CM Bommai appeals for peace as he condoles death of Puneeth Rajkumar
Bengaluru, Oct 29: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday appealed for peace as he condoled the death of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar, and said the government will be making all the necessary arrangements for public to pay last respects to their "favourite star".
"My appeal to the people of Karnataka is when we lose such a great actor, it is natural that it will cause pain, but we should not become emotional and lose patience. We should maintain peace. By giving him (Puneeth) a peaceful send off, we will have to pay rightful respect to him," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters here, he requested cooperation from everyone in maintaining peace and to see to it that no untoward incidents take place.
".. We will be making all arrangements at the Kanteerava Stadium for the public to pay last respects for the entire day tomorrow. So people should pay their last respects peacefully. I request his fans with folded hands to maintain peace," he said, adding that Puneeth Rajkumar will be accorded government honour and the government will go by the family's decision on final rites and the place for it.
Puneeth Rajkumar passed away after a heart attack, earlier today. He was 46 and is survived by wife Ashwini Revanth and daughters Drithi and Vanditha.
The CM's request for peace comes in the backdrop of the violence that took place in the city, following the death of Puneeth's father and Kannada thespian Rajkumar in 2006.
Noting that Puneeth Rajkumar had complained of tiredness after his morning activities, Bommai said, "his family doctor was consulted who had referred him to Vikram Hospital as the heart condition was critical, and despite all attempts by the Doctors to revive him at the hospital we could not save him."
"In Puneeth Rajkumar Karnataka has lost a great actor who has made great achievements at a very young age. His whole family is in deep sorrow, the entire people of Karnataka are sad," he said.
Calling Puneeth Rajkumar, a "youth icon", the Chief Minister said, it's "ironic "that the actor had spoken to him over phone on Thursday and an appointment was fixed for meeting today, regarding inauguration of his website on November 1.
"I had asked him to come today (for the meeting).. but fate has taken him elsewhere. I could not meet him. It is really shocking. Great loss to the cultural world. The cinema world has not only lost a leading actor, but a person with leadership qualities. His personality and conduct was humble like his father Dr Rajkumar and was a role model for others," he said, as he recalled his long association with the Rajkumar family.
Recollecting the time he spent with Puneeth Rajkumar and family, recently, Bommai said he had seen 'Appu' (as Puneeth Rajkumar is popularly known) as a kid to what he has grown up to today.
"He had a great future, but fate has played its game, it is cruel. His death has caused irreparable loss and pain. The family is completely shattered."
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DJ Black Coffee's event in Goa cancelled after NOC revoked on Good Friday
Panaji (PTI): The Goa leg of Grammy-winning South African DJ Black Coffee's India tour was cancelled at the last minute on Friday evening after authorities revoked the event's No Objection Certificate (NOC), a move intended to honour the solemnity of Good Friday.
Officials on Saturday cited the need to respect local sentiments and the religious significance of the day as the primary reason for withdrawing the permission previously granted to host the "Sunset-to-Night" event.
The opposition Congress demanded a probe by the Economic Offences Cell of the state against the organisers.
The revocation of permission by the Communidade of Anjuna, in whose land the event was scheduled to be hosted, followed an objection by locals and the Congress, citing the solemn occasion of Good Friday and the upcoming Easter Sunday.
Local police officials confirmed that the organisers of "Sunset to Night" have cancelled the event, leaving many revellers disappointed.
Sebastian D'Souza, an attorney of Communidade of Anjuna, in a letter addressed to organisers, stated that the NOC granted to them on March 4, 2026, to host the musical event on April 3 in survey number 206/1 of Anjuna village has been unanimously revoked by the managing committee.
D'Souza stated that the date coincides with Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.
"This has been decided in the interest of residents of Anjuna, Vagator and Chapora," the letter reads.
The Comunidade of Anjuna is a traditional, collective land-holding institution in North Goa, part of the twelve comunidades of Bardez.
A huge crowd assembled outside the venue of the programme on Friday night as the word spread about the cancellation.
Several netizens posted reels on social media claiming they were informed about the cancellation at the last minute.
Earlier, the Congress had objected to hosting such an event on the sacred occasion of Good Friday, calling it "deeply insensitive and unacceptable."
"Your event, @Paradoxindia_, in Goa on the sacred occasion of Good Friday is deeply insensitive and unacceptable. @RealBlackCoffee , this is not just about music- it is about respecting faith. By going ahead with a techno show on a day of mourning for Christians, you have hurt religious sentiments not just in Goa, but across the world," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar had written on X.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Patkar said that the state Congress would file a complaint with the Economic Offences Cell (EOC) against the organisers for allegedly selling tickets online without obtaining necessary permissions from authorities such as the Goa Pollution Control Board and the Fire and Emergency Services.
The event organisers could not be contacted immediately for their comment on the Congress leader's claim.
While at least 3,000 people had arrived in Goa to attend the event, the access road to the venue was not wide enough for Fire and Emergency Services vehicles to reach, Patkar claimed.
