'Fake letter' on home minister's name: BJP spokesman Hemanth Kumar arrested
Bengaluru, Apr 27: A journalist was arrested here Saturday for allegedly circulating a "fake letter,"purportedly written by home minister M B Patil to Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi in 2017 on religion tag to the Lingayat sect.
Patil had termed the letter fake and alleged that it was a conspiracy against him by his rivals.
Inspector General of Police CID, economic offence wing and cyber crime Hemant Nimbalkar told PTI that Hemant Kumar was arrested here Saturday.
Kumar is special correspondent of a Delhi based English and Hindi magazine.
Police in a release said Hemanth Kumar was arrested, "based on credible evidence corroborated by oral statement."
He was produced before a court, which granted police custody of Kumar till April 30, it said.
The 'letter' had first emerged during the Karnataka assembly elections in 2018.
It resurfaced during the current Lok Sabha election with BJP first publishing it on its Twitter handle on April 15.
Condemning the arrest, a delegation of BJP leaders, led by MLAs Arvind Limbavali and Suresh Kumar submitted a memorandum to the Director General of Police Neelamani M Raju.
Later, speaking to reporters, Limbavali alleged that all those supporting the BJP and working for the party during the election are being targeted at the instance of home minister.
Police barged into the office and arrested Hemanth Kumar, who is a BJPsympathiser, he said.
Patil has repeatedly termed it a fake letter, but it kept resurfacing time and again.
When it came up again,Patil, as home minister, took serious note of it.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
