Coastal erosion threatens Dakshina Kannada’s shoreline: Union Ministry report

Udupi: The police have booked a case against the office-bearers of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) for holding 'Chalo Belagavi - Ambedkar Jatha’ without permission and thereby disrupting the movement of vehicles on national highway at Hejmadi.

The SDPI held a jatha on December 10 from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. According to the police, the group had unlawfully gathered near the National Highway toll gate in Hejmadi. Despite instructions from the PSI to disperse, they failed to act and disrupted the traffic on the national highway.

The police have booked case against SDPI state secretary Riyaz Kadumbu, leaders Haneef Muloor, Nooruddin Mallaru, Firoz Kanchinadka, Thoufeeq Uchila, Majeed Uchila, Ibrahim Kanchinadka and others under Sections 57, 189(2), 189(3), 281, 285 and 190 of the BNS.

About 75 to 100 people commenced a procession --without obtaining permission -- in cars and two-wheelers shouting slogans. They caused inconvenience to the vehicles moving on the national highway, police said. 

The jatha, which was launched in Udupi on December 10, is expected to cover Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Davanagere, Haveri, Koppal, Bagalkote, Hubballi, Dharwad and reach Belagavi on December 16.

The Israeli regime has announced the occupation of some 6,000 acres of Palestinian territories in the West Bank as part of the illegal entity’s land grab policy, marking the largest annexation by the Tel Aviv regime in decades.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich was cited by the regime’s Channel 14 on Friday as declaring the confiscation of 24,000 dunums (5930.5 acres) of the occupied West Bank and classifying them as what he claimed to be “state lands.”

Stressing that the decision covers nearly half of the land confiscated as “state lands” since the Oslo Accords in 1993, the broadcaster said the announcement is a dramatic step that is expected to affect regional planning and change the face of the region.

“At the right time, today we completed a complex process to announce 24,000 dunums of new state lands in the West Bank,” Smotrich said.

“This process creates a settlement sequence, builds land reserves for Israel to develop settlements, infrastructure and roads, and guarantees that we will continue to strengthen the settlements, and we are here to stay,” he added.

In a post on X, the Israeli finance minister also wrote, “More than 23,000 dunams of land for the benefit of the settlement in Yosh. We determine facts on the ground and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state!”

According to Channel 14, the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, east of occupied al-Quds, would be expanded by approximately 2,600 dunums (642 acres) to the south to create a settlement chain linked to the illegal settlement of Kedar.

Other illegal settlements such as Migdal Oz and Susya in the southern West Bank and Yafit in the Jordan Valley will also be expanded.

The Israeli channel also quoted Smotrich as claiming that the decision was a “historic achievement that contributes to strengthening settlement activity and expanding land designated for infrastructure and settlement projects.”

Last month, the far-right minister claimed that next year would see the application of “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds, with international law viewing both as “occupied territories” and considering all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion in July and declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and al-Quds.

The latest Israeli land garb comes as the regime has ramped up its aggression against Palestinians across the West Bank since October 7 last year, when it launched a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip. The occupation has since claimed more than 44,500 lives in the besieged enclave.

Bengaluru: An FIR has been registered against Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Mutt seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji for his communally provocative and anti-constitution remarks.

He made the statement during a protest meeting organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh here on Tuesday against notices issued by Karnataka's Waqf board.

Urging everyone to unite to protect farmers and their land, Swami said that a law should be brought in where Muslims community don't have the voting power.

Stating that it should be ensured there is no Waqf board, he said someone taking away someone else's land is not "Dharma".

"...everyone should fight against injustice being caused to farmers...it is said that the Waqf board can claim anyone's land. It is a big injustice...someone taking away someone else's land is not Dharma... So, everyone should fight to ensure that farmers' land remains with them," the seer had said.

However, on Wednesday, Swami expressed regret over his statement, calling it a "slip of tongue".

He said Muslims are also citizens of this country, and they too have voting rights like others.

Based on the complaint by a social worker, the FIR was registered against him on Wednesday at Upparpet police station here, police said.

"We have registered a case against him (Swami) under section 299 (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita," a senior police officer said.