HDK turns emotional, says he is ready to go to jail or become martyr for telling truth

July 10, 2014

Bangalore, Jul 10: Turning emotional in Karnataka Assembly over an audio CD on the cash-for-MLC seat controversy involving him, Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday offered to face any probe into the issue and said he was ready to go to jail if he was guilty.

Raising the issue during the debate on revenue related matters, Kumaraswamy maintained that he had committed no crime and had only spoken about the falling standards of politics, which has landed him in a major political row.

"I am ready to face any kind of probe. I am ready to go to jail or become a martyr for telling the truth.' said an emotional Kumaraswamy who, in the CD clips played by TV channels, purportedly told supporters of MLC seat aspirant Vijugowda Patil, a JDS leader from Bijapur district, about the demand for money from his party MLAs.

"40 people (JDS MLAs) are asking for 40 crore... This is my fate," Kumaraswamy is heard saying.

The JDS leader also said, "I am also ready for a debate on the the issue on the floor of the House." Ever since the controversy exploded in his face, Kumaraswamy has maintained that no transaction had taken place and he was being portrayed as if he was a "villain" and had committed "a sin".

He maintained that the custom of politicians admitting to the truth has been started from him and alleged that he and his party were being targeted for telling the truth.

He said that several officials are into rampant corruption and they go scot free, while politicians are targeted for telling the truth by the media. Referring to BJP MLA Vishwanath's charges that a sub-registrar takes away a bribe of Rs 10 lakh per day, he said that the officials earn as much as Rs 36 crore as bribe every year. “I have come out telling the truth. I do not know when you will tell the truth,” he said. He accused the media for projecting him as a villain' and a murderer of democracy.'

He said that the Speaker should come to his and his party MLAs' rescue.

Money spent on lavish outing in Sri Lanka'

T S Sathyananda, an advocate from Mandya, has written to President Pranab Mukherjee, demanding a detailed inquiry into the CD controversy. He has urged Mukherjee to direct the Central Election Commission to disqualify the JD(S) as a political party. He has also sought directions to the chairman of the Legislative Council to suspend the membership of recently elected JD(S) members Sharavana and D Mallikarjuna.

Kumaraswamy spent the money collected from aspiring MLCs on a lavish party outing in Sri Lanka, Sathyananda alleged.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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