I will be a social activist... I prefer to be an MLC: Roshan Baig

News Network
November 20, 2019

Bengaluru, Dec 20: Sidelined by all political parties after his disqualification as Shivajinagar MLA, R Roshan Baig, has decided become a social activist.

Baig, who faced rejection from BJP after being sacked by Congress, justified his decision to not contest as an independent candidate to retain his seat in upcoming bypolls.

“I don’t want to contest just for ego’s sake. I will be a social activist.” Baig, who said he prefers to be an MLC, said the Muslim vote is split, and the constituency could swing any way.

With the BJP ignoring his claim for a ticket and naming former corporator M Saravana, Baig pointed out that the IMA scam was not the reason for it, and that the BJP had fielded Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Katta Subramanya Naidu, both of whom had been to jail.

Sources indicated that Baig was denied the ticket because BJP state vice-president Nirmal Kumar Surana, who lost to Baig twice, objected to it. In fact, he tried to revive the Rudresh murder case by leading his widowed wife to the party bosses and blaming Baig for it, although the NIA and local Commercial Street police absolved the former MLA of any involvement. Sources also indicated that the standoff between BJP leader BL Santosh and Yediyurappa had cost him the ticket.

Asked why he did not file his papers as an independent, Baig said, “There is a strong anti-Muslim sentiment after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and now the Ayodhya verdict... It is better I don’t contest this time.’’ Asked about son Ruman Baig not being given a BJP ticket, he said, “No comments.’’

Interestingly, the Muslim vote in Shivajinagar constituency, numbering around 60,000 of about 2 lakh voters, appears to be headed for a three-way split: between Rizwan Arshad (Congress), who lost two parliamentary elections back to back, Tanvir Ahmed, the JDS national spokesman, and Abdul Hannan, SDPI general secretary.

The constituency comprises seven wards — Vasanthnagar, Sampangiramnagar, Ulsoor, Jayamahal, Ramaswamipalya, Bharatinagar and Shivajinagar -- with the Big Three evenly poised in the wards. BJP’s Saravana has an edge, considering that Baig is expected to support him secretly, and because bypolls favour the ruling party. Saravana has emerged the favourite of the bookmakers and could be Bengaluru’s first Tamil-speaking MLA.

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News Network
April 11,2020

Tumkur, Apr 11: Despite the nationwide lockdown, BJP MLA from Turuvekere constituency, M Jayaram, was on Friday seen celebrating his birthday with several villagers in Gubbi taluk in Tumkur.

A sizable number of people were seen gathering in Gubbi taluk to celebrate the BJP legislator's birthday.

Meanwhile, scores of people around the country are getting booked for violating the lockdown. In Uttarakhand alone, more than 4500 people have been arrested until Friday for violating the norms of lockdown.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a three-week lockdown, urging people to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has mounted to 6,761 of which 6039 are active cases, 516 have been cured/discharged/migrated, and 206 deaths have been reported.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
January 26,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 26: The Azizuddin Road of Mangaluru’s Bunder area, which had witnessed the brutal killing of two innocent passersby over a month ago, today witnessed the unfurling of Indian national flag by the kin of the police firing victim. 

49-year-old Abdul Jaleel Kandak, a father of two, and 23-year-old Nausheen Kudroli, were killed in an arbitrary and unwarranted police firing during a disturbance occurred due to police baton charge in the city on December 2019. 

A mixed feeling of patriotism and pain prevailed when a group of people gathered on the police firing spot to celebrate the 71st Republic Day of India. Family members of the victims were part of it.

It was Shifani, the daughter of Abdul Jaleel, who unfurled the flag and read out the preamble of the Indian constitution. 

“This is the spot where the constitution of the country was murdered,” said social activist Vidya Dinker, recalling the police firing. “The constitution is being murdered everyday in many states of India. We must regain the constitution and implement it everyday,” she added. 

Journalist Shahnaz M, DYFI leader Imtiyaz BK, SIO leader Talha, NWF leader Shahida Aslam and social activist Shabbir Ahmed were present among others.

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News Network
July 19,2020

Mangaluru, Jul 19: Palakkad Division of Southern Railway that has jurisdiction over Mangaluru Railway region has established a business development unit (BDU) to cater to the transportation of various sectors, including non-bulk goods traffic, namely, white goods, finished products, manufactured products, agricultural produce and raw material.

In a statement issued here on Sunday said that the BDU’s mandate was to facilitate seamless interaction between the Railways on the one hand and industry, trade representatives and rail freight customers on the other at appropriate zonal or divisional levels. The unit was also expected to help expeditious clearance of their proposals for freight movement.

Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Pratap Singh Shami established the BDU in line with the similar unit at the zonal level with other divisions of SR too setting up similar units. Palakkad BDU would work under the supervision of Additional DRM-II CT Sakkeer Hussain while Senior Divisional Operations Manager PL Ashok Kumar was its convener with Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Jerin G Anand, Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer KV Sundaresan and Senior Divisional Finance Manager AP Sivachandrar were its members.

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