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New Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Will appear before SIT if summoned in phone-tapping case, says Telangana CM Revanth Reddy
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday stated he was willing to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the phone-tapping case, if summoned. 'So far, I have not received any notice from the SIT. If it summons me, I will definitely appear before it,' he told reporters during an informal interaction in New Delhi. Incidentally, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay told the SIT on Wednesday that he is available to record his statement in the case. In Delhi, Revanth said he did not know whether his number had been among those allegedly tapped during the previous BRS regime. He claimed that BRS leaders had gone so far as to tap the phones of their own family members. 'It would have been better if they had died by suicide than resort to such actions,' he remarked. The chief minister clarified that the present government had not registered any case in connection with the phone-tapping issue. 'A case was filed only in connection with the destruction of tapping devices,' he said. Revanth noted that BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar was the complainant in the matter. 'KTR says any government can tap phones if required. Then he should appear before the SIT and make that statement,' he said. While maintaining that phone-tapping is not unlawful, the chief minister said it must be done through a prescribed procedure. Regarding the upcoming local body elections, Revanth said the polls would go ahead even if there were complications related to reservations. He also rejected allegations that the Kancha Gachibowli lands had been mortgaged. 'Quota based on backwardness, not religion' Hyderabad: Pointing out that the Telangana government provides reservations based on social and educational backwardness, not religion, CM A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday rejected the BJP's demand to remove Muslims from the BC reservation category. He pointed out that several BJP-ruled states have been extending BC reservations to Muslim communities for decades. 'First remove Muslim reservations in those states, then make suggestions to Telangana,' he told reporters in New Delhi.


Hans India
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 24th July 2025
Dharmasthala episode must be exposed This refers to the editorial 'The Dharmasthala imbroglio shocks India'. It is good to know that the Karnataka government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive and impartial probe into a series of alleged crimes, including murders, sexual assaults and unnatural disappearances of women and girls spanning over two decades in and around the Dharmasthala region of Dakshina Kannada district. The whistleblower in this regard is a former sanitation worker employed by the Dharmasthala temple administration, who told the police he was forced to burn and bury the bodies of hundreds of women, including schoolgirls, between 1998 and 2014, by the side of the riverbed - Netravati. He claimed the victims were raped and murdered before being disposed of in secrecy. It is an unfortunate irony that parents and guardians of the missing are coming out now and demanding a probe into the mysterious disappearances of people. Reportedly, no complaint was entertained by the temple trust or police officials earlier. K V Raghuram, Wayanad A glimmer of hope for devadasis The proposed Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief & Rehabilitation) Bill marks a long overdue but progressive shift in eradicating a dehumanising tradition. Recognizing devadasi children as legitimate heirs with rights to property and facilitating paternity through DNA finally gets institutional apathy. However, enforcement must not echo past failures wherein conviction rates remain dismal. Legal reform must encompass rehabilitation, land rights and dignity. Without empathetic implementation, the law risks becoming another symbolic gesture in a lineage of forgotten promises. Karnataka must lead not just in legislation but in justice rooted in compassion. Dr Vijaykumar H K, Raichur-584170 Civic body should bring relief from monsoon traumas Incessant rains inundating the streets and roads in several low-lying areas in the city during monsoon due to lack of proper storm water drains has been a cause of concern as residents bearing the brunt for years together. It is unfortunate that urban sanitation remains completely inadequate. The government, it seems, is only interested in planning and executing work in select areas and is least bothered about the plight and anguish of people in other localities. Despite several representations highlighting the problems that winter brings along even basic problems remain unresolved. It is time the civic officials wake up and come up with permanent solutions instead of patch-up works here and there. K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad Centre must come clean on Dhankar's quitting Citizens of the country have the right to know the goings-on behind the unexpected and out of the blue resignation of Jagdeep Dhankar as the Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha. Quite apparently, there is more to it than meets the eye. Does it have to do anything with the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose official residence a large amount of unaccounted cash was recovered? The government must come clean on this issue, as it involves the sanctity of Indian democracy and its functioning. Dr George Jacob, Kochi
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Business Standard
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
SC refuses to hear plea challenging gag order in Dharamsthala case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to hear a petition challenging a sweeping gag order that restrained media houses from reporting on matters related to the brother of Dharamadhikari D Veerendra Heggade of Dharamsthala in Karnataka. The gag order pertained to reports on alleged murder of women in Dharmasthala in the state's Dakshina Kannada district. The plea, filed against an ex parte interim order of a local court, questioned the legality of the directive which directed as many as 390 media houses to remove nearly 9,000 links and stories related to the Dharamsthala burial case. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi asked the petitioner as to why the high court had not been approached. You go the high court first, the CJI said. The gag order was reportedly passed in a defamation suit filed by Harshendra Kumar, Secretary of Sri Manjunathaswamy Temple institutions, who highlighted the spread of allegedly false and defamatory content online, despite there being no specific allegations against him or the temple authorities in any FIR. Recently, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara asserted that a thorough investigation must precede any conclusions regarding the alleged murder of women in Dharmasthala. Prior to this, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations. The plea in the top court was filed by YouTube channel Third Eye against a Bengaluru court order restraining the publication of any defamatory content against Harshendra Kumar D, brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade, in relation to the Dharmasthala temple burial case.


