Puttur: Social activists have filed a complaint with Puttur Town Police against right-wing activist Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for delivering a hate speech during the Vivekananda Jayanti celebrations at the Vivekananda College here and against a YouTube channel that shared the speech.

Members of the Puttur Taluk Committee of the Karnataka Manava Bandhutva Vedike have accused Bhat, who is President of the Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka Sangha, of demeaning Muslims and Christians by citing historic events during the event on January 12. “Bhat also accused Christians of indulging in religious conversion and cited fake instances related to the issue to blame the community,” the complainants have said.

They have asked the police to take stringent measures against Bhat as well as ‘VIKASANA TV’, a YouTube channel that uploaded the speech.

“He (Bhat) gave the example of the historic figure Onake Obavva to incite hatred and violent mindset among the audience towards a community. The audience, which includes youngsters and students, and people who watched the video on the YouTube channel would easily develop hatred towards Christians and Muslims,” the Vedike members have alleged.

The complainants pointed out that Bhat had violated a court order not to deliver hate speeches.

Vedike Puttur Committee Chief Coordinator Ramachandra K, leader MB Vishwanath Rai, Maurice Mascarenhas, H Muhammad Ali, Canute Mascarenhas, Dr. Rajaram KB, Bolodi Chandrahasa Rai, Shashikiran Rai, Abdul Rehman Unique, Ullas Kotian and Prakash Gowda Tenkila were among those present on the occasion.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Mumbai (PTI): French President Emmanuel Macron, along with First Lady Brigitte Macron, left Mumbai for New Delhi on Wednesday after concluding his engagements here, including bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They were seen off at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.

On Tuesday, Macron held discussions with Modi as part of efforts to further strengthen India-France strategic ties.

During the Mumbai visit, the French president and his wife also met some of India's top filmmakers and actors, and had an animated exchange with them about cinema, culture and collaboration.

President Macron is on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19 at the invitation of PM Modi to participate in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India in the national capital Delhi, besides the bilateral summit in Mumbai.

PM Modi will inaugurate the summit on February 19. As many as 20 heads of states, including French President Macron, will be present at the inaugural session, Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said.