Alcohol distributed at BJP MP K Sudhakar's party thrown for poll win, crowd goes out of control
Bengaluru: A thanksgiving event for BJP-JDS workers, hosted by the newly elected Chikkaballapur BJP Lok Sabha member Dr. K Sudhakar in Nelamangala on Sunday, descended into chaos as attendees scrambled to collect free liquor being distributed at the venue. The event, allegedly sponsored by Nelamangala BJP president Jagadish Chowdhary, saw police struggling to manage the crowd and eventually had to stand by as the situation spiraled out of control.
According to eyewitnesses, the event featured non-vegetarian food, beer, and packets of hard liquor. Many participants were seen passing out at the venue. Organizers had expected a crowd of 10,000-15,000, but over 60,000 people turned up, making crowd control nearly impossible, said a police officer. “Even with the expected numbers, it would have still been difficult to control the crowd,” the officer added.
A letter has also surfaced in which BJP MP Sudhakar had previously written to the police department requesting security for the event, explicitly mentioning that alcohol would be served.
Bengaluru Rural SP CK Baba had earlier instructed the excise department not to grant a liquor license, but this directive was ignored.
"The Police department had placed restrictions and told the organisers not to serve alcohol at the event. They were also told that cases would be booked if they violated the conditions. However, they took permission from the Excise Department to serve alcohol," SP CK Baba said.
Excise Deputy Commissioner Nagesh Kumar stated that the organizers applied for permission and paid a fee of Rs 11,500, after which a one-day license was issued.
Assembly Opposition Leader R Ashoka, former MLA Nagaraju, and former MLC E Krishnappa from JDS also attended the event. Dr. Sudhakar distanced himself from the liquor distribution, claiming, “I am not aware of the distribution of liquor and I do not encourage such things. The participants might have bought liquor somewhere and had it at the venue.”
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao criticized the event on social media, stating, “Saying one thing, doing another, how to believe them (BJP)... BJP leaders are busy distributing liquor while the state is dengue-stricken. Where are the BJP leaders who questioned venturing into swimming when I visited Mangaluru? Is this (distribution of liquor) your culture?”
Sudhakar defeated Congress candidate MS Raksha Ramaiah by over 1.5 lakh votes.
Chikkaballapur, one of Karnataka's 28 Lok Sabha seats, was established in 1977 after the reorganization of Indian states. The constituency saw a 77% voter turnout in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26.
BJP newly elected MP from chikkaballapur Dr K Sudhakar holds open alcohol party to thanks voters.
— Shantanu (@shaandelhite) July 8, 2024
People were brought in trucks and alcohol bottles were distributed among them.
Sanskar of the BJP …. pic.twitter.com/UxUHThjgDk
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.
Maldivian military diver dead while searching for bodies of four Italian divers
Colombo (AP): A Maldivian military diver died Saturday while searching for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave.
The group of five Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres.
Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said that Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.
“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
Earlier, Shareef said the searchers had prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday. Mahudhee was part of the group that briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.
Rough weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.
The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home. His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.
The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti's body was recovered on Thursday.
Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said in a statement Friday. However, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately,” it said.
The statement also said the two other victims — student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri — were not involved in the scientific mission.
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor.
Experts say it's easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50 metres also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 metres considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment.
Shareef said Benedetti's body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.
Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel “Duke of York” were safe. Italy's embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid.
The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they will explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honourary consul are in contact with the victims' families to provide assistance.
