BJP ticket aspirants turn rebels?
Vijayapura: The rebellion within the BJP in the district is now spreading from one constituency to another where the party leaders have begun expressing anguish openly with regard to selection of candidates for the Assembly elections.
On Tuesday, at least a dozen BJP leaders of Indi taluk held a press conference to refute the claims that the BJP has decided to give ticket to the former MLA Ravikant Patil from Indi taluk, who had contested on KJP in the last Assembly election.
Mr. Patil lost to Yeshwantraigouda Patil of the Congress by a huge margin of over 30,000 votes.
“Mr. Patil has been spreading canards among the voters of the BJP in Indi that he has already been given ticket; the fact is the party has not finalised any candidate,” said Ravikant Bagali, a ticket aspirant. Demanding that the BJP not to give ticket to outsiders such as Mr. Patil, Mr. Bagali declared that if the party gives ticket to Mr. Patil, then one of the 12 party leaders would contest as rebel candidate.
The BJP State unit is already facing discontent in Muddebihal taluk where it has decided to give ticket to party-hopper A.S. Patil Nadahalli who earlier quit the Congress and then the Janata Dal (S) to join the BJP.
The party leader of Muddebihal had opposed his entry. However, going against their wish, the party has apparently decided to field Mr. Nadahalli from Muddebihal.
Rebellion intensifies in Vijyapura
Likewise, rebellion is also getting intense in Vijayapura city where several party leaders have already expressed anguish against the re-induction of MLC Basanagouda Patil Yatnal.
Mr. Yatnal, who was earlier sacked twice from the BJP for his anti-party activities, is now desperate to re-join the party which is being sternly opposed by BJP leaders, including MP Ramesh Jigajinagi, Arun Shahapur and the former MLA Appu Pattanshetty. The party now appears to have a bigger challenge in dousing the fire of rebellion before finalising its candidates.
Over 300 BJP workers and office-bearers of Devarahipparagi constituency, led by district general secretary Ravigouda Patil, have resigned to join the Janata Dal (S). They were angry as the BJP inducted party Devarahipparagi MLA and party-hopper A.S. Patil Nadahalli.
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Kerala HC denies bail to police officer accused of 'raping' minor Dalit girl
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court has denied bail to a police officer accused of raping a 14-year-old school girl belonging to Dalit community two years ago on Children's Day in a house in Thrissur district of the state.
Justice K Babu denied the relief to the officer, who was a Student Police Cadet (SPC) instructor in the victim's school, saying that he had committed a "heinous offence" and was "not entitled to be released on bail".
"While the court cannot ignore the fundamental right of the accused under Article 21 of the Constitution, it cannot shut its eyes totally to the atrocious nature of the offence committed.
"The material placed by the prosecution would reveal that the appellant (police officer) is alleged to have committed heinous offences. The prosecution has established a prima facie case," the High Court said.
The order came on the officer's plea challenging a session court's decision rejecting his bail application.
According to the prosecution, the victim is a member of Scheduled Caste and the accused seduced her by maintaining a relationship with her over the phone.
On November 14, 2022, he took her to a house near Kodungallur in Thrissur district by offering a birthday treat and raped her, the prosecution told the High Court.
He was arrested on September 26, 2024 and has been in judicial custody since then.
The officer has been booked for various offences, including rape, under the IPC, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
