Modi paid PR firm 300 million dollars for publicity'

April 19, 2013

digvi
New Delhi, Apr 19: Attacking Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his "false claims" about development of the state, Congress leader Digvijay Singh accused him of hiring public relations companies to boost his image and to spread wrong facts about the state.

Accusing Modi of spending huge amounts on his publicity, Singh said, "Today's world is of media and public relations. Narendra Modi has given 300 million dollars to a PR agency...He has made wrong claims related to development of Gujarat but keeps saying that it is the best state."

Singh also said that Gujarat, unlike the claims made by Modi, has the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) in the country and is ridden with enormous debts. Singh comments came during an address at the national convention of NGO Anhad on the topic of "India's Descent into Fascism. How to stop it?"

Taking a jibe at Modi, Singh said, "I congratulate those who named Modi as 'Feku' (bragger). I am surprised how much he boasts about himself. Unlike his claims, it is Maharashtra which attracted the highest FDI and not Gujarat. The per capita income of people in Gujarat is not the highest and it does not attract any investment in agriculture."

He said Gujarat is "ridden" with a huge debt, "but Modi claims that he will repay the debt of the Mother India."

Singh also cautioned against growing "fascist forces" and said, "If these fascist forces manage to come to power we all will suffer. We should have an independent platform where all anti-fascist forces can come together to defeat such forces."

Highlighting the need for a mechanism to stop communal violences, he said, "The present format of the Communal Violence Bill talks only about the post-riot scenario. It does not talk about its impression on young minds."

He also sought changes in school curriculum to promote harmony and secular thoughts among children.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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