New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Dharmasthala case: SC declines to hear plea against gag order on media coverage
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to hear a petition challenging a sweeping gag order that restrained media houses from reporting on matters related to the brother of Dharamadhikari D Veerendra Heggade of Dharmasthala in Karnataka. The gag order pertained to reports on the alleged murder of women in Dharmasthala in the state's Dakshina Kannada district. The plea, filed against an ex parte interim order of a local court, questioned the legality of the directive which directed as many as 390 media houses to remove nearly 9,000 links and stories related to the Dharmasthala burial case. A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi asked the petitioner as to why the high court had not been approached. "You go the high court first," the CJI said. The gag order was reportedly passed in a defamation suit filed by Harshendra Kumar, Secretary of Sri Manjunathaswamy Temple institutions, who highlighted the spread of allegedly false and defamatory content online, despite there being no specific allegations against him or the temple authorities in any FIR. Recently, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara asserted that a thorough investigation must precede any conclusions regarding the alleged murder of women in Dharmasthala. Prior to this, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations. The plea in the top court was filed by YouTube channel Third Eye against a Bengaluru court order restraining the publication of any defamatory content against Harshendra Kumar D, brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade, in relation to the Dharmasthala temple burial case.


Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
HM says investigation must precede any conclusion
Bengaluru: Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday asserted that a thorough investigation must precede any conclusions regarding the alleged murders of women and girls in Dharmasthala in the state's Dakshina Kannada district. A day after the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations, he said there was increasing public demand for a proper inquiry and that it was legally inappropriate to delay action. 'People residing in the Dharmasthala region, progressive organisations, and local communities have submitted complaints demanding an investigation. They've alleged that certain incidents have occurred. The investigation should first establish whether these incidents indeed took place. Dragging the matter unnecessarily is not legally sound,' the minister said. Responding to former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's claim that 'nothing wrong' had occurred in Dharmasthala, Parameshwara said if that were truly the case, it should be proven through the investigation and clearly communicated to the people of the region. The home minister clarified that no specific instructions had been issued to the SIT and denied any reports suggesting that SIT officers were hesitant to probe the matter. Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated that although the district police were ready to conduct the investigation, the chief minister ordered SIT probe due to public pressure. 'There was a lot of public pressure, and several oranisations were demanding an SIT probe for various reasons. The CM responded to those demands. I believe the facts will emerge clearly because the SIT comprises capable officers,' Rao told PTI Videos. He further emphasised that all claims must be evaluated based on evidence and investigation, adding, 'unnecessary speculation isn't helpful. If the allegations prove true and people are found guilty of shocking crimes, then the full extent of the law must be applied.' Rao expressed confidence that the truth would come out through the SIT probe. Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, while welcoming the government's decision to form the SIT, cautioned against misinformation being spread. At a press conference here on Monday, Ashoka said the SIT was formed in response to an allegation claiming that hundreds of bodies were buried in Dharmasthala. He demanded an impartial and fair investigation and stressed that no one should be falsely implicated. 'Dharmasthala, like Tirupati, is a sacred centre of faith for millions of Hindus in South India,' he said. Ashoka wondered how the claims of burying bodies surfaced after several decades. 'If any individual is guilty, they must be held accountable. But targeting an entire religious institution is wrong. The SIT should focus on the case at hand and ensure those responsible are punished,' he added. The BJP leader reiterated that the issue concerns individuals.