1. BJP launched a padayatra today to protest against saffron flag being replaced by the national flag at Keregodu village in Mandya district. Local youth, along with opposition leaders, protested the lowering of a saffron flag with an image of Lord Hanuman. Local Congress MLA Ravi Kumar Ganiga maintained that a local youth organisation had sought permission from the gram panchayat to hoist the national flag. The land belongs to the government and rules allow hoisting of only the national flag on such land, he said. IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge has called it a design by the BJP to polarise people on communal lines in Mandya.
2. Sauharda Karnataka, a forum of secular organisations, will form a human chain in various districts, including Bengaluru, to spread the message of peace and harmony.
3. The fifth edition of GAFX was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and Minister for Rural Development and IT&BT Priyank Kharge this morning. The annual event, which serves as a premier platform for India’s Animation, VFX, and Gaming communities, drawing professionals, artists, and students, is being held at Hotel Ashok on Kumarakrupa Road. With a record 4,500 attendees per day last year, GAFX 2024 is expected to surpass this achievement in this edition.
