Regional

Hubballi (Karnataka), Jan 16 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has ridiculed the visit of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Bengaluru on Monday.

"It is unfortunate that she has to claim herself as a leader," he maintained.

Talking to reporters, CM Bommai stated, he does not have any objections to her visit to the state. "However she had claimed that she is the leader in the posters and advertisements," he said.

"It is very clear that the women from Karnataka are not ready to make her a leader. That is why she had declared herself as a leader," said CM Bommai. He chided the Congress party's proposal to bring a separate budget for the women by stating that the Congress leaders know they can't come to power and giving assurances for whatever things that comes to their minds.

Reacting to the comments by the Congress leaders dubbing Yuva Janotsav (National Youth Festival) inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as 'Vinashotsav', CM Bommai stated that the Congress party is dreaming about 'vinash' (destruction). They don't appreciate good work.

"The Congress leaders' recent language, thinking, their conduct with regard to matters related to the nation, cheap comments on the progress achieved by the state reflects their desperation and there is no need for us to give importance to that," he said.

Priyanka Gandhi will arrive in Bengaluru and address a mega women's convention organised at the Palace Grounds on Monday.

The Karnataka Congress wants to counter the BJP's blitzkrieg campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. PM Modi is expected to participate in two more programmes this month and already attended one recently.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The Airports Authority of India has commissioned Facility Performance Category-I Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Runway-31 at its Birsa Munda airport at Ranchi in Jharkhand.

According to officials, the new ILS replaced the existing facility that had completed its recommended life span. The airport has been witnessing a steady increase in passenger movement.

With a project cost of approximately Rs 5.67 crore, the new ILS has been commissioned with effect from January 9, for operational use at the airport. The complete installation, alignment, testing and flight inspection of the new system has been done in-house by AAI's Radio Construction and Developments Unit/Flight Inspection Unit (RCDU/FIU).

The new ILS that has been installed at the airport catering to higher passenger movement is manufactured by M/s Indra (Normarc), a leading manufacturer of Radio Navigational aids systems in the world. The new facility has an improved ILS Localizer Antenna System that will help in precision approach of all aircraft landing at the airport in all weather conditions.

The ILS is a standard ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) precision approach landing aid that is used to provide accurate azimuth as well as descent guidance signals for guidance to aircraft for runway landing under normal or adverse weather conditions. An ILS has two main sub-systems i.e. the Localizer and Glide Path System which provide lateral and vertical guidance respectively to a landing aircraft. A Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) collocated with Glide Path or Markers are also installed as part of ILS to provide the distance from the touch down on the runway to the landing aircraft. ILS provides lateral and vertical guidance which is necessary for a landing aircraft to fly a precision approach.

It's facility is considered to be a highly accurate and dependable means of navigating to the airport runway in all weather conditions.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Jan 16 (IANS) Karnataka Police have suspended two police constables on Monday in connection with charges of planting ganja (marijuana) in the bag of a youth and extorting money from him in Bengaluru.

South East DCP C.K. Baba in Bengaluru confirmed that the inquiry against the two accused constables has been completed and disciplinary action initiated based on the report submitted by the investigating officer. Prima facie it had been confirmed that the two had misused their power.

The accused policemen were accused of extorting Rs 2,500 from Vaibhav Patil, a youth from Himachal Pradesh.

Patil had worked in a private company and got a stipend of Rs 22,000 per month. While going on bike, the two police constables stopped and questioned him.

One of them took his bag and asked if he smoked weed. When Vaibhav denied it, they enacted a drama that they got ganja out of his bag and threatened that he would be arrested.

They extorted Rs 2,500 and even as Vaibhav pleaded with them to give him Rs 100 to go back to his home, they refused. Vaibhav had made a series of tweets regarding the incident and complained about the incident to the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru city Pratap Reddy.

He maintained in the tweets that the police are trying to fix him unnecessarily in a drug case.

DCP C.K. Baba assured Vaibhav of justice and asked him that action would be initiated in the incident. He also said that the department understood that he was worried and concerned and he could approach him on his mobile phone.

Patil recorded his statement with the Bandepalya police last Friday. He identified the two policemen and gave oral and written statements to the police regarding the incident. He also followed it up on the next day by attending an inquiry.

The constables maintained that Vaibhav refused to get checked and they did not take money. But, Vaibhav maintained that how did they let him go, if ganja was found. Vaibhav also told the police that his parents were worried over the incident and wanted him to return to Himachal Pradesh. After the timely action by the police department, Vaibhav removed all his tweets about the incident.

