Asst Commissioner to hoist national flag at Chamarajpet Idgah Maidan on Aug 15
Bengaluru, Aug 11: The Karnataka government on Thursday said a Revenue Department official of the rank of Assistant Commissioner will be hoisting the tricolour at Chamarajpet 'Idgah Maidan' here on August 15.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city civic body, had recently dismissed the petition filed by the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf for a 'khata' (document which identifies the ownership of a property) in its favour for the communally-sensitive Idgah Maidan, and had declared Karnataka Revenue Department to be the default owner of the land.
"Several persons and groups had come out wanting to hoist the national flag on August 15. All these days it was Corporation (BBMP) property.. now it is no more a Corporation property and has come to the Revenue Department and after consulting the Legal department, officers and intelligence chief Dayananda, it has been decided that a Revenue Department official will hoist the flag," Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, Assistant Commissioner- Bengaluru North will hoist the flag and as per protocol an MP and local MLA among others are allowed to participate in the event, along with people.
"Deputy Commissioner of Police who has jurisdiction over the area has been asked to make all bandobast, and for no reasons other than slogans like Bharat Mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram and hailing freedom fighters- no other slogans like religious will be allowed, and police commissioner will issue an order imposing restriction," he added.
Following the BBMP order, several Hindu organisations had announced that they will celebrate Independence Day on August 15 on the ground.
Also, Local Congress MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan too had announced that they will go ahead and hoist the tricolour on the ground.
Appealing to everyone to abide by law, the Minister said anyone involved in any violation or mischief will be dealt strictly in accordance with law.
He said if any one has any claims over the title of the land, they can make an appeal to the Revenue department, and it will be decided accordingly as per rules. "One can even approach the court."
The decades-old dispute over Idgah Maidan had once again come to fore earlier this year, when some Hindu outfits sought BBMP's permission to hold events at the place.
This resulted in two contrary sets of documents emerging, as the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf presented a 1965 gazette notifying the land as Wakf property, while the 1974 City Survey records and all other civic records thereafter showed the land to be a playground.
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Nashik TCS case: Accused Nida Khan held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Nashik (PTI): Weeks after she went into hiding, a female employee of the TCS unit in Nashik, accused in a case related to alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment of some women colleagues, has been arrested, police said.
Nida Khan was held on Thursday in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik said.
Khan is an accused in the Deolali Camp police station crime register number 156/26 here, he said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police is probing nine cases of molestation and harassment at the IT major’s Nashik unit.
It had arrested eight persons, including a female operations manager, by registering nine FIRs after allegations of exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit came to light.
The SIT had launched a search for Khan in different parts of Maharashtra. She is accused of targeting employees in a WhatsApp group, pressuring them to pray and eat non-vegetarian food.
According to the FIR, Khan allegedly advised women employees to dress and behave in accordance with Islamic traditions.
Some complainants have also alleged that they were coerced or pressured into adopting religious practices, including praying, changing dietary habits, and adopting religious symbols.
Besides Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions for sexual harassment and defamation, Khan has also been booked under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as the complainant belongs to a Scheduled Caste.
On April 18, she had moved the Nashik court seeking anticipatory bail and interim protection from arrest pending the plea hearing, citing her pregnancy. Her anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a court here on May 2.
TCS has clarified that it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office have been suspended.
