Muslims of Mangaluru condemn offensive Facebook post against Ananth Kumar

Bengaluru, Feb 13: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday said the government had initiated measures to implement the Sarojini Mahishi report as the 12-hour Karnataka bandh call by several pro-Kannada organisations under the banner of Karnataka Sanghatanegala Okkoota began on Thursday.

“Government always stood for Kannada and Kannadigas and initiated measures to implement the Sarojini Mahishi report,” Yediyurappa said. Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, Ola, Uber and auto services were affected even though buses were plying as usual. Security has also been beefed up in Bengaluru after stones were pelted at a Tirupati-Mangaluru bus in Farangipet, though no one was injured.

Bangalore University has postponed all postgraduate (PG) exams scheduled for today. A pro-Kannada activist, Praveen Shetty, was kept under house arrest and police have detained a few people, including those involved in Cauvery protests and other bandh cases.

The organisations are demanding the implementation of a report by former union minister Sarojini Mahishi that recommends a certain percentage of jobs to Kannadigas in public sector undertakings, private companies, and multinational companies. The report was submitted in 1984 but is yet to be implemented.

Bengaluru, May 17: Karnataka Government on Sunday decided to appoint Administrative Committees, to over 6000 Panchayat Bodies, in the state, who’s five-year term would comes to an end this month.

Speaking to the media here, the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Minister, K S Eshwarappa informed that the state cabinet met recently had favored to appoint committees which would replace the elected bodies.

Informing that there is provision in the Panchayath Raj Act to appoint the committees, he said that the concerned Deputy Commissioners of the district, would appoint the members, to the committee, who were eligible to be nominated to the committees.

Bengaluru, Jan 13: Right-wing organisations, along with BJP and RSS workers, will take out a massive padayatra in Kanakapura on Monday, protesting against the construction of a Jesus Christ statue.

The event organised by the Hindu Jagarana Vedike (HJV) will witness a rally from the Aiyappa temple in Kanakapura to the taluk panchayat office, where a memorandum will be submitted to the authorities following a public meeting.

Ahead of the event, Congress leader D K Shivakumar, in a video message released on Sunday, urged the people of Kanakapura to maintain calm. The former minister cast apprehensions over the event scheduled on Monday and said provocative statements may be made to disturb peace and harmony in Kanakapura.

Shivakumar, who represents the Kanakapura constituency, said the motive of the meeting by the leaders and workers of the BJP and the RSS, along with seers of mutts, was to defame his constituency.

“If any remarks are made against me, my brother (D K Suresh) or people of different faiths in Kanakapura constituency, do not be provoked,” he urged.

“Members of the (Christian) community have prayed at the site for 400 years and are trying to install a statue of Jesus Christ. I have helped the community like I aided hundreds of temples and educational institutions,” he said.

Appealing to maintain peace, Shivakumar said that BJP and RSS leaders were free to petition anybody.  

The BJP and right-wing organisations have objected to the construction of the statue at Kapala Betta, with the BJP government ordering a probe into how road, power supply and other facilities were provided to the hill. Recently, Christian leaders had petitioned Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to remove any impediments to the construction of the statue.