Creation of Vijayanagara district aimed at development: Health Minister Sriramulu
Bengaluru, Nov 26: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Thursday said the government's decision to create Vijayanagara as the state's 31st district, carving it out from the mine-rich Ballari, was administrative in nature aimed at development, as he appealed for withdrawing protests against it.
The Minister, who is a native of Ballari, had earlier opposed the plan for creating the new district.
"Ballari is a big district....there have been voices in favour and against (bifurcation). After our government came to power, we left it to the discretion of the Chief Minister.The CM and the cabinet recently gave in principle approval to it, when it again comes before the cabinet we will discuss in detail," Sriramulu said.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, he said, the Chief Minister has tried to convince BJP's Ballari City MLA G Somashekar Reddy and other legislators who have been opposing the decision and that he will also talk to them on the matter.
"We will abide by the Chief Minister's decision.... the decision is administrative not political, the Chief Minister and the government's decision is right. I appeal to those protesting to withdraw and let's all work together for the sake of development," he added.
Meanwhile, Ballari bandh called by a few local organisations on Thursday opposing the bifurcation of the district failed to evoke much response as normal life remained unaffected, official sources said.
Movement of public and private transport remained normal.
Also shops and establishments remained open, they said.
The Karnataka cabinet on November 18 had given in principle approval for the creation of Vijayanagara district, carving it out from Ballari.
Ballari, which is also politically significant, comprises nine assembly segments of which the Congress had won five and the BJP four in the 2018 polls.
The cabinet in its next meeting is likely to discuss in detail and decide about the formation of the new district.
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Rahul Gandhi meets Pahalgam terror attack victim Lt Vinay Narwal's kin in Karnal
Chandigarh, May 6 (PTI): Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met the family members of Navy officer Lt Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Accompanied by senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad, who is the party's Haryana affairs in-charge, the LoP reached Karnal in Haryana in the afternoon.
Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, Congress' Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and party leader Divyanshu Budhiraja were also present when Gandhi arrived.
After paying his tributes to the Naval officer upon reaching his residence, Gandhi spent more than one-and-a-half hours with Narwal's family.
Gandhi did not talk to the reporters who were waiting outside Lt Narwal's house. However, he later said on X, "I met the bereaved family of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal ji, who was martyred in the Pahalgam attack, shared their grief and consoled them. Their courage and bravery even in the face of immense grief is a message for the country - we have to remain united.
"The entire country stands with the families of the martyrs. The government has the full support of the opposition -- the culprits should be punished in such a way that no one dares to raise an eye toward India. Today, along with the victim families, the entire country is waiting for justice."
Speaking to reporters later, Hooda said Gandhi consoled the family. "Rahul Gandhi paid homage to martyr Narwal, talked separately to his family members and offered his condolences."
Haryana Congress chief Bhan told PTI that Gandhi consoled the family and shared their grief.
"He met with the family members, including his parents," said Bhan.
After meeting the family, Gandhi left for Delhi, he said.
Married three weeks ago, 26-year-old Lt Narwal, accompanied by his wife Himanshi, was on a honeymoon trip to Pahalgam when terrorists shot him at point blank on April 22.
A week ago, Gandhi had also visited the family members of Shubham Dwivedi, who was among the 26 people killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.
Stressing that strict and concrete action should be taken against the terrorists, Gandhi had then said the united opposition had given full support to the government.
Besides those killed, several people were injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.
पहलगाम हमले में शहीद हुए लेफ्टिनेंट विनय नरवाल जी के शोकाकुल परिवार से मिलकर उनका दुख बांटा, उन्हें सांत्वना दी। अपार दुख में भी उनका हौसला और साहस देश के लिए एक संदेश है - हमें एकजुट रहना है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 6, 2025
पूरा देश शहीदों के परिवारों के साथ खड़ा है। सरकार को विपक्ष का पूरा समर्थन है -…
