Karnataka polls: Most of sitting Cong MLAs may get ticket; first list to be out on Ugadi, says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Mar 11: Karnataka Congress working president and former MP R Dhruvanarayana passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 61. 

He had complained of chest pain and was brought to the DRMS Hospital in Mysuru at around 6:40 am by his driver. However, he did not survive, a doctor at the hospital told reporters.

“R Dhruvanarayana passed away. He suffered chest pain and his driver picked him up at 6:40 am. But he didn't survive,” Dr Manjunath said.

Further details are awaited. Several Congress leaders took to social media to express their condolences.

“Shocked and saddened beyond words. My heart breaks at the loss of a leader like R Dhruvanarayana ji, Former MP and KPCC Working President. May his soul find peace. My support and prayers are with his family, friends and all workers,” Srinivas BV, National President of the Indian Youth Congress, said.

“Saddened to hear about the demise of Shri R. Dhruvanarayana ji, Former MP and KPCC Working President. Heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and well wishers,” Krishna Allavaru, the Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, tweeted.

Bengaluru, Mar 15: Police have arrested the boyfriend of an air hostess who died after falling from the fourth floor of an apartment building in southeastern Bengaluru last week.

It was neither an accident nor a suicide, but a murder, police say.

Archana Dhiman (28) fell from the fourth-floor corridor of the apartment building in Mallappa Layout, Koramangala 8th Block, between 12.15 am and 12.45 am on March 11.

Her boyfriend Adesh, 26, a software engineer, claimed that Archana slipped and fell while pacing the corridor outside his flat. But the police found this unbelievable. Archana's father Dev Raj confirmed their suspicions by filing a murder complaint against Adesh on March 12.

Police grilled Adesh, and he eventually opened up about what had happened between him and Archana.

She had been insisting that he marry her but he had been trying to buy time. The two quarrelled over the issue on the night of March 10. Archana reiterated her stand, making Adesh blind with rage. He pushed her down the fourth floor.

Archana hailed from Himachal Pradesh and worked for a Dubai-based airline. She met Adesh through a dating app and the two dated for eight months. She occasionally visited Bengaluru and stayed with him. 

Belagavi, Mar 20: KPCC president DK Shivakumar said he appealed to Nirmalananda Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Mutt to take lead against BJP’s communal agenda of creating disturbance in the society, through imaginary characters Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, claiming that both have killed Tipu Sultan.

He said Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji along with seers from other communities and Kannada organisations in Karnataka should undertake a movement against "acts of tampering" with history and giving a wrong message to the society. 

Shivakumar alleged BJP leaders are trying to hurt sentiments of the people by tampering with the history in a false way and said it is condemnable.

"There was a history and gazetteer about the life and death of Tipu Sultan while BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi, Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje were attempting to present wrong imaginative history," he said.

Shivakumar said that Tipu Sultan was killed 200 years ago, but now BJP wants to give a new twist to the history by stating that Urigowda and Nanjegowda killed him. "We too have read the history of Tipu Sultan and no such persons existed. It's the imagination of BJP leaders and now they want to make a film on their story."

Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji should oppose such acts and stage a movement against them by taking seers of different communities and Kannada organisations with him.

"The acts of BJP leaders were to tamper with history and anti-Hindu. Wrong history was propagated by BJP's 'WhatsApp university'. The seer should not talk with the producer or director of the film or enter into any compromise. I have held talks with the seer over the phone and have been making an appeal through media,'' he stated.

Shivakumar said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai panicked after Congress commenced the announcement of its guarantees to the people if voted to power. 

"Bommai has been announcing schemes now which should have been implemented earlier. Now, elections could be announced anytime and he has been announcing programmes for women and youth after Congress announced them. Instead, they should have been made part of the BJPs election manifesto. BJP has been following the line of thinking of Congress," he said.

"Congress has been fixing the narrative for the Assembly election while the BJP's narrative was corruption. BJP has given the most corrupt government in the country and does not have any concern for youth and women," he added.

"Corruption in employment has led to youth being deprived of opportunities. There was the involvement of a minister and officials in corruption and MLAs acted as a conduit. BJP had been demanding evidence of corruption and Lokyukta has given it," he further said.