Cong playing polarisation politics in Karnataka; We too have a strategy: BJP

Agencies

August 12, 2017

Bengaluru, Aug 12: The BJP would neither interfere in the Lingayat religion issue nor use Kannada language row as a political tool to counter the "polarisation politics" of the Congress in Karnataka, senior BJP leader Suresh Kumar said today.

"Congress is playing polarisation politics in Karnataka, and we have a strategy to counter it under the leadership of Amit Shah," Kumar told reporters after receiving Shah at BJP office here.

"We are very, very clear about Lingayat religion issue. The issue will be resolved or solved by that particular community. We don't want to add, we don't want to interfere in any manner in this issue," he said.

The Congress support to a separate religion cause ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls was seen as an attempt to cause damage to the BJP, which enjoys considerable support from the community.

The BJP and several sections of the Hindu community were opposed to the move to give Veerashaiva-Lingayat separate religion status and have accused the Siddaramaiah government of dividing the society to draw political mileage ahead of the election due early next year.

On Kannada language row, Kumar said "since the days of Pandit Deendayal Upadhayaya it has been made very clear that in Karnataka, Kannada is the language which should be given top priority. There is absolutely no confusion here and we don't want to use it as a political tool".

The BJP also does not want to use the language issue as a tool to create hatred towards other communities and sections of the people, Kumar said.

Huge protests were staged by pro-Kannada outfits over the use of Hindi on Namma Metro signboards, which also had forced Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to write to the Centre stating the government was compelled to ask Namma Metro totemporarily re-design signboards in stations without the Hindilanguage following a row over its use.

The Kannada Development Authority had asked all nationalised, scheduled and rural banks functioning in Karnataka to ensure that all its non-Kannada speaking staff learn the language in six months. The authority had also asked them to set up Kannada units at all their branches in the state, in line with Hindi units which exist for the implementation of the language.

To a query, Kumar said there were no differences between senior party leaders K S Eshwarappa and B S Yeddyurappa, and Yeddyurappa is the chief ministerial candidate of the party.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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Think Before You Post! Mangaluru Police Crack Down on Provocative Instagram Accounts

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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