Datta Peeta: BJP files review plea
Chikkamagaluru: The Supreme Court has accepted a report submitted by Justice H N Nagamohan Das Committee on Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Dargah and Sri Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Samvardhana Samithi will submit a review petition in this regard, BJP district spokesperson Varasiddi Venugopal said.
He said, "Datta Peeta is the place where Guru Dattatreya Swami did penance. The Congress-led state government has supported one community in the Datta Peeta issue," he alleged.
The committee, led by Justice Nagamohan Das, has acted at the behest of the state government. The state government, through the committee, has submitted a report to the Supreme Court to help the Shakhadri, he charged.
VHP district secretary Yogish Raj Aras told DH: "A review petition will be filed in Supreme Court on the acceptance of the report. The issue will also be discussed in the VHP baithak."
Meanwhile, Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike General Secretary K L Ashok said the acceptance of the committee report by Supreme Court is the victory of the secular tradition of Karnataka.
Speaking to DH, he said, "Bababudangiri is a symbol of pluralistic society. The pluralistic nature should be conserved. The 15-year-old fight for the cause has seen a logical end."
CPI leader B Amjad said, "It is a victory to the tradition of communal harmony. Sri Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Dargah is a place of worship for both the Hindus and Muslims."
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21 Congress MLAs leave for foreign tour ahead of budget; leaders say trip is personal
Bengaluru (PTI): At least 21 Congress legislators in Karnataka left for a foreign tour ahead of the state budget on Wednesday, as a power tussle continues within the ruling party.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to present a record 17th budget on March 6, soon after the legislative session begins. The session will continue until March 27.
It is learnt that the MLAs travelling abroad are considered loyal to the CM.
According to Congress sources, 11 MLAs flew out on Tuesday, while 10 others are scheduled to leave for various foreign destinations with their families.
Sources said C Puttaranga Shetty, B Devendrappa, H D Thammaiah, Hampanagouda Badarli, B M Nagaraj, A Vasanth Kumar, D Thimmaiah and Sharanagouda Patil Bayyapur are among those travelling abroad.
The legislators are touring Australia and New Zealand. They will first fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then continue their journey to Australia and New Zealand, sources added.
The MLAs clarified that the trip is personal and has nothing to do with the party or the government.
"We are going on a private tour. It’s just my family and me," Thammaiah told reporters at the Kempegowda International Airport here.
The Chikkamagaluru MLA said the decision had been taken during the Belagavi legislative session.
"Those interested in the tour are travelling. We often go abroad, but this is the first time it has made news," Thammaiah said.
Badarli sought to clarify that all the MLAs were funding the tour themselves and that it had nothing to do with politics.
"We travel abroad two or three times. Earlier, we visited Muscat, European countries and the United States," he said.
Puttaranga Shetty said the MLAs would return on March 2 or 3.
Responding to suggestions that those travelling belonged to Siddaramaiah’s camp, Shetty said, "The CM is not aware of our trip. Why drag his name into this unnecessarily?"
MLAs considered close to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said there was nothing unusual about "common friends travelling abroad together."
"We too have travelled abroad. What is wrong with that? I was not invited. Our team is different from theirs, but it is not factionalism," MLA H C Balakrishna said.
MLA Ravi Ganiga said no one could remove the incumbent or change the government merely because of a foreign tour, adding that the Congress high command takes appropriate decisions at the right time.
