Saffron activists protest against release of Shah Rukh Khan’s 'Pathaan' in Karnataka

Mangaluru, Mar 13: It’s one more list that the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada tops in the State, but this time, it has brought in with it misery for the citizens here.

Both the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) and the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) concur that past couple of weeks had higher-than-normal temperatures in Dakshina Kannada and surrounding areas.

On Sunday, March 12, the highest average maximum temperature of 40.6 Deg C was recorded at Kadaba, Dakshina Kannada district, according to KSNMDC. 

Panambur in Mangaluru recorded the highest maximum temperature of 39.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, March 11.

The bulletin stated that heat wave conditions are likely in isolated pockets over Coastal Karnataka districts. Maximum temperature in the range of 39˚C to 40.60˚C recorded in some parts of DK and UK districts, it added.

Mangaluru, Mar 13: Senior BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa once again made a provocative remarks on using loudspeakers for Azaan which is likely to once again stoke a debate on it.

Eshwarappa, who was addressing a gathering during BJP’s Vijay Sankalp Yatra held in Mangaluru’s Kavoor on Sunday, paused his speech on hearing azaan from a nearby mosque for a second but was quick in taking objection to the sound.

"In temples, girls and women offer prayers and bhajans. We are religious, but we don't use loudspeakers. If you have to call for prayers using loudspeakers, it means Allah is deaf," he said.

He further said Azaan gives him a headache and added that the Supreme Court's judgment is due, and this issue will come to an end one day.

The use of loudspeakers for Azaan has been a hot topic with many people complaining of disturbance. The Supreme Court had in July 2005 banned the use of loudspeakers between 10 pm to 6 am, except in the cases of public emergencies, citing health impacts of noise pollution.

Later, in October 2005, the court said loudspeakers could be permitted to be used till midnight on festive occasions for 15 days a year.

In May 2020, lyricist Javed Akhtar had asked Azaan on loudspeakers should be stopped as it causes discomfort to others. He also had stated that for 50 years Azaan on loudspeakers was Haraam in India for almost 50 years. It became Halaal thereafter, he added.

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.