Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on Thursday that Ramanagara district will now be officially renamed ‘Bengaluru South’ for administrative purposes. Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Shivakumar confirmed that while Ramanagara will remain the district headquarters, it will henceforth be referred to as Bengaluru South in government records.
“This district was originally part of Bengaluru. The cabinet has agreed to the name change, which I’m happy to announce,” he stated during a press briefing.
Shifting to another topic, Shivakumar addressed recent controversy regarding reports of State Home Minister G Parameshwara giving a “wedding gift” to actor Ranya Rao, who is currently accused in a gold smuggling case. He downplayed the issue, saying, “It’s not a controversy. I checked with Dr. Parameshwara, and he mentioned the gift was given during a wedding. There is no political support for anyone involved.”
Actor Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport after being caught with smuggled gold by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). She was recently granted conditional bail by the Economic Offences Court.
Meanwhile, G Parameshwara confirmed that Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers had conducted searches at institutions linked to him, including Siddhartha Medical and Educational Institutions. “I’ve directed full cooperation with the investigation. I believe in the law and will abide by it,” he said, refraining from commenting on any links to Ranya Rao’s case until the probe is concluded.
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