London's first Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan's temple visit pictures go viral

May 16, 2016

London, May 16: Pictures of London's first Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan's visit to one of the city's most famous temples where he performed rituals ahead of his election have gone viral on social media.

Sadiq

Pictures from the temple visit emerged on social media this week as Khan described the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in north London's Neasden as one of his favourites.

"Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden is one of my favourite places in London," the 45-year-old had said on his Facebook post dated May 3, days before his runaway victory in the mayoral elections.

"As Mayor, I will stand up for London's Indian community, and strengthen London's friendship with India. I look forward to leading a trade delegation to India at the earliest opportunity," Khan said.

In one of the pictures, Khan, who is son of a Pakistani migrant bus driver, is seen performing "Jalabhishek" or water ritual on a golden idol of Shri Swaminarayan.

The visit was a clear attempt on his part to stress his message of wanting to be a mayor for "all Londoners".

"Let me be very clear, I'm not a Muslim leader or Muslims' spokesperson, I'm the mayor of London. I speak for all Londoners," the Labour party politician had told reporters soon after his victory.

The British capital's first Muslim mayor, elected by an overwhelming mandate, has criticised British Prime Minister David Cameron's government and his Conservative party mayoral campaign rival Zac Goldsmith for their divisive election campaign.

"David Cameron and Zac Goldsmith chose to set out to divide London's communities in an attempt to win votes in some areas and suppress voters in other parts of the city," Khan had written in The Observer, in his first article a day after being sworn in as the new mayor on May 9.

"They used fear and innuendo to try to turn different ethnic and religious groups against each other – something straight out of the Donald Trump playbook.

Londoners deserved better and I hope it's something the Conservative party will never try to repeat," he said.

Goldsmith's camp has been criticised for using unpleasant tactics in the campaign, including trying to cash in on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity among Indian-origin Londoners by issuing leaflets with the message -- "Standing up for the British-Indian community".

Khan is reportedly planning a visit to India soon, in an attempt to counter this negative messaging and present his secular credentials.

Khan beat Goldsmith with 57 per cent votes -- the largest mandate of any British politician in history -- marking the return of Labour rule to the UK capital after eight years.

He was officially sworn-in as the new mayor of London at a multi-faith ceremony in Southwark Cathedral here on May 7.

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Comments

SURESH
 - 
Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Lord Ganesha gave him wisdom and he realized nothing happens if he visits temples, prays and makes abhisheka.
And by doing this he will not go to hell so there is no question of burning in hell fire. Our gods will keep Swarga door open for him.
Mr. Khan no need to worry.
Be good, do good, god is always there to protect you.
God bless you, may you be victorious always.

K.C.Mohammed Ali
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

May be a preperation for senator..........

Rikaz
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

Salman Khan is keeping hindu god's photos and replicas in his home and celebrates hindu festivals...do you consider him to be a muslim...he releases his movie at the end of each Ramadhan to grab money from muslims....muslims after doing Ramadhan pasting and devoting God, blindly go and see his movie and make him millionaire....I dont understand who is muslim and hindu....Mr. Sadiq Khan just went to respect hindus and mere pouring water on sculpture or wearing color on forehead does not make him hindu....

shaji
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

I am sure this name sake khan had shown his real color and that was the reason he was chosen as London Mayor. I dont think he was chosen coz his name is Muslim but coz he believes in religions other than Islam. For this khan islam is nothing but a religion whereas he respects other religions. I hope this khan will soon change his name as narendra / shivnarayan khan which he loves very much. May i ask this khan if he ever visited Masjid for prayer whereas he is regularly visiting temple for offering prayers. Mr. khan dont forget that Allah has the power on everything and He does not need any time to degrade you. If you have got the respect you should be grateful to Allah and should not forget Him. May Allah bless you with right way of thinking and keep yu away from shirk and evil things.

ASI
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

He should have just visited temple, rather than doing these kufr and shirk rituals...
At the same time. Mr. feku Modi also visited Abudabi Grand Masjid, but he never did any islamic prayer in masjid ....
Mr. Khan you did wrong as a muslim ....

Mohan kumar
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

Nice khan.Religious is man's faithfulness

Shivakumar Ayer
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

He better convert to hinduism, and all sins would be gone.!!!

Sonikonica
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

London A city that welcomes all religion & communities from all over the globe Here's a proof

Welwisher
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

He is not a true muslim. Only for name. Go to hell....

Rikaz
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

Please be careful about Bajrangies......

mohdalthaf
 - 
Monday, 16 May 2016

Fi Naari Jahannum.. May allah guide towards tauheed

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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.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

•    Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

•    STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

•    Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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