Udupi, Aug 17: Amid tensions over the display of V D Savarkar's portraits in neighbouring Shivamogga district in Karnataka, BJP leader Yashpal Suvarna on Wednesday garlanded a picture of the Hindutva ideologue put up at Brahmagiri circle in Udupi.

Police are maintaining a strict vigil in Udupi district in view of the tension prevailing in the neighbouring district.

Addressing party workers after garlanding the portrait, Suvarna, who is national general secretary of BJP's OBC Morcha, said the SDPI and PFI are organisations that create unrest in the country.

He claimed the government is trying to defeat their intentions, while the Congress is protecting these outfits.

Suvarna challenged the Congress leaders who demanded the removal of the banner depicting 'Hindu Rashtra' with portraits of Savarkar and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from the circle to do it themselves.

Meanwhile, BJP workers took out a march to the district Congress committee office which was stopped by police.

On Tuesday, a man suspected to be involved in the stabbing of a garment shop employee in Shivamogga suffered injuries when police opened fire on him after he allegedly attacked them, while a right-wing activist was assaulted in the city. The attack came after two groups had faced off on Monday over installing pictures of Savarkar and 18th century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan.

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Dubai (PTI): US President Donald Trump said he told his top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner not to travel to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran, stating on Fox News that "they can call us any time they want”.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country won't negotiate while the United States imposes a blockade on its ports. Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a phone call Saturday night that the US “should first remove operational obstacles, including the blockade,” to allow a new round of negotiations, according to the ISNA and Tasnim news agencies in Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said Araghchi is expected back in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Sunday.

Trump said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House. The meeting was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries this month. The initial 10-day ceasefire had been due to expire Monday.

The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil.

The move announced Friday is part of the administration's threat to impose secondary sanctions on entities doing business with Iran in an effort to cut off Iran's oil exports, which are a key source of its revenue.

Airlines worldwide have begun cancelling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up prices. Experts have offered information to travelers about what to do if a flight is cancelled. 

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country won't negotiate while the United States imposes a blockade on its ports, according to Iranian media.

Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a phone call Saturday night that the US “should first remove operational obstacles, including the blockade”, to allow a new round of negotiations, the ISNA and Tasnim news agencies reported.

The Pakistani premier described the call as a “warm and constructive discussion”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi concluded a one-day trip to Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Saturday after meeting with Pakistani military and government officials.

The trip did not produce a breakthrough in efforts to relaunch negotiations after US President Donald Trump canceled a planned trip by his envoys to Islamabad.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will return to Pakistan after his current visit to Oman on his way to visiting Russia.

The report said he was expected to be back in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Sunday and would join other members of his delegation who had gone to Tehran for consultations and “instructions on the topics related to the end of the war.”