Ramanath Rai called Poojary “Ra***maga”: Harikrishna Bantwal

CD Network | Sumedha V
June 28, 2017

Mangaluru, Jun 28: Expelled Congress leader Harikrishna Bantwal has accused Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai of abusing Congress veteran B Janardhana Poojary in public and igniting communal clashes in Bantwal for political gains.

harishkrishna

Speaking to media persons in the city on Wednesday, Mr Bantwal, “revealed” that Mr Rai had used Tulu Nadu’s extreme derogatory words like “‘ra***maga’ and ‘nayisoo***maga’” against Mr Poojary in a fully crowded wedding hall nearly five months ago.

“MR Rai had attended a certain Rajesh’s wedding in Surathkal Buntara Bhavana on February 6, 2017. Local Congress leaders Arun Coelho and Tejaswi Raj too were present there. Mr Rai asked them where Mr Poojary was using the above mentioned words and further abused him in Tulu,” he said.

Interestingly, Mr Bantwal revealed the five month old incident for the first time a day after Harish Kumar, a leader of Billava community was made the president of Dakshina Kannada district Congress Committee. The appointment was seen as an apparent attempt by the Congress to woo Billavas in the coastal district in the wake of community stalwart Janardhana Poojary’s dissidence with the party leaders.

Lashing out at the Bunt stalwart, Mr Bantwal said that Mr Rai owes his political position today to Mr Poojary. “Back in 1985, when Mr Rai was nobody in the party, he secured the ticket to contest from Bantwal constituency because of Mr Poojary,” he said.

“Billawas and Bunts are the majority and strengths of this region. They cannot be without each other. We do not believe in seeing them as different communities. But some people always get caste into politics”, he said.

He also said that national leaders like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, A K Anthony always praised Mr Poojary and called him an honest politician, but Rai never valued him.

Justifying Mr Poojary’s recent outburst against his own party men in the state, Mr Bantwal said: “This is a democracy. People are allowed to criticize others.”

“Though Mr Poojary often criticized the chief minister, the former never used any unconstitutional or derogatory words against anyone”, he added. Calling Mr Rai an unfaithful and ungrateful, he said that Dakshina Kannada doesn’t need a politician like Mr Rai.

Mr Bantwal went on to say that being a follower of Sri Narayana Guru, he believed in being true to his religion, but also being an Indian first. “Nobody likes to fight. Some greedy politicians like Mr Rai create communal clashes for vote bank. Transferring police officers won’t solve problems in Bantwal. It is Mr Rai who needs to be stripped off his power to restore peace here”, he said.

Mr Bantwal also accused Mr Rai of always being on the side of ‘note and vote’. He called him a ‘modern day Shishupala’ and said that ‘Krishna’ had waited long enough and cannot hold it in anymore, it is time to show Mr Rai’s true colors to the people who voted him to power.

Comments

Chidu
 - 
Wednesday, 28 Jun 2017

Ra*** maga means what? Raayara Maga?

ahmed
 - 
Thursday, 29 Jun 2017

Ra***maga means Raithana maga tats all

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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 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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