Nalin Kumar Kateel hits out at Kharge for anti-Modi remark

New Delhi, Feb 20: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the non-bailable warrants issued against the state Director General of Police (DGP) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) by the Karnataka High Court.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde stayed the non-bailable warrants while hearing a plea filed by the Karnataka government.

Earlier today, the apex court had agreed to hear the matter today itself after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before it.

Tushar Mehta had pointed that Home Secretary has been asked by the High Court to execute the non-bailable warrants and said that this order is "unusual".

Karnataka High Court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against the top cops in a case.

Bengaluru, Apr 18: The Karnataka government has managed to get the contact details of nine out of 10 foreign nationals who had visited Jubilant Life Sciences, a pharmaceutical company in Mysuru district's Nanjangud which has been declared a coronavirus hotspot, State minister S Suresh Kumar said on Saturday.

As many as 66 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nanjangud.

While investigating the source of virus in what is now known as 'Nanjangud cluster', the Mysuru administration could get information that 10 foreign nationals had visited this town, Kumar told reporters.

Soon the External Affairs Ministry's help was sought which managed to track nine of them, Kumar said, adding that the MEA contacted its embassies in China, Germany, Japan and the USA to track these persons.

"Out of 10, they could contact nine and got details. All of them have said that they were all healthy and they did not have any symptoms.

Hence, they did not feel the need to undergo COVID-19 tests," the minister said.

He opined that many people do not show the symptoms but they could be carriers of the virus.

Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on April 18

"It all depends on the person's immunity," Kumar explained.

A foreign national from Germany who had visited Nanjangud could not be reached as her contact details were not available.

New Delhi, Feb 4: "I own my statement," said BJP lawmaker Anant kumar Hedge on Tuesday amid the raging controversy over his remark on Mahatma Gandhi while adding that he has never said anything against the Father of the Nation.

"All related media reports are false. I never said what is being debated over. It is an unnecessary controversy. I own my statement made on February 1, 2020, in Bengaluru. I never made any reference to any political party or Mahatma Gandhi or anybody else, I was just trying to categorise freedom struggle. That's all," Hedge told news agency.

"I am surprised by the discussion around it. What can I say about something that is not there? There is hullabaloo going on without anything. My statement is available in public forum. If anyone wants to see, it is available online and on my website. Show me if I have said anything against Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and any other freedom fighters," he added.

The BJP leader continued: "That programme was about Savarkar. With due respect of all our freedom fighters, I was just discussing our freedom struggle, there is no confusion or any derogatory comment on freedom struggle or fighters. Unnecessary nuisance has been created."

Hedge stoked a controversy after he had attacked Mahatma Gandhi by calling the freedom struggle led by him a "drama" and also questioned as to how "such people" come to be called 'Mahatma' in India.

"None of these so-called leaders was beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was a big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," he had said.

While several Congress leaders have condemned his remark on the father of the nation, BJP leaders too has distanced themselves from it.

Top leadership in BJP is unhappy with Anantkumar Hegde over his controversial remark on Mahatma Gandhi, party sources had said on Monday, adding that he has been asked to issue an unconditional apology.