Supporter of damaging projects anti-social: Seer

Udupi, November 2: Pejawar mutt seer Sri Vishweshatheertha Swamiji said that one who adopts lackadaisical attitude towards environment and supports the projects causing environmental damages can be deemed as anti-social elements.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, the Seer said that unless and untill the expert committee report on the findings of ecological impact on coal based Udupi Power Corporation Limited thermal plant is out, the State government should not give its clearance for commissioning of the second phase of the UPCL unit.

Expressing his reservations over the intentional delay tactics by the government in the functioning of the experts committee appointed by the State government to go into the details of assessing the damages caused, the seer said that even the traveling expenses of the members of the committee was not met by the State government. However, one of the committee members, representing the public is abroad and expected to come back on November 19. The committee is expected to take up the inspection work soon and submit its report at the earliest to the government.

He said that if the finding of the committee related to environmental issues are against the company, then the Government should shut down UPCL. If the committee feels that the company can function, provided strict adherence to proper environmental guidelines, the government should not allow it till it fulfills all these laid down environmental guidelines. He said: “I am not against establishment of power production unit in the district. However, I strongly feel that any coal based power plant is hazardous in this region which is highly ecological sensitive,” he said.

Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda has promised that until the submission of the expert committee report, the government will not give its clearance for the commissioning of the second unit by UPCL, he added. The Seer said he would support all those who fight for civilian rights.

Seer's right

Pejawar seer strongly defended that the pontiffs of mutt have every right to interfere in the activities of the society, besides their routine religious activities whenever there is harm to the people.

He was reacting to the statements made by Union Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily recently in Mangalore.

He said that Moily while urging the state government to notify 2,035 acres of land in Dakshina Kannada district essentially required for II phase Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) which had been de-notified following the strong opposition, had stressed that Swamijis should not indulge in politics and restrict themselves to religious activities.

Similar to the interest shown by Moily being a politician on literature, seer said, “I can interfere in the issues concerned with people and the society”.

He urged the government not to notify the already de-notified land.

He said that Moily should be aware that as per the guidelines, no agriculture land should be acquired for industrial purpose.

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HC refuses to quash probe against Mangaluru WhatsApp admin over offensive posts

News Network

February 1,2026

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash an investigation against a WhatsApp group administrator accused of allowing the circulation of obscene and offensive images depicting Hindutva politicians and idols in 2021.

Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that, prima facie, the ingredients of the offence under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code were made out. “The offence under Section 295A of the IPC is met to every word of its ingredient, albeit prima facie,” the judge said.

The petitioner, Sirajuddin, a resident of Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, had challenged the FIR registered against him at the CEN (Cyber, Economics and Narcotics) police station, Mangaluru, for offences under Section 295A of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Section 295A relates to punishment for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.

According to the complaint filed by K Jayaraj Salian, also a resident of Belthangady taluk, he received a WhatsApp group link from an unknown source and was added to the group after accessing it. The group reportedly had six administrators and around 250 participants, where obscene and offensive images depicting Hindu deities and certain political figures were allegedly circulated repeatedly.

Sirajuddin was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail on February 16, 2021. He argued before the court that he was being selectively targeted, while other administrators—including the creator of the group—were neither arrested nor investigated. He also contended that the Magistrate could not have taken cognisance of the offence under Section 295A without prior sanction under Section 196(1) of the CrPC.

Rejecting the argument, Justice Nagaprasanna held that prior sanction is required only at the stage of taking cognisance, and not at the stage of registration of the crime or during investigation.

The judge noted that the State had produced the entire investigation material before the court. “A perusal of the material reveals depictions of Hindu deities in an extraordinarily obscene, demeaning and profane manner. The content is such that its reproduction in a judicial order would itself be inappropriate,” the court said, adding that the material, on its face, had the tendency to outrage religious feelings and disturb communal harmony.

Observing that the case was still at the investigation stage, the court said it could not interdict the probe at this juncture. However, it expressed concern that the investigating officer appeared to have not proceeded uniformly against all administrators. The court clarified that if the investigation revealed the active involvement of any member in permitting the circulation of such content, they must also be proceeded against.

“At this investigative stage, any further observation by this Court would be unnecessary,” the order concluded.

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