Siddaramaiah meets ‘foe' Hariprasad, says he has asked him to visit Mangaluru
Bengaluru: Chief minister
Siddaramaiah
Thursday called on
BK Hariprasad
, AICC general secretary and MLC, at his residence in Bengaluru, a move that raised eyebrows and sparked political speculation since the two have had a frosty relationship.
Hariprasad had recently received a show-cause notice from Congress' high command for publicly rebuking Siddaramaiah and backing Congress state president DK
Shivakumar
.
While many believed the meeting to be a signal to Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah insisted it was only work-related and centred on the volatile situation in Dakshina Kannada district. He said he had asked Hariprasad to visit the district.
"We had a general discussion on the prevailing situation in Dakshina Kannada," Siddaramaiah later told reporters.
"There should be communal harmony in that region. We must ensure harmony there and we had a discussion about it."
Dakshina Kannada has been on edge since the murder of Abdul Rahiman, secretary of Koltmajalu Juma Masjid, in Bantwal on Tuesday. Prohibitory orders are in force until Friday. The incident came less than a month after the killing of Hindutva activist and rowdy sheeter Suhas Shetty on May 1.
Home minister G Parameshwara, who participated in a high-level meeting, said: "One person died, but, as per information received, the plan was to kill more."
Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who oversees affairs in Dakshina Kannada, said he would discuss the next steps to restore law and order with the chief minister. Condemning recent communal rhetoric, Rao said, "These are anti-national forces. They aim to instill fear in society."
Pointing to remarks made by Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah and Karnataka MLC N Ravi Kumar — both of BJP — he said attempts are being made to paint Muslims as "outsiders".
"Such a mindset has polluted the minds of youngsters, and they are being influenced," Rao said. "This is bad and has led to violent incidents. Whoever has committed the crime, whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian, the guilty must be punished. The govt is taking all measures [to bring those responsible to justice].
"
Calling Rahiman an innocent man with no criminal history, Rao questioned the humanity of those behind the crime. "Which religion says one should do such things [murder]? Does Hindu religion or Bhagavad Gita or Ramayana say so? An innocent was killed. What does his family have to do?" he asked.
He said such incidents are "a challenge for the govt". "Such forces need to be suppressed legally, and peace should be established in society," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Declare Amritsar a ‘no-war zone: Congress MP Randhawa writes to PM
Gurdaspur Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to take steps towards declaring Amritsar district, which is home to the Golden Temple, a 'no-war zone'. The letter was sent weeks after the latest India-Pakistan armed conflict. Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla also wrote a similar letter to the Prime Minister. On May 7, India carried out pre-dawn missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Following the Indian action, Pakistan launched an offensive against Indian military bases and resorted to shelling the border areas for the next three days. In the letter, Randhawa wrote that the city is the spiritual heartbeat of the Sikh faith. 'Its sacred aura transcends religious boundaries, offering comfort, unity, and compassion in a world increasingly torn apart by conflict and division. 'I wish to clarify that this appeal is not a request for political sovereignty akin to the Vatican City, but rather a plea for international spiritual recognition and enduring security protections. 'In an era marked by rising global tension and militarisation, it is imperative that Sri Amritsar is shielded from the threats of war and violence - now and forever,' Randhawa said. 'As many global powers lean increasingly toward conflict, the Sikh ethos of 'Sarbat da Bhala' (the welfare of all) must be elevated and preserved as one of humanity's last hopes for coexistence and peace,' he said. He said that recent geopolitical tensions, particularly during the Indo-Pak standoff, have revived legitimate concerns regarding Amritsar's potential vulnerability in the event of military conflict. 'These concerns, voiced by the Sikh community and civil society alike, necessitate a broader vision - one that goes beyond regional anxieties and calls for an international framework to guarantee the safety and sanctity of this revered city under all circumstances,' the MP said. 'For the Sikh faith, Sri Amritsar holds the same spiritual gravity as Mecca does for Muslims and the Vatican for Christians,' he pointed out. 'It is, therefore, my humble submission that the global spiritual significance of Sri Amritsar be officially recognised, and that appropriate international security mechanisms-akin to those safeguarding the Vatican-be considered and adopted,' he said. He urged that the government of India should initiate necessary diplomatic and legislative steps toward declaring Amritsar a 'no-war zone' and work with international bodies to establish enduring protection of the city.
Hindustan Times
29 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Himachal: 89 Pong Dam oustees get land allotment certificates
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, during a public meeting in Haripur in Dehra assembly constituency of Kangra, on Tuesday handed over land allotment certificates to 89 Pong Dam oustees. Sukhu said the issue of Pong Dam oustees was raised by the local MLA before the government that they have been suffering for the past 50 years and even had to struggle to get their documents. 'The state government is now granting them their due rights. The remaining displaced families will also be allotted land in the near future. Additionally, each family will receive ₹3 lakh as financial assistance for building homes,' he added. 'For the past 25 years, this constituency did not have any Congress legislator. An independent MLA from Dehra resigned in arrogance. Kamlesh Thakur was elected in the by-election as a Congress MLA 11 months ago. Since then, Dehra has been witnessing development,' he said. The CM also assured completion of the Nandpur bridge by December this year. He also said that the state government was establishing 'Adarsh Swasthya Sansthan's' in all 68 assembly constituencies with six specialist doctors in each. He said the community health centre (CHC), Haripur, would be made 'Adarsh Swasthya Sansthan'. He announced ₹2 crore for the construction of residential accommodation for doctors. Sukhu further said that the state government had shifted the wildlife office of the forest department from Shimla to Dharamshala and that more government offices would be moved to Kangra district to decongest the Shimla city soon. He said that the implementation of GST had caused significant losses to Himachal Pradesh as before GST, the state used to receive ₹3,000 crore annually, but now it gets only ₹150 crore. He criticised the previous BJP government for 'plundering the state's resources'.
Hans India
35 minutes ago
- Hans India
Cop asks gym to bar entry of Muslims, shunted out
Bhopal: A police sub-inspector has been removed from field duty after he allegedly asked a gym owner not to allow entry to Muslims at the facility in Bhopal, officials said on Tuesday. The action against sub-inspector Dinesh Sharma was taken after a video surfaced on social media showing him purportedly making the controversial comments. 'No Muslim will come here to train or take training. I am telling you this clearly,' the cop was seen instructing the gym owner in the clip. According to the police, some Bajrang Dal members had visited the gym, located in the Ayodhya Nagar area of Bhopal, and raised questions over the presence of Muslim trainers at the facility. After this, the police were called to defuse the tension there. Sharma allegedly made the comments at that time, an official said. After a video of his comments went viral on social media, the police started an investigation into the matter.
