Congress leader U T Khader files nomination for Karnataka Assembly Speaker post
Bengaluru (PTI): Former minister and five-time MLA U T Khader on Tuesday filed his nomination as Congress candidate for the post of Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Khader, an MLA from Mangaluru Assembly segment, filed his nomination at the office of Assembly Secretary, in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan and other Congress leaders.
Election to the post of Speaker is scheduled for Wednesday.
As per the convention, the ruling party's nominee is, generally, unanimously elected as the Speaker.
If elected, Khader will be the first Muslim leader to serve in the post of Speaker of Karnataka Assembly.
Khader had served as Deputy Leader of Opposition in the previous Assembly and had also served as a minister in the past.
#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka Congress leader and 5-time MLA, UT Khader files nomination for the Speaker of Vidhana Soudha.
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023
The 5-time MLA is set to become the youngest Speaker of the State Assembly. pic.twitter.com/ZbAkLY9XPN
UT Khader filing his nomination as speaker. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/saSBldAUOu
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) May 23, 2023
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17 cuts in L2 Empuraan over Gujarat Riots references amid controversy
Thiruvananthapuram: The Malayalam film L2 Empuraan, starring Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, will undergo 17 cuts following controversy over its references to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The film's production team confirmed that a revised version would be released in theatres next week. The changes include the removal of riot-related violence, alteration of the antagonist's name from Baba Bajrangi, and muting of certain dialogues.
Producer Gokulam Gopalan stated that while the film had cleared censorship, the edits were being made to avoid hurting the sentiments of a section of the audience. Director Prithviraj Sukumaran has reportedly agreed to the modifications.
Despite becoming the first Malayalam film to cross ₹100 crore within two days of release, L2 Empuraan has drawn political criticism. While the BJP has not formally protested, its Kerala unit president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, expressed disappointment and said he would not watch the movie. "A film should be viewed as cinema, not history. Any attempt to distort facts is bound to fail," he remarked.
BJP leader and former Union minister V Muraleedharan echoed this sentiment, while Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's state general secretary K Ganesh called for an investigation into Prithviraj’s "foreign connections" and alleged "anti-national" themes in his films. The RSS, in its mouthpiece Organiser, criticised the film as a "divisive narrative disguised as cinema."
The Congress, however, defended the movie, accusing the BJP of intolerance. A senior Congress leader noted that the BJP welcomed films critical of Congress, such as The Accidental Prime Minister and Emergency, and questioned the party's selective outrage.
Kerala minister and CPM leader V Sivankutty said the 2002 riots were part of Indian history and could not be erased, stating, "Freedom of expression is fundamental to democracy, and any attempt to stifle it must be opposed."
