Cong playing polarisation politics in Karnataka; We too have a strategy: BJP

Agencies
August 12, 2017

Bengaluru, Aug 12: The BJP would neither interfere in the Lingayat religion issue nor use Kannada language row as a political tool to counter the "polarisation politics" of the Congress in Karnataka, senior BJP leader Suresh Kumar said today.

"Congress is playing polarisation politics in Karnataka, and we have a strategy to counter it under the leadership of Amit Shah," Kumar told reporters after receiving Shah at BJP office here.

"We are very, very clear about Lingayat religion issue. The issue will be resolved or solved by that particular community. We don't want to add, we don't want to interfere in any manner in this issue," he said.

The Congress support to a separate religion cause ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls was seen as an attempt to cause damage to the BJP, which enjoys considerable support from the community.

The BJP and several sections of the Hindu community were opposed to the move to give Veerashaiva-Lingayat separate religion status and have accused the Siddaramaiah government of dividing the society to draw political mileage ahead of the election due early next year.

On Kannada language row, Kumar said "since the days of Pandit Deendayal Upadhayaya it has been made very clear that in Karnataka, Kannada is the language which should be given top priority. There is absolutely no confusion here and we don't want to use it as a political tool".

The BJP also does not want to use the language issue as a tool to create hatred towards other communities and sections of the people, Kumar said.

Huge protests were staged by pro-Kannada outfits over the use of Hindi on Namma Metro signboards, which also had forced Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to write to the Centre stating the government was compelled to ask Namma Metro totemporarily re-design signboards in stations without the Hindilanguage following a row over its use.

The Kannada Development Authority had asked all nationalised, scheduled and rural banks functioning in Karnataka to ensure that all its non-Kannada speaking staff learn the language in six months. The authority had also asked them to set up Kannada units at all their branches in the state, in line with Hindi units which exist for the implementation of the language.

To a query, Kumar said there were no differences between senior party leaders K S Eshwarappa and B S Yeddyurappa, and Yeddyurappa is the chief ministerial candidate of the party.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 3,2025

arrival.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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