1. ‘Amulya Has Naxal Connections,’ Says Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa
A day after student activist Amulya Leona was arrested on charges of sedition for shouting slogans in favour of Pakistan, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said “she has links with naxals”. Calling the incident an “organised conspiracy”, he said organisations supporting her should be investigated.
Talking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday, 21 February, Yediyurappa said: “Firstly, Amulya’s father himself asked for his daughter’s legs to be chopped off, that she should not get bail and he will not go to protect her etc. Secondly, most importantly, we have to take action against the organisations behind her. Unless we take strict action against those organisations creating and supporting people like this girl, this won't end,” he said.
(Source: The Quint)
2. Protester Detained for Holding up ‘Kashmir Liberation’ Poster at Bengaluru’s Town Hall
A day after a Bengaluru college student Amulya Leona was detained for saying “Pakistan Zindabad” as part of her speech at an anti-CAA anti-NRC protest, another student, Aardra, has been detained by the city police for holding a placard that said “Muslim, Kashmiri, Bahujan, Adivasi, Trans liberation now” during a protest held by Shri Rama Sene in Bengaluru’s Town Hall.
On Friday, Sri Rama Sene, Hindu Jagarana Vedike and Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti, members of which are accused of killing Gauri Lankesh, held a protest in Town Hall to denounce Amulya’s sloganeering during an AIMIM organised protest meeting on Thursday. During the protest, a student named Aardra held a poster that read, “Muslim, Kashmiri, Bahujan, Adivasi, Trans liberation now”, in both Kannada and English.
(Source: The News Minute)
3. 29 Pedestrians Killed Near Metro Stations in 2 Years, Reveals Study
In an indication of poor facilities for walkers, 29 pedestrians were killed in and around Metro stations during 2017 and 2018, shows a study by The Footpath Initiative.
The study is based on statistics available with traffic police. According to TFI — an urban project aimed at improving walkers’ safety in Bengaluru — these fatalities were recorded within 150 metres of the stations.
The maximum pedestrian deaths (6) were reported from Majestic Interchange station, where the two currently functional corridors intersect. It could be due to heavy pedestrian movement in an area that is a transport hub with railway and bus stations, the study said. It’s one of the busiest Metro stations on the entire network.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. Don't Violate Discipline: BJP Top Brass Warns Disgruntled MLAs
The central leadership of BJP has given a terse message to a group of MLAs who held a meeting in Hubballi recently to express their unhappiness against Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and told them in categorical terms that the leadership will not tolerate any indiscipline.
The party top brass has conveyed to the legislators that they should discuss their problems with the chief minister and resolve it at that level.
Taking a serious note of some of the MLAs meeting at Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar's house triggering the media speculation over dissident activities, a party leader at centre said that the party is ready to address their issues but they should have patience.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
5. 76 Muslim, 25 Hindu Couples Marry at Belagavi Madrassa
Sending a strong message of communal amity, a madrassa in Belagavi district hosted a mass marriage on its premises on Friday in which 76 Muslim and 25 Hindu couples were married.
Madarsa Al Arabia Anwarul Ulooma, an Islamic religious institute in Bailhongal, 50km from Belagavi district headquarters and 480km from Bengaluru, played host to the event that was organised by Jamia Faizan-ul-Quran and Issa Foundation, which has conducted mass marriages on a bigger scale in Gujarat.
The mass marriage comes a month after the 100-year-old Cheravally Jamaat Masjid in Kerala’s Kayamkulam in Alappuzha hosted a Hindu wedding, complete with a vegetarian feast for 4,000 people. A Hindu priest led the rituals, and the couple sought the blessings of chief imam Riyasudeen Faizy of the mosque.
(Source: The Times of India)
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