Controversy in Bhatkal over construction of Tipu Gate, Temple’s Mahadwara; Several booked
Just over a month after a major controversy centered around the name of TMC to be displayed in Urdu language on the building took place in Bhatkal, the town once again faced a similar situation of a triple threat face-off between two communities and local administration.
The controversy erupted when an announcement was made regarding the inauguration of “Tipu Gate”, named after Mysore ruler and freedom fighter Tipu Sultan in the town. The foundation stone laying ceremony of the gate was scheduled on Friday, September 16.
Minutes before the ceremony, the local police arrived at the spot and intervened leading to a verbal altercation between people, and the top officials of local police and the Town Municipal Council.
Members of the group that had planned to install the Tipu Gate argued that another gate (Mahadwara) was being constructed by a Nischal Makki temple committee, a few hundred meters away from the spot of where the Tipu Gate was being installed, without authorization and permission from the local administration and the administration was not intervening into their affair.
The group urged the cops to stop the construction of gate by the temple committee adding that they would stop the installation of Tipu Gate if the administration would cap other illegal constructions in the vicinity, hinting at the temple gate.
Police team led by Bhatkal Town Inspector Diwakar and TMC Officials led by Chief Officer Suresh reached the temple site leading to further altercations between the temple committee and officials of administration.
Member of the temple committee Krishna Naik verbally took on officials and dared them to seal the construction site. He threatened that the law and order would be compromised in the region if the administration was to interfere in the construction of the Mahadwara.
While those wanting to set up Tipu Gate claimed that the construction site of the temple gate falls under 100 meters range of an archeological site, meaning construction of any establishment was illegal on the site, the temple committee added that they had sought permission from Bhatkal TMC for the construction but their application went unanswered despite several reminders.
After a tense few hours, the police dispersed the two groups from the two sites and sealed both spots. They also lodged an FIR based on a complaint filed by the TMC Chief Officer. From the Tipu Gate group the police have booked Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation (BMYF) President Azizur Rahman, advocate and activist Taimur Gawai and social worker Sami.
Krishna Naik, who is also the President of Namdhari Samaj, on the hand added that the Mahadwara’s construction was their religious right and that nobody could take it away from them.
The cops later filed the FIR against the contractor of the Mahadwara and have named the temple committee in the FIR without naming any individual.
BJP MLA from Bhatkal-Honnavar Constituency also came out all guns blazing at the local socio-political organization Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem adding that it had deliberately stalled the proceedings of the construction site at the temple and that it was actively involved in hampering the peace and harmony in town. He also added that Tanzeem was using councilors backed by them in the TMC to create controversy.
He also dared the administration to stop the construction work and assured the people of extending all support for the timely construction of Mahadwara.
Bhatkal TMC President Parvez Kashimji defended the council adding that it was purely a legal matter and the officials have reacted legally. He also clarified that the Tanzeem or any councillor had no involvement in the matter.
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Rishabh Pant's troubles continue as Punjab Kings push LSG towards exit door
Dharamsala, May 4 (PTI): Rishabh Pant lost the grip on his bat and the match simultaneously as Punjab Kings rode on heroics from the two 'Singhs' -- Prabhsimran and Arshdeep -- to literally push Lucknow Super Giants to the brink of elimination with a 37-run win in an IPL match here on Sunday.
It was Prabhsimran's 48-ball 91 that formed the cornerstone of Punjab Kings' unassailable 236 for 5 and any hopes of a remarkable chase was nipped in the bud by Arshdeep's (3/16 in 4 overs) now familiar Powerplay spell which summarily destroyed the opposition top-order.
This time, he got the three top run getters -- Mitchell Marsh (0), Aiden Markram (13) and the ever-dangerous Nicholas Pooran (6) -- to swing the match decisively in Punjab's favour. Ayush Badoni's (74 off 40 balls) effort was a good one albeit it came for a losing cause.
LSG were finally restricted to 199 for 7 in 20 overs and even if they win their last three games and get to 16 points from 14 games, their net run-rate can make things difficult for them.
Punjab Kings are now placed second with 15 points from 11 games and one more win could possibly clinch a place in top four for them.
But what is becoming an eyesore is LSG's Rs 27 crore worth skipper Pant's inexplicable approach which has fetched him a dismal 128 runs in 11 innings at a sub-100 strike-rate (99.22).
On the day, he scored 18 off 17 balls and that he is completely out of sync was evident in the manner he tried to throw the proverbial kitchen sink at an Azmatullah Omarzai delivery. There was no control in his shot as the bat took off on parabolic curve towards square leg and the ball went towards deep point.
Pant's misery was a testimony of LSG's wretched campaign that was lost at the auction table when the owner decided to go with a sub-standard bowling attack based on a half-fit talented pacer Mayank Yadav.
Mayank has already lost at least 10-15 yards of pace post rehabilitation under the watch of Nitin Patel at the National Cricket Academy.
On Sunday, he went for 60 runs off four overs with half a dozen of sixes struck off his bowling.
The pint-sized Prabhsimran packed a mean punch in his strokes as he blasted his way to a 48-ball 91 with the help of six fours and seven sixes.
The Punjab keeper-batter should have got his second IPL hundred but an ambitious switch hit off Digvesh Rathi saw him head back to the pavilion, nine runs short of what would have been a deserving milestone.
Towards the end, Shashank Singh scored 33 off 15 balls to take PBKS to what looked like an unassailable total. There were 16 sixes hit by Pujab Kings with 13 coming off pacers.
Prabhsimran was initially a passive partner as it was Australian Jos Inglis who launched the first attack with a hat-trick of sixes off Mayank Yadav, whose speed has decreased by at least 15 kmph post his intense rehab under Nitin Patel at the BCCI's erstwhile National Cricket Academy to recover from back injury.
However, once Inglis was dismissed, Prabhsimran, along with skipper Shreyas Iyer (45 off 25 balls), took control of the game. They were only helped by some atrocious fielding from Avesh Khan, who would probably go down as the worst fielder in the 18-year history of IPL.
Adding insult to injury, Prabhsimran took the tall MP fast bowler to the cleaners as he was pulled over mid-wicket for back-to-back maximums. Khan went for 57 in four overs and if around 15 runs due to his misfielding is added, he caused the maximum damage for his team.
The duo of Prabhsimran and Iyer added 78 runs in 7.5 overs before Rathi, LSG's best bowler on view, became the first spinner in the current season to account for Punjab Kings skipper's wicket.
But Prabhsimran continued like a man possessed and LSG bowlers were guilty of feeding to his strengths throughout the innings.
