My battle is to bring JD(S) back to power: former PM Gowda in Mangalore

November 20, 2011

Mangalore, November 20: “My battle is to bring Janata Dal (Secular) back to power and I will tour all the districts in the state to strengthen the party keeping in the mind the upcoming elections”, said former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda.

He was addressing to media persons during a small stop at Kavoor on the outskirts of the city, on his way to Udupi.

“Though I want to spend playful time with my grandchildren I don't do it,” said 78-year-old leader.

Clarifying that JD(S) is neither going to support BJP nor Congress in Bellary bypoll, Mr Gowda said if the district unit of the party wants it can support an independent candidate.

“JD(S) distances itself from both Congress and BJP as they are two faces of the same coin. Except Hindutva philosophy, Congress follows the same path of BJP in economic policies of the country”, he said.

He said the reason behind the decision of JD(S) not to field a candidate in Bellary bypoll, was that the party and the candidate did not want to waste the limited small resources. “It was my decision not to field candidate in Bellary as well as in Koppal because ruling party has advantage of spending money more”, he reasoned.

He said that it was not possible to support B Sriramulu openly. However, he said, he was the last person to take advantage of internal conflict of other parties.

Mr Gowda said that the Bellary bypoll may cause ripples in national level politics as national parties obviously want the support of regional parties for their survival before or after the election.

He also expressed his concern over the 'negligence of UPA government' to agricultural sector. He said that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh himself had admitted that the agriculture sector was being neglected during his tenure.

Illegal Mining

Mr Gowda said, it was JD(S) which included the establishment of Special Court for the inquiry of illegalities in mining in its election manifesto in 2004. “But we lost the election and the matter went in vain”, he added.

Y S V Datta, JD(S) spokeperson, Deviprasad Shetty, President of Belapu Gram Panchayat, S N Bojegowda, Vasanth Poojary, M B Sadashiva and others were present.

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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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