‘Ram wave’ takes Congress-ruled Karnataka by storm amid Ayodhya temple consecration

News Network
January 22, 2024

Bengaluru, Jan 22: Live streaming of the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, special puja rituals, and performance of bhajans were held across Karnataka on Monday. 

Cities, towns, and villages across the state, including IT hub Bengaluru, have turned saffron with devotees, Hindu activists, and BJP leaders erecting flags, posters, and banners.

Even though the Karnataka’s Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has not declared a holiday, the fervour and frenzy can be seen all over the state. All the temples are decorated and offer special 'puja' during the inauguration of the Ram temple.

Devotees thronged temples in large numbers and participated in Ram Bhajans and Ram Saharanama recital programs. The programmes will continue till late evening.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is inaugurating a 33-feet-tall statue of Sita, Rama, Lakshmana, and Anjaneya Swamy (Lord Hanuman), sculpted out of a single rock at Hirandahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Monday.

Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy, Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda, BJP MLA Manjula Aravind Limabavali, and other dignitaries are taking part in the event.

Former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, who has reached Ayodhya with his father, former PM and JD (S) National President H.D. Deve Gowda, mother Chennamma, and son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, has expressed his happiness over the fulfillment of centuries-old dreams of Indians.

“The centuries-old dream of 150 crore Indians has been turned into a reality. The struggle of innumerable Kar Sevaks, sacrifice, and martyrdom has borne fruit. The Shri Balarama god statue Pran Prathishta event is taking place under the chairmanship of PM Narendra Modi today.

"I got an opportunity to witness the sacred moment and offer prayers to Lord Sri Ram. I remember all Kar Sevaks at this juncture and offer wishes to all devotees of Sri Rama. May Lord Ram bless everyone with peace, joy, complacency, and prosperity,” he stated.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka visited different temples in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and former minister V. Somanna accompany him.

Ashoka has also appealed to the devotees to contact his office if they face any hardship.

“It has come to my notice that police and officers are obstructing the celebration of Ram Mandir inauguration. We will not tolerate if celebrations of Hindus and Ram devotees are disturbed in any way. Ram Mandir inauguration is a festival; if anti-Hindu policy continues on this auspicious day, the consequences will be harsher. This is my warning to the Congress government,” he said. 

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. 

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable. 

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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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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News Network
November 22,2025

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The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

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