Karnataka Sangha Qatar honours N A Haris in community reception at Doha

Bengaluru, Mar 16: The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, which has highest number of legislators in Karnataka, has sought to strengthen its hold on state politics. 

Senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who is also president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, on Wednesday met Congress national president Mallikarjuna Kharge and requested him to give 65 tickets to Veerashaiva-Lingayat community leaders in the coming assembly elections.

Shamanur along with other community leaders met Kharge here and said that in the previous assembly elections, Congress gave 42 tickets to Veerashaiva- Lingayat community leaders and in which 18 candidates won. This time the number of seats should be increased, he said in his plea to Kharge.

“Veerashaiva-Lingayat community voters spread across the state and their support was crucial for any party to come to power. If the Congress gave more seats to the community leaders, it would be easy for the party to come to power,” he told reporters.  

Senior leader from the community and former minister S R Patil also met Kharge separately. However Patil said he conveyed the party leader that he is ready to contest in the assembly polls if the party gave him the ticket.

On Monday senior leader M B Patil also met Kharge and demanded 65 seats for Veerashaiva-Lingayat community leaders.

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.

Udupi, Mar 15: Sambratha Shetty, a resident of Udupi’s Kemmannu, has been chosen to participate in the ‘Leaders Lead on-Demand’ program organized by the US Federal government.

Sambratha Shetty, wife of Dr Roshan Shetty, is the daughter of businessman Sampathkumar Shetty and Mamatha Shetty. 

Currently she is the chief operating officer of Pinaji Foundation. She holds a patent for a nasal spray that she has developed. 

Apart from Sambratha, four other individuals from India would be participating in the program. 

The other selected candidates include Pranay Kotasthane from Bengaluru, two individuals from New Delhi, and one from Kolkata.