How the saffron leaders provoked hate-filled bhatks to vandalize graves at Bababudangiri

coastaldigest.com news network
December 4, 2017

Chikkamagaluru, Dec 4: Clad in saffron, they call themselves the devotees of Sree Guru Dattatreya. But, their action proves that what lies in their heart is mere communal hatred and not devotion. On December 3, the last day of the controversial Datta Janyanti, a three day “religio-political utsav” at the historic Bababudangiri shrine, they showed the world what ‘religion’ and faith meant to them by trying to demolish graves.

In fact the so called devotees were apparently provoked by the hardline Hindutva leaders and politicians belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party. After BJP leader and Chikkamagaluru MLA C T Ravi and others stopped their provocative speeches, some of their bhakts assembled at Bababudangiri attempted to break the barricades and enter the disputed site of holy cave shrine Sree Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Dargah.

Apart from MLA, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Suryanarayana Rao and Saidatta Raghunatha Guruji were the prime speakers in the programme organised to mark the occasion.

Mr Ravi, who displayed some documents to the audience, claimed that the records proved that the shrine was a Hindu place of worship. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was delaying appropriate action in this regard only to satisfy his party’s vote bank, he alleged, while remarking: “how long should we wait?” “We are fighting for justice and in the Kurukshetra war, only those with truth and justice will win.”

He went on to claim that most of the graves in the disputed site were fake.

Mr Rao called upon the audience to always refer to the shrine as Datta Peetha and stop using the word Bababudangiri. “The State government is making efforts to retain this place as a centre of harmony. We will not let that happen. As in the case of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, I am hopeful that our struggle will soon yield desired results”, he said.

Minutes after these speeches, a few youths barged into the burial ground and attempted to damage tombstones. Before the police could rush to the spot and take control, one of the tombstones was uprooted. The police had to resort to mild lathi-charge.

Reacting to the incident, Mr. Ravi said it was a minor incident expected in a big event. “When thousands of people are gathered, such things do happen. Placing saffron flags have happened in the past as well,” he said.

When it was brought to his notice that the burial ground was targeted for the first time, the MLA maintained there was no intention of uprooting the structures. “If we wanted to damage the structures, why should we do it in the presence of such a large number of policemen?” he argued.

Also Read: Datta Jayanti: Saffron clad bhakts resort to violence at Bababudangiri

Comments

raji
 - 
Tuesday, 5 Dec 2017

@well wisher, first of all i dont think you are muslim, and what you are stating is a way you plan to make brother enemy of brother. hence that is the bigger sin check with any muslim imam and stop doing kafir works please..

Asif UK
 - 
Monday, 4 Dec 2017

I dont understand why SDPI people keep silence for this crime...??????? 

Well Wisher
 - 
Monday, 4 Dec 2017

Dear Bajrangi bhaijans,

 

Islam never promotes idol worshipping. Unfortunately, Dargah worship has become an evil nowadays among so-called muslims. Worshipping other than Allah is an unforgivable sin.  Those who do this & did not ask forgiveness before their death they will do well in hellfire. Dargah & Durga are nothing but the 2 faces of a coin. Worship the creator only.

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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. 

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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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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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