I object to using of term Hindu terror or saffron terror: Rajiv Mehrishi

DHNS
August 30, 2017

New Delhi, Aug 30: Outgoing Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Wednesday objected to linking religion with terrorism, saying there is no colour to terror and it is not right to describe it as "saffron" or any other colour.

Mehrishi, who will demit office on Thursday, also said Pakistan was fomenting trouble in Jammu and Kashmir but dismissed the theory that Kashmiris feel alienated as a "concept of Delhi media".

Mehrishi, who was appointed two years ago as Home Secretary, will be succeeded by senior IAS officer Rajiv Gauba.

It is speculated that Mehrishi may be given a post retirement job and will be appointed as Election Commissioner. There were also talk about him being appointed as Jammu and Kashmir Governor but he dismissed such speculation, saying he is headed to his home in Jaipur on Thursday.

Describing that there is no colour to terrorism, the 62-year-old bureaucrat said, "I object to using of term Hindu terror or saffron terror. There is no colour to terror."

Questions were posed to him following the Supreme Court granting bail to Col Srikant Purohit, an accused in Malegaon blast case that is described as a Hindutva terror case.

Mehrishi said it is for the courts to decide on whether the accused are innocent or guilty. "Terror is a terror. You can't connect it to any religion. No religion allows terrorism. Those who indulge in terrorism in the name of religion is only bringing a bad name to religion."

On Kashmir, he said more than 90% of Kashmiris want peace and progress and they have same aspirations as any other person in the country. "The view that the Kashmiris are alienated is a concept of Delhi media. We have problems in Kashmir due to Pakistan and radicalisation and terrorism are problems to be addressed," Mehrishi said.

He said the government can talk with Kashmiri separatists only if there is no pre-condition.

Mehrishi also felt that the probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on terror funding had an effect on those financing the subversive activities.

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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 3,2025

arrival.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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