Anti-Modi post was reaction to Muthalik entry in BJP: Engineer

May 31, 2014

Panaji, May 31: The Goa-based marine engineer booked for anti-Narendra Modi remarks on Facebook today said his post was a reaction to BJP inducting controversial right wing leader Pramod Muthalik into the party, and maintained the issue had been blown out of proportion.

Devu Chodankar said he deleted the post soon after Muthalik, chief of Sri Ram Sene, was dropped from BJP following public outrage after his induction in March.

Anti-Modi post
"It's a petty issue which has been blown out of proportion. The post was a knee jerk reaction to Muthalik's induction in BJP in Karnataka. As soon as he was removed from the party, I deleted the post," he said in his first media interview after the controversy broke out.

The 33-year-old has been booked by Goa's Cyber Crime cell for posting anti-Modi and anti-BJP remarks on the popular networking site in run up to the Lok Sabha elections.

"If Modi is elected as PM this election, Christians will lose their identity in South Goa. Mark these words. There is an imminent holocaust as it happened in Gujarat though under the garb of cunning Government policies of (Goa CM) Parrikar," one of his posts on Facebook read.

After he was booked, Chodankar filed an anticipatory bail application in the local court fearing arrest. His plea was rejected. Cyber Crime cell opposed the plea and claimed they require his custody for interrogation.

The engineer, who was out of station when activists protested against his possible arrest, said he had congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and newly-elected Goa MPs Shripad Naik and Narendra Sawaikar after the BJP's victory in polls.

Chodankar said since May 16, when he was issued summons by police, he had stopped logging into his FB account.

"After posting the (anti-Modi) message, I have stopped logging in it. It all depends on inquiry and whether I would be allowed to log in again," Chodankar said.

Chodankar, called for questioning on June 2, said he will appear before the Investigating Officer and cooperate in probe. "Being a law-abiding citizen, I will extend all cooperation to the authorities regarding this matter."

"He has complete faith in the Constitution and in the democratic principles enshrined in it," his lawyer Jatin Naik said.

Chodankar has been booked under IPC and IT Act, among others, and charged with "promoting communal and social disharmony" in the state.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.