'Namo' food packs in minister's constituency trigger row
Noida/Lucknow (UP), Apr 11: Several security personnel on election duty in Noida were served meals in packets labelled "Namo Foods", triggering criticism from the opposition even after the local police said the packs only displayed the name of a food shop.
The Bahujan Samaj Party said it has complained to the Election Commission.
"NaMo" are widely-recognised Hindi initials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, previously seen on BJP merchandise and recently as the name of a TV channel.
The Noida sector 20 police station had ordered 750 food packets from Namo Food Corner , which its manager said had opened 13 months back.
Some of the packets were brought in the boot of a hatchback and distributed among police personnel in Noida's sector 15A around 9.30 am, while polling was on in the Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency under which the Delhi suburb falls.
Union minister Mahesh Sharma is the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate seeking re-election there.
The packets, coloured in a shade of saffron and with "Namo" emblazoned on the top in Hindi and foods' in English, soon generated a buzz among curious onlookers.
Namo Food Corner manager Sunil Anand said the outlet in sector 2 is part of Namo Food Pvt Ltd, which was registered in Pune in 2010. There are four other Namo Food Corner shops in Noida, he said.
When contacted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer L Venkateswarlu said he has already spoken with the district magistrate on the issue.
It is nothing related to the prime minister as the name of the company itself is Namo," he told PTI.
But the Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav blamed the BJP.
"Voters are turning out in large numbers to vote for #MahaParivartan which perhaps explains this desperate move. Clearly, the only thing the BJP knows how to do is branding and marketing," he said, quoting a re-tweet.
The SP's alliance partner Bahujan Samaj Party said it has contacted the EC.
"We have already taken it up both at the state level and with the Election Commission," its national general secretary S C Misra said.
Election rules ban paraphernalia related to parties or candidates within 200 metres of polling booths.
Misra also forwarded photographs of the food packets through social media to substantiate his claim.
A Noida police spokesperson said ordering food packet ahead of important days is a normal practice, done locally at the police station level.
Earlier, Gautam Budh Nagar's senior superintendent of police Vaibhav Krishna issued a statement, saying the packets had nothing to do with any political party.
Misinformation is being spread that some policemen have been distributed food from a political party, he said.
This is absolutely wrong. At the local level, some food packets were procured from Namo Food Shop and not from any political party," he said.
"Some people are spreading wrong and politically motivated rumours. There is no official order to procure food from any particular food outlet, he said.
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Karnataka Union of Working Journalists' (KUWJ) announces 2024 annual awards
VB scribes Yogesh Malur, Abdul Rahiman Talapady among awardees
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) has announced its annual awards for the year 2024, recognising journalists across various categories.
Vartha Bharati journalists Yogesh Mallur and Abdul Rahiman Talapady are among the awardees. Yogesh Mallur has been selected for the G. Narayanaswamy Award for Best Rural Reporting, while Abdul Rahiman Talapady has been honoured under the Tagadoor Kamalamma Veeregowda Award for reporting on farmers’ livelihoods and distress.
The awards will be presented at the 40th State Journalists’ Conference to be held in Bidar on April 11 and 12, KUWJ state president Shivanand Tagadur and general secretary G.C. Lokesh said in a release.
Details of the awards:
1. G. Narayanaswamy Award (Best Rural Report)
Yogesh Mallur, Vartha Bharati, Bengaluru
K.A. Ismail, Shakti, Kodagu
2. Patel Bhairahanumayya Award (Best Humanitarian Report)
Mallaiah Polampally, Kannada Prabha, Shahpur, Yadgir
Ravikumar Kaggannavara, Kannamma, Dharwad
3. Giridhar Award (Best Crime Report)
Basavaraja Kattimani, Kannada Prabha, Hunasagi, Yadgiri
P.K. Ravikumar, Vijayavani, Mysuru
4. B.S. Venkataram Award (Best Scoop Report)
Odesh Sakleshpur, Prajavani, Ramanagara
Mahesh Munnayyanvara Math, Prajavani, Mahalingapur, Bagalkot
5. K.A. Nettakalappa Award (Best Sports Report)
Narayanarao Deshpande, Samyukta Karnataka, Hubballi
Prasad Shettigar, Vijayavani, Bengaluru
6. Khadri Shamanna Award (Best Political Criticism)
Dayashankar Maili, Sudi Mula, Mysuru
Shankar Pagoji, Udayakala
7. Mangala M.C. Varghese Award (Weekly Newspaper Article)
M.G. Nayak, Sudha (Prajavani), Kumta, Uttara Kannada
Venkatesh S. Sampa, Editor, Sampada Saalu
8. Tagadoor Kamalamma Veeregowda Award (Farmers’ Life and Suffering)
Jayaramu, Samyukta Karnataka, Channarayapatna
Abdul Rahiman Talapady, Vartha Bharati, Mangaluru
Indira, Hospet Times, Hospet
9. R.L. Vasudevarao Award (Forest Report)
P. Paramesh, Sudi Mula, Manvi, Raichur
Koushalya D. Falanakar, Gumbaz Express, Vijayapura
10. R.L. Vasudevarao Award (Wildlife Report)
Nagaraj Navimane, Vijaya Karnataka, Mysuru
M. Narasimha Murthy, Kannada Prabha, Bengaluru South
11. B.G. Thimmappaiah Award (Economically Weaker Section Report)
12.
