Dinesh Gundu Rao takes responsibility for Congress debacle in Karnataka

News Network
May 26, 2019

Bengaluru, May 26: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday took responsibility for the crushing defeat of his party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but stopped short of offering to resign as the State party president.

“I will submit a detailed report on the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Let him take the decision on my position in the party,” Mr. Rao told presspersons here.

Declining to reveal the content of the report, he said, “I am a disciplined soldier of the party and functioning as per protocol.” The AICC meeting held on Saturday in New Delhi has authorised Mr. Gandhi to overhaul the party organisation, Mr. Rao noted.

The KPCC chief congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his party’s victory and admitted that the poll results were “not expected in the wildest dreams”. He said that a combination of factors had caused the party’s and alliance’s defeat. “We accept the peoples’ mandate. But being the president of the KPCC, I will take moral responsibility for the party’s defeat. Otherwise, my conscience will not be clear.”

Noting many challenges for the party in the future, Mr. Rao said the electorate voted differently in the byelections in Chincholi and Kundagol and the general elections. “Despite many failures of the NDA government during 2014-19, the electorate voted for the BJP. The BJP leaders bypassed economic and employment issues. Security and Hindutva became the main poll issues to woo the electorate,” he said.

Acknowledging that strained relations between the Congress and JD(S) was one of the factors for the worst ever show, he said the Congress had performed poorly despite having party governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. “In different States, different factors worked for the BJP. The coalition government is stable and it will continue to function smoothly. No party MLA will quit the Congress at this juncture,” the KPCC chief claimed. 

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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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.

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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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