Shettar slams BJP for picking BL Santhosh's aide Srivatsa over sitting MLA Ramdas in Krishnaraja
Hubballi: Former Chief Minister and member of the Congress Jagadish Shettar criticized the BJP for giving preference to Srivatsa as he is a close associate of BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh to contest from the Krishnaraja constituency over sitting MLA SA Ramdas.
Addressing an emergency meeting in the city on Tuesday, Shettar, who is the Congress candidate from Hubballi-Dharwad Central for the upcoming Assembly elections, said that Ramdas has been successful as a legislator and is very popular in Krishnaraja. Had the BJP fielded Ramdas, it would have been guaranteed of victory in Krishnaraja. The party, however, has sidelined another ace contender merely because he was not in the good books of Santhosh, Shettar added.
Stressing on the popularity of Ramdas in the constituency, Shettar said that if Ramdas rebels against the BJP, Srivatsa would lose the elections.
“Santhosh had been given charge of the BJP campaigns in Kerala, but the party did not win a single seat in the state. In Tamil Nadu too, the BJP managed to win barely a couple of seats,” Shettar pointed out, challenging the ‘Midas touch’ of Santhosh in Karnataka too.
Accusing State President of the BJP Nalin Kumar Kateel of following the orders of Santhosh, Shettar said that this was why the party has not replaced Kateel, whose term as president has already ended.
He further said that an audio clip went viral recently, where Kateel is heard saying that BS Yediyurappa was no longer in power in the BJP and in the next elections, KS Eshwarappa and Shettar too would be shown the door.
“All these are as planned by Santhosh, and have proven successful,” Shettar alleged.All the latest news from Karnataka, just one click away. CLICK here to read all the important news from Karnataka in a single click.
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Young woman from MP who shot to fame during Kumbh found to be minor, case registered against husband
Khargone (MP) (PTI): The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes on Friday confirmed that a young woman from Madhya Pradesh who became famous due to her viral videos during the 2025 Maha Kumbh has been found to be a minor after an inquiry.
Citing the findings of an inquiry panel set up by the commission, local BJP leaders alleged that her interfaith marriage in Kerala last month was a case of "love Jihad", and sought legal action.
While the panel had submitted its report in March, ST commission chairman Antar Singh Arya confirmed its findings to the PTI on Friday.
A case for alleged kidnapping and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has already been registered against her husband, a Muslim man, at Maheshwar on the basis of the inquiry findings, police said.
The girl gained national fame after her videos while selling garlands and rudraksha at the Maha Kumbh went viral on social media and also earned her a role in a film.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes set up an inquiry panel after receiving a complaint on March 17 from Pratham Dubey, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, that she was a minor and was being exploited.
Maheshwar BJP MLA Rajkumar Mev and BJP mandal president Vikram Patel, armed with documents, told reporters on Friday that her marriage in Kerala was a case of "love Jihad" and she should be brought back home.
'Love jihad' is a term used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into marriage to convert them to Islam.
Police said an investigation is underway, and further action would be taken accordingly.
The girl, who belongs to the nomadic Pardhi community, got married at a temple in Kerala in March. The interfaith marriage drew angry reactions from rightwing Hindu groups.
Her family members and film director Sanoj Mishra -- who had offered her a film role after she became famous -- too alleged that it was 'love Jihad'.
As per the inquiry conducted by the ST commission, records at the Maheshwar government hospital showed the woman's date of birth as December 30, 2009 which meant she was 16 years and two months old at the time of marriage, said Dubey, the complainant.
On a complaint filed by her father, police registered a case against the girl's husband at Maheshwar police station on March 25 for alleged kidnapping and under the POCSO Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police sources said that a separate case was also registered on March 24 under section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (taking a minor from lawful custody of guardian without their consent) based on the the commission's findings.
