26 parties to attend 2-day Opposition Unity meet in Bengaluru

News Network
July 16, 2023

Bengaluru, July 16: Top leaders of at least 26 political parties would attend the second Opposition unity meeting being convened by Congress in Karnataka’s Bengaluru on July 17-18. According to sources, 10 new parties have extended their support to the Opposition parties’ efforts to present a united front against BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

One of the highlights would be former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's presence at an Opposition conclave after a long interval, with Opposition managers believing that her presence would have a sobering impact on leaders while discussing contentious issues or when they fail to reach a consensus owing to competing claims and ego clashes.

At the nick of time, Congress also announced its opposition to a contentious ordinance that took away the Delhi government's control over its bureaucrats, a demand which the AAP said was non-negotiable for its presence in the Opposition bloc after the Patna meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on June 23.

The meeting, which was shifted from Shimla to Bengaluru owing to weather conditions, also comes at a time the NCP has faced a split with Ajit Pawar walking out of the party and joining the NDA government in Maharashtra, diminishing his uncle Sharad Pawar's clout in the group.

Exposing the difficulties in finding common ground, some Opposition parties had entered into a war of words in West Bengal over panchayat polls, in Kerala over Uniform Civil Code and other issues and over support to AAP in Delhi and Punjab. But on a positive note, party leaders have ensured the battles in states did not spill over to the national level.

In his letters inviting leaders, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said that it is important to continue discussions and "build on the momentum" they have created in Patna. "We need to work together to find solutions to the challenges that our country is facing," he wrote to leaders.

On Monday evening, the leaders will have informal discussions on the agenda for the next day's deliberations, including its format and issues for discussions before they head for a dinner hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who will be arriving in Bengaluru on Monday after a spat with Congress and Left leaders in Bengal, will not attend the dinner as doctors have advised caution in her movements as she has suffered injuries recently. AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's presence is also not confirmed at present.

The actual discussions would be held on Tuesday, which is likely to culminate with a joint press conference and a joint statement. The meeting is likely to discuss campaign and agitation plans, primary deliberations on state-wise electoral alliances or understanding, major issues to be taken up during the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the next venue of the meeting. 

The leaders may also discuss the possibility of holding a joint rally against the Modi government next month, though a section of Congress is not keen on such a programme at this juncture.

However, it is to be seen whether the Opposition will formalise the arrangement with a name, Convenor and a permanent mechanism for organising meetings and events. There was speculation about Nitish or Pawar being chosen as Convenor while Sonia's presence has led to some quarters expecting her to be made chairperson.

“Speculating on the agenda of this meeting is not advisable. But what I can say is that the mission is clear, work unselfishly, work unitedly, present the India we cherish with a vision for 2024 and beyond,” senior Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said.

The host Congress has added two more parties to the list -- Krishna Patel-led Apna Dal (K) and Tamil Nadu-based Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) -- of invitees taking the total number of attendees to 26. 

It had earlier added eight more parties -- Muslim League, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), MDMK, KDMK, VCK, Forward Bloc and RSP – from the Patna meeting, which saw the attendance of 15 while RLD said its leader could not attend. 

Patna meeting, hosted by JD(U) saw the presence of Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, RJD, NCP, AAP, CPI(M), CPI, CPI-ML(L), Samajwadi Party, National Conference, PDP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and JMM. 

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israeli forces have pushed over the Syrian frontier, erecting a checkpoint and stopping vehicles in the southwestern city of Quneitra, in yet another breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

The violation took place on Sunday, when the troops made their way across the border, setting up the outpost near the Ain al-Bayda junction in northern Quneitra, Syrian outlets reported.

According to the al-Ikhbariya paper, an Israeli detachment positioned itself at the junction, halting cars and conducting searches.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that three Israeli military vehicles then moved further into the northern countryside, deploying between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. The agency added that a separate Israeli unit mounted a new incursion in the central region, approaching the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf.

Residents said such activities have surged in recent months, pointing to Israeli advances onto farmland, leveling of extensive forested areas, arrests, and spread of mobile checkpoints.

The Israeli regime began markedly increasing its military aggression against Syria last year.

The escalation coincided with increasingly ferocious onslaughts throughout the country by the so-called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri terrorist group, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad had confined to northwestern Syria. The HTS, however, managed to overthrow the government as the Israeli attacks would pummel the country’s civilian and defensive infrastructure.

Various reports have shown that, during the escalation, the regime conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Syrian territory and over 400 ground raids into the south.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Tel Aviv also widened its grip over the occupied Golan Heights by taking control of a demilitarized buffer zone, in defiance of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Earlier this month, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the buffer zone, prompting expressions of alarm on the part of the United Nations.

The United States, the regime’s biggest ally, has, meanwhile, been fraternizing the HTS head Abu Mohammed al-Jolani amid the widely reported prospect of rapprochement with Tel Aviv.

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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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