Sasikanth Senthil formally joins Cong, says his goal is to uproot ‘anti-democratic force’

coastaldigest.com news network
November 9, 2020

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Chennai, Nov 9: More than a year after quitting his job to protest the Centre's anti-people policies, former Karnataka cadre IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil formally joined the Congress party in Chennai on Monday. 

Senthil joined the party in the presence of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K S Alagiri, state incharge Dinesh Rao and All India Congress secretary Sanjay Dutt.

Senthil said that he found the Congress the “right vehicle” to continue his path to find a “political solution to end the anti-pluralistic force that poses an egregious threat to the very concept of India.”

“I will concentrate on touring various parts of Tamil Nadu to campaign for the Congress, the DMK, and the allies for the forthcoming 2021 polls,” he said.

Senthil said his ultimate goal was to bring democratic forces - including political parties, civil societies and institutions - and peace-loving individuals together to “uproot the anti-democratic force” from the seat of power in the 2024 elections.

There were signs of "the beginning of the end of the fascist government" and the voice against such anti-pluralistic force was heard now unlike earlier and it was growing strong.

He said Tamil Nadu is the last frontier for the BJP party. “They were trying to replicate their formula of polarisation to “divide and rule here. The state is unique, and it has intellectual clarity on what is important and what is not. They differentiate politics and religion. It had overcome the ideological attacks six decades ago. So, it is difficult for the BJP to grow here,” he said.

Tamil people have always believed in social equality and would sacrifice anything to see their children in schools. However, the saffron party was trying to create issues to stay in the limelight. And their true intention was to “take away the pen, pencil and book from the hands of the child and give them vel and trishul” in the name of religion, he said, in reference to BJP’s Vel Yatra.

Recalling his recent meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he said, “He has the ingredient of a leader, who listens to people and is open for dialogue.” “There are different shades of bureaucrats. But many in the system are peace-loving people, who respect and admire the diversity of the country,” he replied to a question on former Karnataka cadre IPS officer K Annamalai joining the BJP.

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coastaldigest.com news network
November 28,2025

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Udupi district transformed into a sea of saffron and celebration on Friday, November 28, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow swept through the coastal temple town. Thousands of residents lined the streets, turning the event into a vibrant public spectacle filled with cheers, flags, and festive energy.

The procession route—from the helipad to the historic Sri Krishna Math—was decked with buntings, saffron flags, and multilayered security barricades. One of the district’s largest-ever security deployments was put in place for the high-profile visit, with over 3,000 police personnel on duty. The arrangement included ten SPs, 27 DSPs, 49 inspectors, 127 sub-inspectors, 232 assistant sub-inspectors, 1,608 constables, and 39 women staff.

Six platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police, six Quick Response Teams, bomb detection units, and dog squads were stationed across Udupi. Enhanced surveillance covered Adi Udupi, Bannanje bus stand, and the Sri Krishna Math parking zone, with combing operations carried out along the roadshow corridor.

At the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Math, preparations reached a ceremonial peak. Paryaya Puttige Math seer Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji said the Prime Minister would take part in the Laksha Kantha Geetha Parayana, a mass chanting of the Bhagavad Gita by one lakh devotees, and inaugurate the new Suvarna Teertha Mantapa.

“He will first offer floral tributes to saint-poet Kanakadasa and then unveil the golden covering over the Kanakana Kindi,” the seer said.

The Prime Minister will also receive a Poorna Kumbha welcome and have darshan of Lord Sri Krishna, Mukhyaprana Devaru, and the Suvarna Paduke. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister Bairathi Suresh, Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade, and seers from the Ashta Maths are expected to join the ceremony.

Ahead of his arrival, the Prime Minister posted on X that he felt “honoured” to attend the spiritually significant gathering. “This is a special occasion that brings together people from different sections of society for a recital of the Gita. This Matha has a very special significance in our cultural life,” he wrote, noting the institution’s long-standing legacy rooted in the teachings of Sri Madhvacharya.

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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
November 22,2025

The Karnataka government has announced a 50% rebate on pending traffic and transport fines. The discount is available from November 21 to December 12.

The rebate applies to all traffic e-challans and violation cases booked by the RTO between 1991–92 and 2019–20. Officials clarified that the offer is not applicable to pending tax dues and is restricted only to traffic-violation fines.

Across Karnataka, more than 4 lakh RTO cases remain pending, including those involving transport vehicles. While thousands of vehicle owners have already cleared their dues, the department expects to generate substantial revenue through this limited-period rebate.

How to Pay and Avail the Discount

There are three ways to check and pay your pending fines:

1. Through Mobile Apps
Available on both Play Store and App Store:
•    Karnataka State Police (KSP) app
•    KarnatakaOne app
•    ASTraM app

Steps:
•    Enter your vehicle number in any of the above apps
•    Verify the photo/details of your vehicle
•    Pay the fine with the 50% discount applied

2. Visit a Traffic Police Station

You can pay your pending fine at any nearby traffic police station.

3. Visit the Traffic Management Centre (TMC)

•    Location: First Floor, Infantry Road, near Indian Express, Bengaluru

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh A M said, “We don't issue e-challans, so there's no online payment system.”

The department estimates ₹52 crore in pending RTO fines up to March 2020. “With the 50% rebate, we expect to collect around ₹25 crore if all dues are cleared,” he added.

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