Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: Kannada organisations to counter Hindi Diwas celebrations in State, and more

Kannada organisations across Karnataka have expressed their opposition to the Hindi Diwas celebrations to be held on September 14. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KaRaVe) has decided to celebrate Hindi Tithi Diwas to counter it, along with a protest across the State on September 14.

Celebration of Hindi Diwas on September 14 is mandatory in all Union Government-owned banks, departments like railways, postal, income tax, Central Universities, schools and other departments, including public sector companies in Karnataka. As part of the ‘Hindi Fortnight 2024’ celebrations, NIMHANS has decided to conduct various competitions in Hindi for its employees and staff whose mother tongue is not Hindi from September 14 to 28. The Registrar of NIMHANS has issued a circular in this regard.

2. Birth of young lion-tailed macaque in Mysuru zoo raises hopes of breeding vulnerable species

A lion-tailed macaque (LTM), an endangered species, has given birth to a young macaque at the Chamundi Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for the Wild Animals, at Koorgalli on the outskirts of Mysuru. The rescue centre is run by the century-old Mysuru Zoo. LTMs are found in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The birth of a young macaque is perhaps a first since the conservation breeding programme of lion-tailed macaque was launched, with the Mysuru zoo being the participating zoo and the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai being the coordinating zoo. Habitat loss has placed the primate in the IUCN red list of endangered species.

BJP leader and Vijayapura MP Ramesh Jigajinagi believes that Siddaramaiah will step down as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. “Siddaramaiah is sure to step down from the post of Chief Minister. Once that happens, Congress should make Mallikarjun Kharge the CM of Karnataka. If the Congress is committed to making a Dalit the CM, it should appoint Mr Kharge as the CM,” he told reporters in Vijayapura on September 13.

“Siddaramaiah keeps saying that he will remain the CM. It is like me saying I want to be Prime Minister. How true is that? Whether he will stay or not will be clear in two days. Let us wait and watch,” he said.