To provoke Hindus during LS polls, Karnataka BJP’s Twitter handle posts fake letter attributed to Cong leader

News Network
April 17, 2019

Bengaluru, Apr 17: In an apparent attempt to mislead and polarize Hindu community on the eve of Apr 18 Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka BJP’s official Twitter handle posted fake letter accusing State Home Minister M B Patil and former Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi of trying to “divide Hindu religion for political gain”.

Shocked over the fake later dating back to 2017, which was in his name, Mr Patil filed a police complaint against the miscreants. "This letter is FAKE. I will be initiating legal action for forgery against those who produced and published it. BJP's desperation is evident. They are wholly relying on fake letters because they have lost the support of people," he tweeted.

A picture of the letter was posted on the BJP’s Twitter page after a Kannada daily, run by a BJP leader, carried a full-page feature based on the letter, which is attributed to the BLDE Association (of which Mr. Patil is chairman) to mislead people. The letter had gone viral when Mr. Patil, who was then the Water Resources Minister, was leading the Lingayat religion movement.

After it surfaced again on Tuesday, Mr. Patil held a press conference in Vijayapura and said it was completely fabricated. He told presspersons that the same letter had been circulated on social media in 2017 in an attempt to defame him. “At the time, I did not take the letter seriously because I thought some mischievous elements might have done it. But now, I will not keep quiet as it has become a major source of spreading canards against me. I will file a complaint and get the cybercrime police investigate the matter and find the truth,” he said. “I am not a person who needs religion for my politics. I believe in Lingayatism and those beliefs made me fight for the separate religion [status]. I don’t need to stoop to this cheap level for political gains.”

The Home Minister also said he would not rest until the case had met its logical end. He then visited the Adarsha Nagar police station in Vijayapura and filed a complaint.

The alleged fake letter seeks the permission and blessings of Ms. Gandhi for “dividing Hindus” as Lingayats and Veerashaivas. The letter also states that Mr. Patil had held a meeting with his Cabinet colleagues and contacted Muslims and Christian organisations, seeking their support to win the general elections in 2019.

A copy of this letter was posted first by the web portal Post Card in the run-up to the 2018 Assembly elections. It was subsequently removed, with the portal saying its authenticity could not be verified.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
December 3,2025

arrival.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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