V-day peaceful despite protest by Bajrang Dal in front of mall

February 15, 2011

Mangalore, February 15: With cops keeping an eagle eye on hangout spots of the youth across the city, and Dakshina Kannada district, Valentine's Day passed off peacefully on Monday.

The only exception was a brief protest by Bajrang Dal cadre who burnt and tore up Valentine's Day cards in front of Empire Mall on M G Road here only to leave the scene in a hurry as police descended on the spot on receipt of information.

A group of people tried to enter the mall and prevent celebrations of the Valentine's Day. There was exchange of words between this group and the people celebrating the day at the Mall. The police came to mhe Mall and took away the protesters.

City police chief Seemanth Kumar Singh said that the Bajrang Dal cadre must have purchased the cards and Valentine's Day gift elsewhere and destroyed the same in front of the mall.

No one was detained or arrested in this connection.

Police constables guarding hang outs like Tagore Park on Light House Hill Road, and the two malls on Bejai Road and K S Rao Road was a common sight. However, there were no takers for the well-guarded parks across the city.

While couples were allowed to spend time on Valentine's Day at the Kadri Park without any disturbance, it was not the same for couples on the Panambur beach. Although they were not disturbed for a few hours initially on the beach, the police did send away some of the couples during the evening.

There was brisk sale of red and yellow roses in the market priced at Rs. 10 and Rs. 5 respectively.

“Compared to other days, there was a greater demand for red roses. I did a good business today,” said Rajendra, flower vendor at Kankanady. He was waiting for people to sell the last few red and yellow roses kept in a small bucket filled with water.

There were brisk sales of bouquets too which were available at Rs. 150 and Rs. 200.

“Higher the price, more elegant is the decoration,” said Elvin, owner of the shop in Valencia, explaining the difference in the two bouquets he was offering.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Siddaramaiah's camp on alert as Karnataka Congress leadership rift escalates

News Network

November 27,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s camp is reportedly on alert as the Congress leadership tussle in the state intensifies, particularly amid speculation over the potential promotion of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah is said to be in a “wait-and-watch” mode after admitting to “confusion” earlier this week and urging the party to “put a full stop” to it.

Sources say his supporters are ready to act if senior leaders — including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi — give any indication of backing Shivakumar. If the party insists on a leadership change, Siddaramaiah’s camp has a list of alternatives, underscoring the deep rift between the two leaders. One possible candidate is Home Minister G. Parameshwara, a Siddaramaiah loyalist and influential Dalit leader.

The strategy was reportedly finalized at a meeting led by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, another Siddaramaiah supporter, who stressed that Delhi leaders need to resolve the issue. Kharge and the Gandhis are expected to meet soon, after which Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar may be summoned to Delhi.

Shivakumar has largely stayed non-confrontational, publicly endorsing Siddaramaiah and downplaying speculation about his own ambitions. However, he has made pointed comments emphasizing the importance of honoring promises, directed at Siddaramaiah.

The feud traces back to the 2023 state election, when Siddaramaiah was chosen as Chief Minister while Shivakumar, who led the party’s campaign, was made Deputy CM and state party chief — a departure from the Congress’ usual “one post per person” rule.

There were also hints of a prior understanding that Siddaramaiah would step down midway through the term. As the halfway mark passed last week, Shivakumar-aligned lawmakers have ramped up pressure on the party for a leadership change, with Shivakumar himself hinting at stepping down as state party chief to pursue the top job.

Comments