Mangaluru: MLA UT Khader has been appointed as a minister in the Congress-JDS coalition government. Among the ministers who sworn-in today, UT Khader is one who took the oath for the second consecutive term for the state cabinet.

U.T. Khader, who was interested in politics since studenthood, was trained by his father UT Fareed. Soon after completing BA (LLB), he started building rapo with the people of Mangaluru (Ullal) constituency and tried to address their problems. 

In his 30-year political carreer, he held various responsibilities in the party and state government. Khader served as an elected member of Mangalore University Senate, district secretary of NSUI DK, President, State Vice President and Ullal Block Congress President, KPCC Secretary, Party North Karnataka in-charge, and trainer of the All India Seva dal, and as the chief organiser of the State Seva Dal.

Khader, after the death of his father UT Fareed, won the 2007 assembly elections from Ullal (Mangalore) constituency in the first attempt and continued winning even in 2008 and 2013 elections with a considerable margin. He served as health minister for three years and as Food and Civil Supplies Minister for two years in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. He was awarded the 'Sadanvira' award for asking the most questions in the House. UT Khader, the only minister from the minority community to serve for a five-year term in Siddaramaiah's government, has won two national-level achievement awards in both the ministerships he served.

He has an honour of being alone Congress MLA in 13 constituencies of undivided DK district in the recently held assembly polls. Khader, who has accepted the ministership in the JDS-Congress coalition government, is likely to get the district-incharge minister post for Udupi or Kodagu district. Earlier, Khader has also worked as a minister in the Kolar and Chamarajanagar districts.

UTK, who is a passionate bike rider, actively participated in Scouts and Guides in student life. He has a happy family consisting of wife Lamees Khader and the only daughter Hawa Naseem. Daughter Hawa Naseem, who is a Hafiza, is currently studying Class 9 at an Educational Institute in Kerala.

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Chennai, Nov 16: Actress Kasthuri, who made a remark on the Telugu-speaking people of Tamil Nadu that stoked a controversy, was arrested in Hyderabad on Saturday, police said.

Though the actress, soon after the row, withdrew her remarks, complaints were filed against her with police.

A Chennai police team traced her to a film producer's house in Hyderabad and effected the arrest.

She will be brought to Chennai to be produced before a magistrate court here, police said.

Anticipating her arrest, the actress had moved the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, recently, but the court rejected her advance bail plea.

Broadly, her allegation covers an accusation that some Telugu speaking people, who had come to the state centuries ago to serve the then rulers, were now claiming to be Tamils, while Tamil Brahmins were not considered as Tamil.

It was a portion of her recent address at a protest venue here in support of Brahmins, who were often dubbed as outsiders by some Dravidian ideologues.