Bid to block his car in Kerala conspiracy by vested interests, says Yediyurappa
Bengaluru, Dec 24: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday termed as a "conspiracy by vested interests" the attempt by pro-CP (M) activists to block his car in Kerala and said such an incident should not lower the dignity of the state, known as the "God's Own Country".
Yediyurappa, currently on a personal visit to temples and religious places in the neighbouring state, also said it was wrong to blame all Keralites for the incidents.
BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje termed it an act of "Communist goons" and lashed out at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for not providing adequate security to Yediyurappa, and turning the state into a "state of goons".
Yediyurappa was shown black flags by some activists of Student Federation of India and Democratic Youth Federation of India who also attempted to block his car in Kannur district on Tuesday.
Earlier, the pro-Congress Kerala Students Union (KSU) and Youth Congress workers also waved black flags at the convoy of Yediyurappa, who also encountered a similar protest on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram by the YC workers over the detention of Kerala-based journalists in Mangaluru last week.
Kerala Police said they removed the activists and around 20 had been taken into custody.
"The incident during visit to Kerala temple is a conspiracy by vested interests. I'm someone who has immense devotion for God from the beginning. This is my personal visit. Blaming all Keralites for the heinous act of a few is wrong. Let such an incident in the god's own country not lower the dignity of Kerala," Yediyurappa tweeted.
However, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje termed it an act of "communist goons" and lashed out at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for not providing adequate security to Yediyurappa, and turning it into a "state of goons".
"CM @BSYBJP's convoy was attacked by the Communist goons in Kannur today. Kerala CM @vijayanpinarayi has made it a state of goons, he failed again to provide adequate security to @CMofKarnataka. This shows TOLERANCE level of preachers of the tolerance," Karqandlaje tweeted along with a video of the incident.
The activists of the SFI and DYFI waved black flags, raised slogans and tried to stop the car of Yediyurappa at Pazhayangadi near Kannur, but were chased away by the police.
Police had on Monday taken into custody at least 20 activists of the Youth Congress, for allegedly attempting to show black flags to the Karnataka Chief Minister in Thiruvananthapuram protesting the "illegal" detention of Kerala journalists in Mangaluru.
The journalists, covering the death of two people in police firing during protests over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act on December 19, were later let off.
The issue had triggered protests by journalists in Kerala and Vijayan had taken up the matter with Yediyurappa, who then said police had questioned some people in the backdrop of the violence in Mangaluru and on coming to know they were reporters, escorted them till the Kerala border.
ಕೇರಳದ ದೇಗುಲಕ್ಕೆ ತೆರಳಿದಾಗ ನಡೆದ ಘಟನೆ ಪಟ್ಟಭದ್ರ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿಗಳ ಸಂಚು. ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ನಾನು ದೈವತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪಾರ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡವನು. ಇದು ನನ್ನ ವೈಯುಕ್ತಿಕ ಭೇಟಿ. ಕೆಲವರ ಕುಕೃತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕೇರಳಿಗರನ್ನೂ ದೂಷಿಸುವುದು ತಪ್ಪು. ದೇವರ ನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಾದ ಇಂತಹ ಘಟನೆ ಕೇರಳದ ಘನತೆಯನ್ನು ತಗ್ಗಿಸದಿರಲಿ.#kerala
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) December 24, 2019
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
