Gangster-turned social worker Muthappa Rai gets CCB notice over dangerous ‘Ayudha’ Puja

Newsroom, Feb 21: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has claimed that Amulya Leona, who raised pro-Pakistan slogans at a pro-India event in Bengaluru, had links with Naxalites.

The 19-year-old B.A. student was arrested on sedition charge after she raised pro-Pakistan slogans at a peaceful protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Bengaluru yesterday.

"Bail should not be given to Amulya. Her father has also said he won't protect her. It’s proved now that she had contacts with Naxals. Proper punishment should be given," Yediyurappa said in Mysuru today.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who snatched mike from Amulya’s hand, said that her slogans only helped Bharatiya Janata Party and those who are trying to suppress people’s movement against racism and communalism.

Interestingly, Amulya hails from a family which has close association with Sangh Parivar. Her father Wazi Noronha was a leader of minority of wing of BJP in Koppa taluk of Chikkamagaluru district.

He had worked in support of hardline BJP leader and Udupi-Chickmagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, and D N Jeevaraj, who had represented Sringeri constituency last time.

Meanwhile, a group of people attacked the house of Wazi at Gullagadde near Koppa last night. A group of Bajrang Dal activists also compelled him to shout ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.

Also Read: Mangaluru: VHP stages protest against ex-BJP leader’s daughter who raised pro-Pak slogans

Udupi, Feb 26: Thirty senior folk artistes, one from each district across the state, and two folk experts will be presented the ''Karnataka Janapada Academy'' Awards for 2019-20.

Announcing the names of the award winners here on Wednesday, Academy Chairperson Manjamma Jogathi said that while the artistes will get a purse of Rs 25,000 and a citation, the folk experts will be awarded Rs 50,000 and a citation.

The awardees are M Gowramma (Folk singing – Bengaluru Urban), Lakshamma (Bengaluru Rural – Bhajan), Ankanahalli Shivanna (Ramnagaram –Pooja Kunitha), Angadi Venkatesheppa (Kolar-Tatvapada), Rangaiah (Thumkuru-Folk Singing), P G Parameshwarappa (Davangere-Veeragase), Tippanna (Chitradurga – Goravara Kunita), Munireddy (Chikkaballapura-Folk Song), G C Manjappa (Shivamogga – Dollu Kunitha), Mada Shetty (Mysore – Kamsale Kunita), Swami Gowda (Beesuva Padagalu – Mandya), Gowramma (Chamarajnagar –Sobane Pada), J K Ramu (Kodagu-Kodavara Kunitha), Kapini Gowda (Hassan – Kolata), Dr H C Eshwarnayaka (Chikkamagalur-Nati Vaidhya), Sadhu Panara (Udupi-Bhootha Kola), Rukmaiah Gowda (Dakshina Kannada – Siddavesha), Sankamma (Belagavi –Sampradaya Pada), Rukmini Mallappa Haranala (Bagalkote-Wedding folk Song), Mallaiah Rachaiah Thotagunte (Dharawad-Folk Song), Hanumanthappa Dharwad (Haveri –Bhajane Kolata), Nagaraj Jakkammanavar (Gadag – Gigi Pada), Nimbevva Kenchappa Gubbi (Vijayapura-Sobane Pada), Hussainabi Budensaab Siddi (Uttarkannada-Siddi Damami Dance), Gangadara Swami Aggi Mata (Kalburgi – Puruvanthike), Tulasi Rama Bhimarao Suthara (Bidar-Folk Song), Shanthavva Ganda Lachamappa Lamani (Koppal – Lamani Dance), Soogappa Nagappa (Raichur – Tatvapada), Veshagara Mothi Ramanna (Ballari-Hagalu Vesha), Shivamoorthy Thanikedara (Yadagir – Gigi Pada).

Bengaluru, Mar 19: Karnataka High Court on Wednesday rejected the plea by Congress leader Digvijay Singh seeking directions to the police to allow him to meet rebel Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs who are lodged in Bengaluru.

Earlier in the day, Singh said at a press conference, "I have filed a plea in the Karnataka High Court, seeking permission to meet Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs who are putting up at Bengaluru. I have decided to be on fast and shall take a call on that after the decision of the Supreme Court and the High Court," Singh said at a press conference here earlier.

Singh said, "The BJP is busy in toppling duly-elected governments. We had successfully thwarted their plans to destabilise the MP government but we were let down by Jyotiraditya Scindia who had a very successful career in Congress."

"We never expected that he would ditch us and join hands with the BJP," he added.

The Congress leader also said that the BJP government had become insecure since the Kamal Nath-led government started tightening the laws on mining.

"Chief Minister Kamal Nath drafted a new mining policy for the sand under which the mines were allotted through auction. All this was unpalatable to the BJP and from Day 1 they started offering money to our Congress legislators," he said.

"In BJP, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's kind of leadership no longer exists. The leadership which controls the BJP now includes people who have joined hands to do all kinds of unscrupulous things which has led to a stage in India where the banks are collapsing, non-performing assets and unemployment are growing," he added.

Earlier today, he was put under preventive arrest after he sat on a dharna near Ramada Hotel here allegedly for not being allowed to meet the 21 rebel Congress MLAs lodged in the hotel.