Conversion allegation rubbish: Christian delegation tells Commissioner

March 10, 2011

Mangalore, March 10: Dubbing the charges of robbery and attempt to forcible conversion made by an 18 year old boy and saffron outfits against a Christian man in the city as an “apparent lie and conspiracy”, Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee (DKDCC) urged the police to withdraw the 'false cases' and appoint a higher police officer to conduct a thorough investigation into the entire issue.

A delegation of DKDCC led by Ivan D'Souza along with a few representatives of Christian community and family members of the accused on Thursday handed over a memorandum to City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh at his office, urging him to reveal the fact of the case to the society after an impartial investigation.

Nithin Poojary, an 18 year old boy on Wednesday filed a complaint against Jillu, who owns a catering service and a juice centre in the city at Urwa police station, accusing him of abducting him, keeping him as a hostage for a day, thrashing him and forcing him to convert into Christianity from Hinduism.

However, D'Souza said that all the statements given by the boy are false and he has acted according to the wish of Hindutva organisations.

“In fact the boy was an employee at Jillu's shop for past 20 days and the latter had scolded him for failing to carry out his duties. In revenge, the boy went on to lodge false complaint against his employer”, he said.

He said that baseless allegation of forced conversion has hurt the feelings of entire Christian community, which is repeatedly facing such false charges by some communal outfits.

Fr Onil D'Souza, a representative of Christian community, said that Jillu's is a respected family in the society and a number of employees, most of them Hindus, have been working for his catering service and juice centre for the past two decades. But no one complained against him. “A boy after working 20 days under him complaining against him of forcible conversion is nothing but a systematic conspiracy hatched by a group of people, who hate minorities,” he said.

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Saffron wave sweeps Udupi during PM Modi’s roadshow

coastaldigest.com news network

November 28,2025

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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