Rajesh Shetty Dota, Vijayavani, Mangaluru
Sharat Kumar S., Udayavani, Shivamogga
12. Mandibele Shamanna Memorial Award (Rural People’s Life Report)
Shankar Katte Malalawadi, Janamitra, Hunsur
Shivaraj Sunkada, Mudgal, Lingasugur, Raichur
Prashant Pade, Udayavani, Kundapura, Udupi
13. Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Memorial Award (Bengaluru Urban and Rural)
H.P. Praveen
Prashanth Rippanpet
V.S. Honnachar, Leaders Weekly
Zukriya, Times of Karnataka
14. Yajaman T. Narayanappa Memorial Award (Best Agricultural Report at District Level)
Venkatesh Gudeppanavara, Vijayavani, Mudhol, Bagalkot
Manjunath N., Bellary, Kavithal, Raichur
15. Nadigera Krishna Raya Award
Sathish Babu, Udayavani, Bengaluru
A. Akshara, Senior Journalist
16. Sunnuvanda Srinivas Changappa Award (Report on Soldiers)
A. Appaji Gowda, Mulbagal, Kolar
17. K.N. Subramanya Award (English Newspaper Report)
Apyan Yasmin, The Hindu
Vikar Ahmed, Frontline, Bengaluru
18. T.K. Malagonda Award (Investigative Report)
Sivananda Hiremath, Vijayavani, Gadag
Tiptur Krishna, Adityavani, Tiptur
19. Actor-Director Dwarakish Memorial Award (Film Category)
S. Jagadish Kumar, Cine Suddi
20. Abhimani Prakashan Award
Mahesh Hegde, Samyukta Karnataka, Sagar, Shivamogga
Ravindra Talagade, Vijaya Karnataka, Ballari
21. Best Page Designers
Sandesh, Pratinidhi, Mysuru
22. Best Desk Management
Vijayakumar, Vijayavani
23. Newsreel (Report with Photograph)
K.V. Balaram, Kikkeri, Mandya
M.R. Manjunath, Senior Photographer
24. Photography / Cameramen
Ganesh, Vijaya Karnataka
Babu Mia, Kalaburagi
25. Ganesh G. Award
M.P. Arun Kumar, City Highlights, Shivamogga
Mahantesh, Andolana, Mysuru
26. K. Prahladrao (Mandya) Award
K.S. Janardhanachari, E Sanje
Ramesh K., Kannada Prabha, Bangarapet, Kolar
K.V. Nagaraj, Prajavani, N.R. Pura, Chikkamagaluru
27. Garudanagiri Nagaraj Award
B. Shivarudrappa, Kannada Prabha, Holalkere, Chitradurga
Ramesh Kumar Naik, Vishwavani
Ramakrishna, Samyukta Karnataka, Mangaluru
28. Gurulingaswamy Holimath Award
Devaraja Kappasogi, Kannada Prabha, Chamarajanagar
Navyajyoti, Hosa Diganta
29. Prajapragati Award
Rabindra Talagade, Vijaya Karnataka, Ballari
Brahmananda Hadagali, Kannada Prabha, Belagavi
30. B.A. Nandikolumath Award
H.K. Nataraj, Udayavani, Davanagere
Ramachandraiah, Kunigal, Samajvani, Tumakur
Electronic Media (TV) Section:
Best Political Analysis
Prashanth Natu, Suvarna TV
Pramod, TV9
Best Anchor
Arun C. Badiger, Public TV
Kiran Kumar D.K.
Development / Social / Humanitarian Report
P.D. Veeranna, Chandana TV, Tumakuru
Thimme Gowda, News18, Bengaluru
Maruti Pavagada, Guarantee News
Raju B.R., News 1st, Koppal
Vithala Caravada, Republic Kannada, Davanagere
Mohanakrishna, Akashvani / Doordarshan, Hassan
KUWJ Special Awards:
Vijaya Biradar, Jamkhandi
Sridhara Uchila, Mumbai
Srikanth, Kasaragod
Sanjeevarao Kulkarni