--IANS
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Chennai, Jan 16 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Police are conducting a detailed investigation into the conspiracy angle in the murder of former MP and state Minority Commission Vice Chairman, Dr. D. Masthan who was strangled to death by his close relatives.

After the arrest of D. Ghouse Adam Basha, the younger brother of the deceased Dr. Masthan, the police are conducting a detailed probe on whether more people in the family were involved in the murder.

Dr. Masthan was murdered on December 22, 2022, but initially the murder was passed on as death due to heart attack. His driver Imran Basha, who was in fact his younger brother Adam Basha along with his friends, had taken D. Masthan to a local hospital and said that he had suffered a heart attack. The murder would have passed off as a natural death but for the deceased former MP's son raising suspicion that his father had injuries in the nose and registered a formal complaint.

Police on investigation found that Imran Basha along with four of his accomplices had strangulated D. Masthan to death. Police said that Imran Basha used to borrow money from Masthan and failed to return. Mashtan's sons wedding was fixed and he asked Imran Basha to return the money but Basha along with his accomplices killed the former MP.

Investigators found that Imran Basha was in regular touch with Ghouse Ahmad Basha and on questioning it was revealed that he was also a part of the conspiracy to do away with his brother. Police on verification of the call records found that the killer, Imran Basha was in constant touch with Adam Basha, his father and younger brother of D. Masthan.

Investigators told IANS that when Imran Basha was questioned further he revealed that Adam Basha, his father, was behind the killing. The police team also found that there was a property dispute between the deceased D. Masthan and his younger brother, Adam Ghouse Basha.

The special team of the police that is probing the case is looking into other conspiracy angles after the arrest of Adam Basha. The team probing the incident is also working out whether there was any other conspiracy in the case.

--IANS
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Chennai, Jan 16 (IANS) The Advance Trauma Life Support Ambulance, which was deployed for the first time during a jallikattu competition at Avaniapuram, turned saviour for critically injured bull tamers.

The Jalikkattu event, which was held on Sunday on Pongal day, as usual led to injuries to several bull tamers and spectators.

Around 75 people, including bull tamers and spectators received injuries during the competition, but 22 people suffered major injuries. Two among these 22 were critically injured, according to the medical team that treated them.

Vinoth Kumar, Medical Officer of Madurai Municipal corporation while speaking to the media persons said, "The Advance Trauma Life Support Ambulance, which was stationed for the first time during a jallikattu event at Avaniapuram, helped save the lives of two critically injured bull tamers. The situation could have turned worse if this ambulance was not present at the spot."

It may be noted that 737 bulls and 257 bull tamers participated in the Avaniapuram jallikattu in which 11 rounds of competition took place. The Tamers and assistants were required to have an RT-PCR negative certificate as also a second dose Covid -19 vaccine certificate to participate in the event. Fitness certificate of bulls was also required to participate in the jallikattu.

Vijai of Solai Alagapuram was adjudged as the best bull tamer and received a car as the first prize. He had tamed 28 bulls during the event. A bull of Kamesh of Kaathendhal was the best bull and the owner received a motorbike as the prize.

--IANS
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Bhubaneswar, Jan 14 (IANS) Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal's statement in favour of entry of foreigners into Jagannath temple, Puri, has sparked a debate in the state.

While addressing inaugural function of Odisha Vision 2036 Conclave in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, the Governor had said, "If a foreigner can meet Puri Gajapati, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and servitors, he/she should get a chance to pay obeisance to Lord Jagannath."

Stating the governments should work on this issue, Lal said, "This is my personal opinion... someone may appreciate it or not, but, I request the servitors, Puri Shankaracharya and king Gajapati to consider my proposal."

As per tradition, only Hindus are allowed to have darshan of Lord Jagannath and siblings inside the Puri temple. So, this statement of the Governor has created a fresh row in the state.

Puri temple servitors have opposed the proposal of the Governor. Temple servitor and member of the Jagannath Temple managing committee, Madhab Chandra Mohapatra said, "It is laughable. The proposal is beyond our imagination. It is not possible. Nobody other than Hindus should be allowed into the temple."

Another servitor Shyama Mohapatra also made a similar opinion. Lord Jagannath and his siblings come out of the temple each year during Rath Yatra to give darshan to such (foreign) devotees. So, the age-old tradition should not be changed, Mahapatra said.

