Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja released on station bail after inquiry in two cases
Belthangady: Legislator Harish Poonja, who had surrendered to the Belthangady Police on Wednesday night, was released on station bail a couple of hours later, after he submitted to police inquiry in connection to two cases against him.
Belthangady Police had registered a case against Poonja on May 19 for creating ruckus at the police station the previous night over the arrest of BJP Yuva Morcha president Shashiraj Shetty in an illegal quarrying case. A second case had been booked against the MLA on May 21 for having staged a protest without permission outside the Vikasa Soudha in Belthangady on May 20, opposing Shetty’s arrest.
The Belthangady Police officers visited Poonja’s residence in town on Wednesday for a questioning in the cases. As a safety measure, policemen were placed outside the house throughout the day.
A large number of BJP activists, including Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and BJP MLAs, who suspected the arrest of the MLA, also gathered outside Poonja’s house and raised slogans against the Karnataka government. Poonja’s advocate Shambhu Sharma asked the police to issue a notice for the legislator to attend the inquiry.
Belthangady Police sent two notices to Poonja on Wednesday evening, summoning him for inquiry in the cases, after which, the legislator visited the police station with BJP District President Satish Kumpala and other leaders of the party. Post-inquiry, Poonja was released on station bail, the police officers have said.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
