Derogatory comments row: K'taka Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar dares BJP's CT Ravi to take oath before god
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 24: Karnataka Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, who has accused MLC C T Ravi of making derogatory remarks against her in the Legislative Council, on Tuesday challenged the BJP leader to come to Dharmasthala and take 'Pramaana' (oath) in the presence of the deity, to speak the truth.
Ravi has denied Hebbalkar's allegation, terming it "false".
"I have devotion and faith in god. He (Ravi) has said several times that he did not use derogatory words. Let's keep the law on one side, the law will take its course. This is not a challenge, I don't even expect a response from a person like him... he is trying to mislead the people, his party workers and leaders," Hebbalkar said.
Addressing reporters here, the Minister said, "You believe in god C T Ravi, Dharmasthala is very close to your native, people across the state believe that Dharmasthala and lord Manjunatha there is another name for Dharma, make a Pramaana (take an oath) on lord Manjunatha and tell the truth.
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You come there along with your wife, I will come with my family. You have raised a question of morality, if you have morality come there."
Ravi allegedly used a derogatory word against Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on December 19 during an altercation between them, when the House was adjourned for a while. He was arrested on the same day and taken in a police van from the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, following a complaint by Hebbalkar.
The Karnataka High Court on December 20 ordered the immediate release of Ravi in its interim order, observing that police failed to follow the procedures in arresting him. However, the bench directed Ravi to cooperate with the investigation and be available for questioning.
Dharmasthala on the banks of the Nethravati river in Dakshina Kannada district, has an 800 years old history. According to legends here, anyone who utters a lie in front of lord Manjunatha will face severe consequences.
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Rupee declines 27 paise to 90.95 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 27 paise to 90.95 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, weighed down by a strong American currency and higher crude oil prices due to the escalated geopolitical tension.
A selling rush in domestic equities further pressured the Indian currency, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 90.94 and slipped further to trade at 90.95 against the greenback in early deals, losing 27 paise from its previous closing level.
The rupee rose 4 paise to settle at 90.68 against the US dollar on Wednesday. The currency exchange markets were closed on Thursday on account of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.04 per cent higher at 97.89.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.14 per cent higher at USD 71.77 per barrel in futures trade.
Analysts attributed the strengthening dollar and crude prices to heightened tension between the US and Iran, with both countries signalling they are prepared for war if talks on Tehran's nuclear programme fizzle out.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex fell 150.35 points to 82,347.79 in early trade while the Nifty declined 35.15 points to 25,419.20.
On Thursday, foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 880.49 crore, according to exchange data.
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