Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur is a terrorist: Siddaramaiah

Agencies

May 18, 2019

Hubli, May 18: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday termed Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur a "terrorist" for calling Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse a "true patriot".

"Mahatma Gandhi was given the title of Mahatma by the people of India but Godse was never given any such title. If people who murder such Mahatmas are called patriots, then all terrorists can be called the same. Pragya Thakur is 100 per cent RSS, a kind of terrorist only. What else can be expected from such a woman?" Siddharamaiah told reporters here.

Thakur, the BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat had earlier defended Godse on May 16 by calling him a patriot.

"Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'," she had said on Thursday.

The senior Congress leader also attacked BJP over the statements given by MPs Anant Kumar Hegde and Navin Kateel in support of Thakur's comments and asserted that they knew nothing about India's past.

"There are many such people in the BJP. There's Anant Kumar Hegde who wants to change the constitution and then there's the MP from Mangalore, Kateel, who do not know the history of India, how the country got independence and what is India's glory, how can we call them patriots," he said.

BJP president Amit Shah, on the other hand, said on Friday that the party will take appropriate action against its Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and two other leaders over the comments hailing Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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