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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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 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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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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