No decision taken on renaming Ramanagara district: CM Yediyurappa
Bengaluru, Jan 5: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday clarified that no decision has been taken regarding renaming the neighbouring Ramanagara district as Nava (New) Bengaluru, amid reports that his government was mulling over it.
The clarification from the Chief Minister came even as JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who represents the district in the assembly, threatening agitation if the government went ahead with the move.
"No such decision has been taken yet," Yediyurappa told reporters here in response to a question on renaming Ramanagara as Nava Bengaluru.
The plan to rename Ramanagara is aimed at using the brand Bengaluru to attract investment into the district located adjacent to the IT city, which has almost reached its saturation.
Ramanagra, about 58 km from here, was carved out of Bengaluru Rural district in 2007 by the then government headed by Kumaraswamy, comprising Ramanagara, Channapatna, Kanakapura and Magadi taluks.
Opposing any move to rename Ramanagara district, Kumaraswamy said it will be an insult to lord Rama, after whom the district was named, and warned of protest if government goes ahead.
"Ramanagara is surrounded by seven hills and at its centre is Ramadevara betta (hill named after lord Rama), and that's the reason the taluk and district were named as Ramanagara.
Despite this, if the name is changed it will be an insult to the philosophy propounded by the BJP itself. It will be an insult to Lord Rama's name," he tweeted.
In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy alleged that renaming the district was with a pretext to sell fertile irrigated land next to the capital city to capitalists, and also as Yediyurappa wants to settle political scores with him.
He said, if Yediyurappa wants to develop Ramanagara, he should release the funds allocated by his government for the district.
"If you want to develop it further, you will find support from me and my people.
But, don't set fire to the district's culture and identity by changing its name," he further tweeted.
The former Chief Minister also questioned why we don't rename all other districts as Bengaluru, if name alone can bring in development.
Ramanagara was earlier known as Closepet, it was renamed as Ramanagara after Ramadevara betta, surrounding which the Bollywood classic Sholay was filmed.
Another senior politician, D K Shivakumar of Congress, who hails from the district, had earlier suggested renaming Ramanagara as Bengaluru South district.
ಬಿಎಸ್ವೈ ಅವರೇ, ರಾಮನಗರದ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಮಾಡುವ ಇಚ್ಛೆ ನಿಮಗಿದ್ದರೆ, ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗೆ ನಾನು ನನ್ನ ಬಜೆಟ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಮೀಸಲಿಟ್ಟ ಹಣವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕವಾಗಿ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಸಾಕು. ಅದನ್ನೂ ಮೀರಿದ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಮಾಡುವ ಮನಸ್ಸಿದ್ದರೆ ನಿಮಗೆ ನನ್ನ, ನನ್ನ ಜನರ ಸಹಕಾರ ಸದಾ ಇರಲಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಹೆಸರು ಬದಲಿಸಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ, ಅಸ್ಮಿತೆಗೆ ಬೆಂಕಿ ಇಡಬೇಡಿ.
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) January 5, 2020
2/10
ಅಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಸರಲ್ಲಿ ಏನಿದೆ. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಎಂದ ಮಾತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೇ? ಹಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಬೇರೆ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಇದೇ ಹೆಸರಿಡಬಹುದಲ್ಲವೇ? ಅದು ನಿಮಗೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೇ? ರಾಮನಗರದ ಹೆಸರು ಬದಲಾಯಿಸಲು ಬರುವ ಬಿಎಸ್ವೈ ಅವರು ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಎಂದು ಹೆಸರಿಡಬಲ್ಲರೇ? ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ?#SaveRamanagara
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) January 5, 2020
5/10
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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.
