New Printing complex of Vartha Bharati inaugurated
Mangaluru, May 13: The new printing complex of Vartha Bharati daily was inaugurated on Sunday, May 13 at Baikampady industrial area in the presence of prominent political leaders, social dignitaries and well wishers.
Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes inaugurated the printing complex by pressing the button of new printing machine.
Speaking on this occasion he said that, media needs to adopt changes as per technology. This is also a challenge. During the time when news is available in so many medias including social media, question remains, through which news, dailies can reach the readers. It is commendable that Vartha Bharati has come up as a winner after facing all the challenges and overcoming from all the obstacles. This is not a small achievement.
Abdussalam Puthige, chief editor of Vartha Bharati who had presided over the program said "Vartha Bharati is impartial and secular. We are not loyal to any party or politician. We have been the main criticizers of congress party. Politicians will get disheartened if they expect loyalty from us. This is the policy of our institution. We are well aware that if we pledge our loyalty to one party or politician we will lose our existence. Our's is not a institute of boasting. We will remain opposition to ruling party forever. We will be the voice of voiceless and representatives of non representatives of the society."
Great responsibility on Vartha Bharati
Media has now joined hands with entrepreneurs. Hence, the freedom of speech is missing in media. But Vartha Bharati is free from this accusation. After the birth of social media the freedom of speech has taken a leap. Sometimes it has also posed threat to the democracy. At this crucial period the onus of protecting freedom of speech is on media like Vartha Bharati.
L.K Atheeq, Chief secretary to Chief Minister
Vartha Bharati is the voice of oppressed: Mattu
When profession becomes business it causes disasters. The same has happened with media today. In the time when the achievements of politicians belonging to minority, dalit and backward community are judged on the basis of their religion and caste, one should not indulge in the practice of judging the editors and directors of Vartha Bharati through their religion or caste. Vartha Bharati has never been limited to one religion, caste or community. Its editorial is a proof for this. It has never behaved like a propagator of community, religion or caste. When politicians and capitalists are occupying the media, readers are the life of Vartha Bharati. I wish readers be the owners of the paper.
Dinesh Amin Mattu, Media advisor of Chief Minister
Vartha Bharati should not turn away from media service. It should set a target of at least five years and realise its dreams. That includes bringing out Hubballi edition, a TV channel and a Urdu daily.
Sayyed Muhammad Beary, President, Beary's group, Bengaluru
Minister U.T Khader, MLA Abhayachandra Jain, director of Samvahana campaigns pvt. ltd. Naasir Sayyed, director of Madhyama communications H.M Afroz Assadi, president of state minority development corporation M.A Gafoor, Blossom Fernandez were present as chief guests.
Deputy mayor Muhammad Kunjathbail, corporator Abdurauf, vice president of district youth congress Lukman Bantwal, businessmen Arshad Mohtisham, Mansoor Ahmed Azad, Haaji S.M Rasheed, P.M.A Razaak. P.B Abdul Razak, Sayyed Moideen, Razak of A.K group, Naazim, Saajid, William D'Souza, Bharat, Puneeth banker, Sambhashiva Rao, Venkat Ghani, Bharat Musthafa, Haris, B.A Nazeer, DYFI state president Muneer Katipalla, former president of Beary Academy B.A Muhammad Haneef, Uniwef Karnataka president Rafiuddin Kudroli and others were present.
Hafiz Thauheed Urrahman from Iqra Arabic school recited the Kiraath. Media communication director Yasin Malpe welcommed the gathering. Mangaluru bureau chief of Vartha Bharati Pushparaj B.N proposed the vote of thanks. The program was compered by Rafiq Master.
The messages from CM Siddaramaiah and former minister B.A Mohiuddin and other dignitaries were read on this occasion. Vartha Bharati staff were felicitated with mementos.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Wayanad LS bypoll: Priyanka crosses lead achieved by Rahul in 2024 Lok Sabha polls
Wayanad (Kerala) (PTI): Top Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was on Saturday comfortably cruising towards her maiden electoral win from Wayanad in Kerala, as she surpassed the lead achieved by her brother Rahul Gandhi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls earlier this year with party leaders and ally IUML predicting a big win for her amid the counting trends.
The Congress-led UDF's candidate from this hill constituency, Priyanka, extended her lead by over 3.8 lakh votes after five hours of counting of the ballots in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, according to the Election Commission.
Reacting to the lead achieved by Priyanka, Congress' ally Indian Union Muslim League and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said she would get more votes than her brother Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha polls in April this year and will win by a record margin.
"An amazing first trend on counting day is the massive early lead for our leader @priyankagandhi ji in Wayanad, Kerala, by-election. People of Wayanad are surely going to record in victory margins today and Priyanka ji will make Parliamentary debut with a grand win," Reddy said in a post on 'X'.
IUML supremo Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said that going by the trends, Priyanka will get more votes than what Rahul got and the majority she achieves would also be higher than that of her brother.
A similar view was expressed by IUML's national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty.
On the other hand, BJP leader Anil K Antony, earlier in the day, had claimed that though Priyanka has achieved a good lead, her victory margin would be less than what Rahul got in the 2024 and 2019 LS polls in the hill constituency.
According to the latest EC figures, Priyanka had a lead of 3,82,975 with 5,78,526 votes. LDF's Sathyan Mokeri was behind her with 1,95,551 votes and NDA's Navya Haridas was in the third spot with 1,04,947 votes.
Rahul had got 6,47,445 votes and won by a margin of 3,64,422 votes against his nearest rival, CPI's Annie Raja, in the LS polls this year. In 2019, he had got 7,06,367 votes and had won by a margin of 4,31,770 votes.
After winning from Rae Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh as well, in this year's polls, Rahul vacated the Wayanad seat, and the party nominated his sister Priyanka, paving the way for her electoral debut.
The bypoll turnout in Wayanad, which has over 14 lakh registered voters, was around 65 per cent, a decline from the close to 74 per cent in the LS polls held in April this year and much lower than the over 80 per cent turnout in the hill constituency in the 2019 general elections.
The counting of votes commenced at 8 am with postal ballots being taken up first.
The strong rooms, where the EVMs were kept, were opened more than an hour before counting began.
The bypoll for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat was held on November 13.
Of the 16 candidates who contested, the main contenders are Priyanka, ruling CPI(M)-led LDF's Sathyan Mokeri, a political veteran, and BJP-headed NDA's Navya Haridas.
