Shravanabelagola: At a time when growing incidents of wild animals invading city premises is at an all-time high in the state, a video of a leopard dragging stray away a stray dog has spread panic among the residents of Shravanabelagola.

The incident which took place on the main street of the pilgrimage centre early on Saturday morning was caught on a CCTV camera installed in front of Shravanabelagola Police Station.

The video clip shows a leopard taking away a stray dog around 3.30 a.m. on Saturday. A hotel worker, on the way to his workplace, witnessed the incident.

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Bengaluru: In a formal appeal to the Union Minister for Railways, V. Somanna, Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Samata Vidyalaya, under the leadership of Managing Trustee Prof. Ravivarma Kumar, has requested the renaming of Shivamogga or Sagar Railway Station in honour of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, the founder of the Socialist Movement of India. The appeal aims to commemorate Lohia’s 115th birth anniversary on 23 March 2025.

In the letter, Prof. Ravivarma Kumar highlighted Dr. Lohia’s significant contributions as a freedom fighter, advocate for social justice, and champion of land reforms. The letter recalls Dr. Lohia's pivotal role in the Kagodu Satyagraha, a landmark agitation in Shivamogga district demanding land reforms. Prof. Kumar noted that Lohia’s efforts inspired widespread land reform movements across India, culminating in Karnataka's landmark land reforms under the leadership of former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs, which benefitted over 15 lakh tenants.

The letter also touched upon Dr. Lohia's role in shaping Indian politics, including his advocacy for non-Congressism, which eventually led to the formation of non-Congress governments in nine states in 1967 and the first non-Congress central government in 1977. His efforts to promote social justice, including reservation for backward classes and women, and his advocacy for gender equality, were also highlighted.

Prof. Kumar emphasised the historical significance of Shivamogga, where Dr. Lohia was arrested at Sagar Railway Station in 1951 during the Kagodu Satyagraha, making it a fitting tribute to name the station after him.

The letter concludes with a plea to Minister Somanna to honour Dr. Lohia’s legacy by renaming either Shivamogga or Sagar Railway Station as "Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Railway Station" on his birth anniversary.