Israeli minister orders mass demolition of Palestinian homes in al-Quds during Ramadan

Shivamogga, Mar 20: Days after former minister and BJP leader K S Eshwarappa’s provocative remarks against Azaan, a man delivered the Azaan in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Shivamogga, the home district of Eshwarappa. 

A small group of Muslim men holding flags protested against the BJP MLA’s statements. They even tried to barge into the DC’s office.

A video of the protest Azaan went viral on social media.

Shivamogga police booked a case agianst the offender and warned him not to indulge in such activities in the future. However, he was sent home.

Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar said, "The person was called and warned not to do it. One preventive case is booked against that person. We are verifying the antecedents of those who participated in the protest: Based on the antecedents appropriate action is being initiated," he added.

Eswarappa had stirred controversy during last week Vijay Sankalp Yatra in Mangaluru. “This (Azaan) will come to an end. Will Allah listen only if the prayers are done through loudspeakers…this makes me question if He is deaf.” 

His statements received backlash from the Muslim community. However, the former minister defended his statements saying India is a Hindu Rashtra.

“In the entire world, India is the only country for Hindus. We are protecting the Hindu dharma. But if they (Muslims) continue this practice (of giving Azaan) through loudspeakers then we have to admit he (Allah) is deaf. So I think this issue should be addressed at the earliest,” he told reporters.

Kasaragod, Mar 21: A teenage girl student was found dead at her residence under suspicious circumstances at Illathingal, Bantukka Malamkund in Kasaragod district. 

The deceased is KV Sharanya (17), a plus two student of a government higher secondary school. She was the daughter of Babu and Sujata couple. 

The incident came to light when her mother Sujata returned home from work last evening. 

The girl was preparing for the Plus Two exams. It is learnt that she was studying when her mother left home for work. After returning home, the mother peaked into daughter’s bedroom to find out what the latter was doing. 

To her horror, she witnessed her daughter’s dead body. It is learnt that the body was in sitting position on the bed hanging from the rope attached to the wall in the bedroom. The door of the room was locked from outside.

The family members suspect foul play in Sharanya’s death, as there was no situation to commit suicide. The death occurred when no one was at home. Police have sealed the house as the death is suspicious.

The body was taken to Kannur Pariyaram Medical College for post-mortem. Jurisdictional Bedakam police have registered a case of unnatural death.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Managing Director and Chairman of LuLu Group International, M. A. Yusuff Ali for questioning in connection with its probe in the alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulations) Act in the Wadakkanchery LIFE Mission housing complex scam.

The LIFE Mission house plan is part of government housing schemes in Kerala to provide shelter to landless and homeless people in Kerala. It’s a joint venture with Kerala government and private firms from United Arab Emirates. The target is to build 4.3 lakh LIFE mission homes in five years. Under the LIFE mission project, housing complexes will be built with all modern amenities and provisions will be made for the beneficiaries, to pursue their livelihoods.

The UAE-based Yusuff Ali, who hails from Kerala, has been called for questioning on March 16 by the ED. According to ED sources, Ali was earlier called on March 1 but did not appear at the ED office.

Ali’s LuLu Group is known for establishing the LuLu Hypermarket chain worldwide and LuLu shopping malls.

On Saturday, the ED arrested M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary to Kerala chief minister, in connection with the Life Mission scam, and was later admitted at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kochi after he complained of uneasiness, sources said.

The Life Mission scam pertains to bribes that were allegedly taken from the builders of the government’s flagship housing project in Wadakkanchery town in Thrissur.

Houses were to be built for 140 families in the region at a cost of Rs 14.50 crore out of the Rs 20 crore granted by the Red Crescent via the UAE consulate.

The CBI had in 2020 filed an FIR in a Kochi court under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 35 of FCRA on a complaint by then Congress MLA Anil Akkara, listing Santosh Eappen, the Managing Director of Unitac Builder, as the first accused and Sane Ventures as second accused.

The two companies had undertaken the construction based on the agreement entered with them by Red Crescent, an international humanitarian movement, which had agreed to provide Rs 20 crore towards the Life Mission project.

The Congress has been alleging that there was corruption in the selection of the contractor by Red Crescent.

However, the Life Mission CEO had submitted before the court that Unitac and Sane Ventures had undertaken the construction based on the agreement entered into with them by Red Crescent and had directly accepted foreign contributions from Red Crescent, which is a foreign agency.

The CEO has also contended that the companies which signed an agreement with the Red Crescent do not come under the categories of persons prohibited from receiving any foreign contribution as per Section 3 of FCRA.