, he added.

Rajasthan Congress is in turmoil after simmering differences between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was removed as the Deputy Chief Minister and the state unit chief of Congress.

The Congress has accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading to bring down the Gehlot government. The BJP has rejected the allegations.

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coastaldigest.com news network
August 1,2020

Bengaluru,  Aug 1: As many as 5,172 new COVID-19 cases and 98 deaths were reported in Karnataka on Saturday, taking the state's count of coronavirus cases to 1,29,287.

The active cases in the state now stand at 73,219 while 53,648 people have been discharged.

"5,172 new COVID-19 cases and 98 deaths reported in Karnataka in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1,29,287 including 53,648 discharges and 2,412 deaths. The number of active cases stands at 73,219," said State Health Department.

So far, a total of 2,412 people have died in the state.

India, on Saturday, reported 57,117 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's coronavirus tally to 16,95,988, said the Union Health Ministry. 

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News Network
January 3,2020

Chamarajanagar, Jan 3: The residents of Galipura layout in Chamarajanagar city boycotted the annual Community Based Survey (CBS), conducted by the Health and Family Welfare department, mistaking it to be the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Majority of the residents in the layout belong to Muslim community. The people, who mistook CBS to the NRC survey, got into arguments with the Asha workers, who were given the responsibility of collecting information. They even tore the forms into pieces and vent their ire.

The Health Department conducts CBS every year in the urban areas and collects all details including Aadhaar number, residential address, details of family members, health problems and others.

Fifteen Asha workers were deputed for the survey in the layout. A few youths started questioning them alleging it to be an NRC survey and started arguing with them.
Tahsildar Mahesh, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr N C Ravi, with the help of Muslim leaders cleared the confusion. The community leaders assured of explaining it to the residents and extend cooperation to the survey.

Comments

abdullah
 - 
Sunday, 5 Jan 2020

Its not the fault of the residents.  Sanghis are planning to approach citizins disguised as health workers and else to get  details of residents.   such trouble makers should be noted and handed over to police.   Police should arrest such fake people and put in jail.   such fake people are trying to terrify poors and collect money assuring to help them.   So, please be careful.   

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