Gauri killing: Bengaluru gears up for ‘resistance convention’

coastaldigest.com news network
September 11, 2017

Bengaluru, Sept 11: Thousands of fans of slain journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh are expected to participate in the ‘resistance convention’ being organized by the ‘Gauri Lankesh Hathya Virodhi Horata Vedike’ on Tuesday at Central College Grounds in Bengaluru.

According to organizers, about 50,000 people, including religious heads of various sects and progressive seers will participate in the national event aimed at condemning and resisting such attacks on free expression.

A procession would be taken out from Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station, which will culminate into a rally at the Central College grounds. P Sainath, Teesta Setalvad, Sagarika Ghose, Anand Patwardhan, Prashant Bhushan, Medha Patkar, Kavita Krishnan and Prakash Rai are among those who will take part in the rally.

There would be songs, street plays, screening of short films and paintings and music concerts expressing resistance against the assassination.

“We want to resist efforts to silence dissent in the country. We want to show that Gauri’s murder hasn’t shaken us and we are committed against communalism, fundamentalism, fascism and extremism,” writer Prof K Marulasiddappa told reporters here on Sunday.

Gauri’s assassination was similar to those of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M M Kalburgi. She always opposed rightist ideology. The RSS regularly targeted all the four. In this context, needle of suspicion points towards communal forces, he said.

Prof Chandrashekhar Patil said the Vedike did not directly point fingers at any one individual or organisation. “Gauri was facing threats from communal organisations, which forces us to conclude that communal forces claimed her. However, the investigation should bring out the truth,” he said.

Regarding the ongoing investigation, they said they had faith in the SIT and were open for a Supreme Court-monitored probe at a later stage.

On Naxalite angle to the murder, Prof Patil said the Vedike members did not get any confirmation from any police source regarding involvement of naxals.

“Kalburgi’s murder did not get much publicity as it was the first such murder in the state. The government itself was shocked after Gauri’s murder and took up the issue with all seriousness,” he said.

Writer and former minister B T Lalitha Naik said, “Gauri’s father the late P Lankesh used extremely harsh words while criticising a person or an ideology. But, nobody dared to kill him. The British tolerated Mahatma Gandhi for about 50 years. It was extremely easy for them to eliminate him. Those who claimed Gauri are heinous than the British,” she said.
 

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News Network
January 3,2020

Mumbai, Jan 3: The Shiv Sena on Friday targeted the Centre by questioning the "efficacy" of the 2016 surgical strike and said the perception that it would demoralise Pakistani terrorists remained an "illusion" as Indian soldiers continue to get killed in terror attacks in Kashmir.

Accusing the Modi government of boasting about how Pakistan was straightened out after the surgical strike, the Sena sought to know whether it has really happened.

It also observed that troubled borders were not good for the country's well-being.

The Sena's remarks come in the wake of the death of an Army soldier from Maharashtra, Naik Sandip Raghunath Sawant, who was killed during a counter-insurgency operation in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

"The New Year did not begin on a positive note in Kashmir. Our jawan from Satara, Sandip Sawant, attained martyrdom in Kashmir along with two other soldiers. In the last one month, seven to eight jawans from Maharashtra were killed in the line of duty. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra is not responsible for this," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

The party also questioned whether the situation in Kashmir has improved after the surgical strike and abrogation of Article 370 provisions.

The party, however, maintained that scrapping Article 370 was a good move.

India had conducted the surgical strike on September 29, 2016, across the Line of Control (LoC) as a response to a terrorist attack on an Indian Army base in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir earlier that month.

Without naming the Centre, the Sena alleged, "Circulating news that only the Pakistanis were getting killed in Kashmir will not change the reality as tricolour-draped bodies of Indian soldiers, like Sawant, are reaching their respective villages."

"There is a bloodshed along the Kashmir border and mounting anger among the families of martyred jawans. The perception that surgical strike will demoralise Pakistani terrorists has turned out to be an illusion. In fact, the (terror) attacks have increased," it added.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party accused the ruling BJP of boasting about straightening out Pakistan after the surgical strike.

"But has Pakistan been really straightened out? Rather Pakistan has been indulging in ceasefire violations along the LoC every day," it added.

The Shiv Sena also questioned the government's claim that the situation in Kashmir was under control after the nullification of Article 370.

"It is good that Article 370 was scrapped. Before that, surgical strike was carried out in Pakistan. But has the situation in Kashmir improved? The terror attacks continue. It's only that there is a control in reporting (these incidents)," it said.

The Sena also alleged that there was no clarity as to what was transpiring in Kashmir after the scrapping of Article 370 and only the media reports of soldiers sacrificing their lives have been coming out from that state

In a veiled attack on the BJP, its erstwhile ally, the Sena, also accused it of exploiting the surgical strike for political gains.

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News Network
March 2,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 2: The Opposition Congress and the JD(S) members protested in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday over the BJP leader Basavaraj Patil Yatnal's alleged derogatory remark against veteran freedom fighter H S Doreswamy.

Opposition Leader in the Assembly and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, raised the issue, immediately after the obituary reference of sudden demise of former Minister C Chanigappa, and sought permission from the Speaker to raise the issue of Yatnal's outburst in the House stating that the matter of hurling defamatory remark against Gandhian Doreswamy, by Mr Yatnal, was very much serious. However, the treasury bench members protested and urged the Speaker not to allow the matter to discuss as the issue was not in the agenda.

The Speaker, Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri, promised the Congress leader about permitting the issue after the House adopts resolution on the thanksgiving motion for the Governor's address of the joint House recently and asked Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to continue his reply to the Governor's address.

The opposition Congress and the JD(S) members, protesting the Speaker's action, trooped into the well of the house and raised slogans against the BJP government.

The Chief Minister continued his reply amidst the din before the Speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes after the House adopted the thanksgiving motion to the Governor's Address.

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News Network
March 14,2020

Mangaluru, Mar14 (UNI) In view of prevailing Global situation, Coast Guard Karnataka took initiatives for creating awareness among the CG Personnel, Civilian Staff and Families on precautions so that the contagious Coronavirus be prevented.

For the benefit of CG personnel posters have been displayed at entrance and prominent places in office premises and residential areas including the CG KG School.

All CG Personnel and their families were advised to frequently wash their hands with sanitiser or soap and water at regular intervals. They are also requested to cover their nose and mouth with handkerchief or tissue while coughing or sneezing. It is advised to consult doctor if there is fever, difficulty in breathing, coughing, all being symptoms of Corona Virus.

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