Union budget disrespect to E Ahamed, says Kerala CM

February 1, 2017

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 1: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday slammed the Centre for presenting the Union Budget, hours after the death of former Union Minister E Ahmed saying it was “improper, unfortunate and amounted to showing disrespect” to the departed leader. In a statement, the Chief Minister said it was in the same Parliament building that Ahamed, a senior sitting member in the Lok Sabha had collapsed on Tuesday. “Presenting budget in the same building within hours after his death was totally improper and unfortunate. The Centre has gone ahead with the budget presentation, hurting the sentiments of the members of the House,” he said.

“The act amounted to disrespect to the memories of the deceased and insulting the democratic consciousness of the nation. It was a grave mistake that the government had gone ahead with the budget presentation at a time when tributes should have been paid to such a senior leader,” he said.

Noting that Ahamed was among the long serving members of the House, Vijayan said the IUML leader had maintained a warm relationship with all members and had held high the interests of the nation including at the United Nations.

Earlier in a Facebook Post, he said, “Demise of E Ahamed is a great loss not only to his party and to his family but for the society as a whole. With great grief, I join his family in their sorrow”.

The Kerala CM lauded the late leader's efforts as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and said that he had held the country's name high in the international arena. “As a member representing India in the UN General Assembly, he was able to uphold the country's interest among world nations,” the CM said. 78-year-old Ahamed passed away in the wee hours at a hospital in Delhi.

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Indeed, very disgraceful.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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