I accept ideology and principles of Congress, says Jagadish Shettar as he joins party

News Network
April 17, 2023

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Hubballi, Apr 17: Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday joined the Congress at the KPCC headquarters in Bengaluru. This comes a day after Shettar tendered his resignation as MLA after the BJP leadership made it clear that he would not be fielded from the Hubballi Dharwad Central segment for the May 10 assembly polls.

"I am wholeheartedly joining Congress. I was contacted by Congress leaders including DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Randeep Surjewala and MB Patil. When they invited me, I came without any second thought," Shettar after joining Congress.

The six-time MLA joined the Congress in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, KPCC president DK Shivakumar, former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and senior leader Randeep Surjewala.

Shettar alleged that he had been humiliated by the BJP by denying him a ticket and that party is today in the control of 'very few people'. "I was forcefully thrown out of the party that I built ... I'm joining the Congress by accepting its ideology and principles," he said.

The Lingayat heavyweight alleged that he has been humiliated and added that there was a systematic conspiracy against him in the ruling party.

"Fed up with the political events of the past few days, I have resigned from my MLA seat and will discuss my next move with the activists. As usual, I believe that your love and blessings will always be with me," Shettar tweeted on Sunday.

The six-time Hubballi-Dharwad Central MLA flew to Bengaluru on Sunday in a special helicopter and held discussions with Congress general secretary (Karnataka in-charge) Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress state chief DK Shivakumar, former minister MB Patil and veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

This is the second jolt for BJP after another Lingayat leader Laxman Savadi switched over to the Congress as the saffron party denied him a ticket to contest from Athani seat in Belagavi district.

Although Shettar hails from an RSS background, he has always been secular at heart, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said, assuring him on the dais that the Congress party would treat him with the respect he deserves as a senior politician in the state. 

Surjewala said that Shettar was humiliated and BJP has crumbled like a house of cards.

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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
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

•    A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

•    The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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