Similarly, the BJP and Congress party leaders have expressed their opinions on the proposal of the Governor.

Leader of opposition in Odisha Assembly, Jayanarayan Mishra (BJP) left it to the pandits of Mukti Mandap to take decision on this issue while Congress MLA Suresh Routray said the tradition should not be broken.

--IANS
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Kochi, Jan 14 (IANS) The body of a 42-year-old woman lawyer was found in a decomposed state at her flat in Thrissur on Saturday.

As Namitha Shobana, who worked at a law firm in Thrissur, was not reporting for her work since Monday and not receiving calls, police was informed.

When the police reached her flat, her neighbours complained of foul smell emanating from her house.

The police broke open the front door and found her decomposed body lying in the bathroom.

She was a divorcee and living alone in the flat.

The police moved the body to the state-run hospital and are awaiting post-mortem report to identify the cause of the death.

--IANS
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Hubballi (Karnataka) Jan 14 (IANS) The garland gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a minor boy during his recent road show here has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for testing, police said on Saturday.

According to sources, the garland was subjected to detailed analysis at the FSL to ensure that it did not contain any harmful chemical and poisonous substances.

However, the tests have confirmed the absence of harmful or suspicious substances in it. A report in this regard has been submitted to the state police department and the Special Protection Group (SPG).

The boy, Kunal Dhongadi, had breached security to garland the Prime Minister. Later, he had described PM Modi as god. "He is not an ordinary human being. I am his fan and want to meet him" he said.

He further stated that he is in love with PM Modi and wanted to take a closer look at him. "I want to invite him home. I am inspired by his speeches. I had come to see PM Modi with my grandfather, uncle and a two-and-half-year old child. We had got the RSS dress for the kid," he said.

"We wanted the child to garland the PM Modi but it could not happen. So, I initiated to garland PM Modi and I also wanted to shake hands with him. But, the police prevented me," he said.

Former legislator Ashok Katawe stated that the boy was an energetic person. There is no violation with PM Modi's security due to his act. He is a die hard fan of PM Modi. However, he made a mistake by breaching the security of PM Modi.

He should be pardoned. The boy doesn't have an idea about police security, sensitivity of the issue and consequences, he added.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi stated that there will be huge security cover for the PM. The boy had breached the security to garland PM Modi. According to our information, he did it out of love for the PM.

--IANS
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Kolkata, Jan 14 (IANS) A man who approached a West Bengal minister with complaints about local civic amenities received a tight slap from a local Trinamool Congress worker in full public glare in North 24 Parganas district on Saturday.

The state Food and Supplies Minister, Rathin Ghosh, was in the Ichapur-Nilganj area of the district as part of Trinamool's newly-launched 'Didir Suraksha Kavach' (Elder sister's protective shield) exercise, under which ministers, party MLAs and MPs are supposed to make district tours, interact with people and address their grievances.

When a local resident named Sagar Biswas approached the minister with some complaints about lack of civic amenities in the area, a local Trinamool worker gave him a tight slap, while his associates pushed Biswas out of the area.

Later, Biswas told mediapersons that he was even threatened not to speak to the press about the event.

Initially, Rathin Ghosh tried to avoid commenting on the matter. But later he spoke to Biswas and apologised for the 'unfortunate' development.

"I didn't see exactly what happened. But if something like this has happened, it is extremely unfortunate. This should not have happened. I profusely apologise," Ghosh told mediapersons later.

Meanwhile, the opposition has launched a scathing attack on the state's ruling party on this issue.

Senior state BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, "If people are heckled by the ruling party workers for expressing their grievances, what is the point in carrying out this exercise?"

According to the CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, Trinamool does not believe in the safety and security of the common people and the slapping incident only proves that.

--IANS
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Koppal (Karnataka), Jan 14 (IANS) In a shocking incident, a young couple in Karnataka's Koppal district committed suicide on Saturday after their parents opposed the relationship, police said.

The victims were identified as 20-year-old Prakash and 17-year-old Suma. The incident took place in Balageri village.

According to the police, Prakash was a photographer and Suma was a college student.

Hailing from the same village, they became involved a few months ago.

The parents of the victims who came to know about their relationship, advised their children not get diverted at such an early age and instead focus on their careers.

The couple, who came under extreme pressure following their parents' opposition, took the extreme step of slitting their throats at the girl's house earlier in the day.

A police investigation is currently underway.

--IANS
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