Modi returned to power by marketing ‘national security’: Ivan D’Souza

News Network

May 26, 2019

Mangaluru, May 26: The Lok Sabha election results were not a referendum on the Congress-Janata Dal (S) coalition government in the State, said Ivan D’Souza, MLC and parliamentary secretary, on Saturday.

Addressing presspersons here, he said that people have voted back Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power based on national issues, not as an assessment of the State’s administration.

The Congress leader claimed that the coalition government is “pro-farmer and pro-poor” and remains intact. “H.D. Kumaraswamy will continue as Chief Minister for the next four years,” he asserted.

Mr. D’Souza said that the BJP had used Hindutva as its trump card this election and that Mr. Modi had returned to power by “marketing matters of national security”.

He alleged that Mr. Modi had not talked about “sabka saath, sabka vikas” and developmental aspects in any of the 142 rallies he addressed. Instead, he only spoke on national security matters such as Pulwama attack and the government’s retaliatory cross-border air strike. “The national media also helped him come back to power,” he said.

The MLC said that during the election tour and campaign, people spoke about the problems they faced after demonetisation and unemployment issues. But the BJP made it to power again through “religious polarisation”, Mr. D’Souza said.

However, he confessed that the Congress did not expect such a huge win for the saffron party.

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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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