1. Tamannaah Bhatia as face of Mysore Sandal: Activists protest appointment of ‘non-Kannada’ actor
The appointment of actor Tammannah Bhatia as the brand ambassador of products manufactured by the Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited (KSDL), which includes the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap, triggered a row. Kannada activists questioned the rationale behind picking a non-Kannada speaking actor for the position. Ms. Bhatia has been signed as the brand ambassador for a period of two years, for which she will be paid ₹6.2 crore.
Members of the Yuva Karnataka Vedike staged a protest at the KSDL’s Yeshwanthpur factory in Bengaluru on May 23, 2025, denouncing the government’s “anti-Kannada” decision. They questioned the need to select the multi-lingual actor offering her a deal worth crores of rupees, when the iconic Mysore Sandal brand had “made a profit of ₹400 crore without any celebrity names attached to it so far.” Protestors demanded that the deal be cancelled.
2. AECS Maaruti College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre in Bengaluru closed, students in limbo
Even before the end of the academic year, the Dental Council of India (DCI) and the Department of Dental Sciences of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have ordered closure of AECS Maaruti College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre in Bengaluru. However, students enrolled in BDS and MDS courses in the college have not been shifted to other colleges
.According to sources, the management of the college had submitted a request to the DCI to close the college due to poor enrolment, shortage of faculty, and lack of necessary infrastructure, among other reasons. In 2024-25, a total of 69 students, including 30 each in the 3rd and 4th year BDS courses, and 9 in the MDS courses, were enrolled in the college.
3. Haveri gang-rape accused released on bail get welcomed with procession, music; FIR registered
In a shocking incident, seven prime accused in a gangrape case, who were released on bail, were given a grand welcome by their followers in Haveri district, videos of which have gone viral. The accused, who face charges under IPC section 376D were arrested 17 months ago and lodged in Haveri sub-jail. They were released on May 20 after they were granted bail.
Following their release, supporters of the accused could be seen welcoming them with a public procession involving four-wheelers and two-wheelers from Haveri sub-jail to Akki Alur town in the district. Slogans were also shouted as the accused persons flashed victory signs. Haveri police said an FIR has been registered for unlawful assembly and rash driving.
4. WATCH | Wounded monkey walks into veterinary clinic in Bagalkot, consults doctor
Doctors and staff at a government veterinary hospital in Bagalkot district were in for a pleasant surprise when a patient walked in unassisted on Thursday (May 23, 2025). The incredible incident occurred in Gudur SC village near Ilkal.
A wild monkey came to the doctor and pointed a finger at its rectum where it had a wound. It waited for the doctors and staff to apply medicine to the injured area. Once the treatment was over, the sentient being jumped off the doctor’s bike.
Published – May 23, 2025 07:06 pm IST
