Wrong of Chandrashekaranath Swami to make such statements, says DCM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has told the media that it was wrong of Vokkaliga pontiff Chandrashekaranath Swami to say that Muslims’ right to vote should be revoked in India.
While the pontiff has apologized for his statement that whipped up a controversy, a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against him for making the statement, fuelling the controversy as political leaders have entered the fray in support of the senior seer.
Addressing reporters at the Vidhana Soudha recently, Shivakumar expressed happiness at the pontiff admitting his mistake in making such a statement and apologizing for hurting sentiments of the members of a religious community. “Swamiji has apologized for his statement and I am happy about this. We should not get involved in issues of caste and religion. Voting is the Constitutional right of every citizen in India, without any bias on any basis," he said.
Hitting back at Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and senior BJP leader R Ashoka for his recent criticism of the Congress government for taking strict measures against the pontiff, Shivakumar said that the BJP leader was using the incident for his vested interest by fuelling tension between communities.
He pointed out that the government led by Janata Dal (Secular) too had taken legal action against Balagangadharanatha Swami, the late head of the Adichunchanagiri Mutt of the Vokkaligas, for violation of law during its tenure. “Former minister Channigappa had filed a case against Balagangadharanatha Swami, who was forced to appear in court for a couple of years before he was granted bail, although he was innocent. These facts are available in the records and irrefutable. Why did Ashoka not criticize the move taken by the JD(S) government then?” asked the Deputy CM, reminding the media, “Everyone is equal before the law.”
When asked to comment about the LoP’s warning that the Vokkaliga community will certainly avenge the insult to the pontiff, Shivakumar said that it was the BJP, especially Ashoka himself, who was fuelling the controversy by such declarations.
“He (Ashoka) has also said that I am using the community for my benefit, which is also not true. I have never done so with either Vokkaligas or other community people. It is true that I am a Vokkaliga by birth, but I respect all religions and communities equally. It is improper to comment on the rights of particular religions or communities when we belong to a republic and are bound by the rules in the Constitution,” the DCM opined.
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Karnataka police constable arrested for forging passport verification records
Mangaluru: A police constable attached to the Vitla Police Station has been arrested for allegedly forging documents and manipulating passport verification records to obtain a clearance certificate from the authorities.
Police said on Tuesday that a person identified as Shakti Das, who claimed to be residing within the jurisdiction of the Vitla Police Station, first applied for a passport in February 2025.
During police verification, it was found that the address mentioned in the application did not match official records, following which the application was not recommended.
In June 2025, Shakti Das reportedly submitted a second passport application. Police alleged that Pradeep, a staff member at the Vitla Police Station, processed the reapplication without informing the concerned beat constable, Sabu Mirji, who was responsible for verifying the applicant’s address.
Pradeep allegedly prepared a verification report in the name of the beat constable, forged his signature, secured approval from senior officers, and forwarded the report. He is also accused of destroying verification-related documents to conceal the irregularities.
As per the report, the matter came to light on December 19 during a scrutiny of records. Police said the acts amounted to criminal breach of trust, as a crucial identity document issued by the Central government was fraudulently obtained.
Police further said that Shakti Das claims to hail from West Bengal, and his address is currently being verified.
Based on the findings, Vitla Police have registered a case against Pradeep and passport holder Shakti Das under Sections 336, 337, 316(5), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Pradeep has been arrested and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway, police said.
