Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's son Rakesh, 39, dies in Belgium hospital

Bengaluru, May 27: Former Karnataka chief minister and JD-S leader HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said that the state government should withdraw the decision to name the Yelahanka bridge after Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

"The state government's decision to name the Yelahanka bridge after Savarkar is a disgrace to those who have struggled for the country's prosperity. This doesn't give a good name to the state government," Kumaraswamy tweeted.

"There are many great people who worked for the development of the country before and after independence. Their names could have been used for this bridge. Do other states name their bridges after our leaders? On behalf of the people of the state, I urge the state government to take a step back from this decision," he added.

The newly built Yelahanka bridge was named after Savarkar last year in a BBMP council meeting. Later it was sent to state government for approval. Tomorrow, the bridge is likely to be inaugurated for public use.

Bengaluru, Apr 21: Alarmed by reports that 53 media persons have contracted coronavirus in Maharashtra, a Minister on Tuesday urged Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to screen all the journalists in Karnataka.

During the regular Covid-19 related briefing on Monday, a reporter had raised the issue of 53 journalists in the neighbouring state testing positive for the disease, with Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar.

In Maharashtra, out of the 171 scribes examined medically, 53 were found to have the viral infection.

In his letter to the CM, Kumar said a similar test should be carried on the journalists in Karnataka.

"The journalists wanted a similar kind of screening to be carried out on them. Therefore, please direct the health and the information department immediately to conduct the screening of journalists who are in contact with public," Kumar said.