bangalore news times

Koppal: Karnataka Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy on Monday, August 31, sought to clarify his controversial remarks on Islam while visiting the Anjaneya temple in Yelburga and the Maddaneshwara Mutt in Bodur village in Koppal district. Rayareddy offered special prayers at the Anjaneya temple before visiting the mutt and seeking the blessings of the seer. His temple visit came amid criticism over his recent statement that Islam was superior to other religions. Responding to questions from the media, Rayareddy challenged critics to discuss Hinduism with him. “Let those who follow Hinduism debate with me. Let them tell me who founded Hinduism,” he said. The minister insisted that his remarks had been misunderstood and that he had not described Hinduism as a bad religion. ‘Never said any religion is bad’ “I have not said that any religion is bad. I have studied the essence of all religions, and I have respect for all religions...

Dharwad : Tension prevailed at the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha in Dharwad on Sunday, August 30, after some Hindu activists attempted to confront actor Prakash Raj, who had arrived to participate in the ‘Manushyatvadedege Samudaya’ programme. The activists alleged that Prakash Raj would speak against Hindu interests at the event and attempted to surround him. A poster of the actor was also reportedly smeared with ink during the protest. Police personnel deployed at the venue stopped a group of youths who tried to enter the auditorium. An argument subsequently broke out between the protesters and police . The protesters were later detained and taken away in a police vehicle as a precautionary measure. The programme, organised under the theme ‘Manushyatvadedege Samudaya’, focused on social and national issues and brought together participants for discussions. Speaking after the programme, Prakash Raj said the event had provided an opportunity to discuss important is...

Chikkaballapur : Doctors were left stunned after several potentially dangerous objects, including a lighter, battery cells and lock keys, were found inside the stomach of a 28-year-old man during an autopsy in Gudibande town of Chikkaballapur district on Sunday, August 30 . The deceased, Mahesh, was a resident of Nallakadirenahalli village in Chikkaballapur taluk and had reportedly been staying at his sister’s house in Bapujinagar, Gudibande, for the past few days. According to preliminary information, Mahesh was found dead at the house on Saturday when no one else was present. He was initially suspected to have died by suicide after allegedly hanging himself. However, the discovery of his body on the floor raised questions over the circumstances surrounding his death . Following the suspicious circumstances, police sent the body to the Gudibande government hospital for a postmortem examination. During the autopsy, doctors reportedly discovered several foreign objec...

Bengaluru: The 1st ACJM court has remanded IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar to judicial custody in the KPSC veterinary officer recruitment examination irregularities case. Gangwar, who was serving as the Controller of Examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission during the recruitment process, appeared before the CID for questioning at 11 am on Saturday, August 29. He was questioned for several hours before being taken into custody late at night. CID officials subsequently produced him before the judge at the judge’s residence in Koramangala. After hearing the case, the court ordered judicial custody and directed that Gangwar be produced before the court again the next day. The investigation concerns allegations of serious irregularities in the recruitment of veterinary officers. Four FIRs were registered at the Vidhana Soudha police station against the KPSC chairman and members following complaints of malpractice. As part of the investigation, complainan...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister of Higher Education Basavaraj Rayareddy has described Islam as one of the world’s greatest religions and expressed a desire to undertake the Haj pilgrimage at least once in his lifetime. Speaking at a mass marriage programme organised by the Muslim community in Kuknoor on Sunday, August 30, Rayareddy said he does not frequently visit monasteries and temples but would like to make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once. “I have a desire to undertake Haj at least once. I do not frequently visit temples and monasteries, but I would like to go on Haj,” he said. Islam rooted in humanity, compassion Rayareddy said Islam was a religion rooted in humanity and compassion, but misconceptions about the faith were being spread in society. He said the religion teaches people how to live responsibly and peacefully in society. According to Rayareddy, the teachings of the Quran should not be viewed as being restricted only to Muslims. He said peo...

Bengaluru : The alleged KPSC veterinary officer recruitment scam has taken a new turn with the CID taking IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar into custody on Saturday August 29 after two days of intensive questioning. Kumar, who served as the Controller of Examinations at the Karnataka Public Service Commission , is being questioned over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, including suspected question paper leakage and manipulation of marks. The CID Special Investigation Team questioned Kumar for nearly 11 hours on August 28 before resuming the interrogation at noon on August 29. Investigators reportedly took him into custody after finding inconsistencies in his statements and alleging that he was not fully cooperating with the probe. The investigating agency is expected to produce Kumar before a court after a medical examination and seek his custody for further questioning. Investigators are reportedly looking into the possible involvement of other officials and...

Bengaluru: The resignation of B Nagendra from Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s Cabinet has triggered intense lobbying within the Congress for the vacant ministerial berth, with the party leadership facing a tricky balancing act involving caste, gender and regional representation. Nagendra stepped down from the Cabinet just 25 days after taking oath amid the controversy surrounding the alleged Valmiki Corporation scam. His resignation has now opened a fresh opportunity for several Congress aspirants, with multiple names being discussed for the vacant position. One of the key demands within the party is that the vacant berth should continue to be represented by a leader from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, as Nagendra belonged to it. Senior leaders from the community are reportedly pressing the leadership to maintain its representation in the Cabinet. No woman minister, Badagi MLA name being discussed At the same time, the Shivakumar-led Cabinet has com...