Moodbidri: Alva's Virasat 2017 starts off on a grand note

Mangaluru: Attempting to take political advantage of lack of space in a Masjid, wherein a few people had to offer last Friday prayers on a narrow stretch of an interior road for a few minutes in Mangaluru, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has warned of holding mass recitation of Hanuman Chalisa, if instances of offering namaz on the road is reported from anywhere in Dakshina Kannada.

VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell said “instances of offering namaz on roads and public places have come to light in the district. It is a conspiracy to create unrest in the district.”

“The district administration should take action against those who offered namaz on the road. If such incidents recur, the VHP will hold recitation of Hanuman chalisa on the same spot,” he warned. 

In fact, the VHP members submitted a memorandum to Kadri police to take action against those who offered namaz on the road. The police should consider the incident seriously.

In a memorandum, they claimed in spite of having enough space at the masjid, by offering namaz on the road has caused inconvenience to the public.

It may be recalled that the video of a few offering namaz on the street in Kankanady had gone viral on social media, drawing criticism from various quarters.

Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal said that a case has been registered against unknown persons for offering prayers on the road at Mangaluru East Police station limits.

FIR has been registered under IPC Sections 341, 283, 143 and 149 and investigation is in progress.

The Commissioner said "video of unknown persons offering prayers on the public road in front of a masjid on May 24 was being circulated in social media. The video was verified and was found that it posed hindrance to the movement of public and vehicles."

Bengaluru: Mines and Geology Minister S S Mallikarjun on Monday did not rule out a Cabinet reshuffle after the election results. 

"You should ask the chief minister. But one can't say... it (reshuffle) might happen," Mallikarjun told reporters when asked about speculation that some ministers may be dropped. 

Mallikarjun said this a week after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there was no plan to reshuffle his Cabinet. 

There is speculation over a Cabinet rejig and that the Congress high command would hold ministers accountable if the party does badly in the Lok Sabha polls. 

Bengaluru: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Monday said the state government will settle Rs 80 lakh unpaid hotel bill of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stay, who arrived in Mysuru in April last year to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger, an event organised by the Union government's National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

He was speaking to reporters at his office about the non-payment of pending bills to Radisson Blu hotel. 

"The event to celebrate the 50 years of Project Tiger was organised by the NTCA at a time when Karnataka was under the model code of conduct in view of the Assembly elections. The state government did not take part in the event. The state, however, will foot the hotel bill," he said.

The celebration had cost a whopping Rs 6.33 crore but the NTCA had paid only Rs 3 crore. "The hotel wrote to the Forest Departments as the local officials helped NTCA in coordinating the programme. By paying the bill, we will put an end to the confusion," he said.