Rahul Gandhi must say sorry to Muslims for ISI remark: Jairam Ramesh

November 17, 2013

New Delhi, Nov 17: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi should apologize to the Muslim community for his remarks that Muslim youth were wooed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), opined Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh.

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"His (Rahul Gandhi's) intention was not to malign any community. But it was blown out of proportion by the media and Congress adversaries," Jairam Ramesh said during interaction with reporters from the Urdu media at the Islamic Cultural Centre in the national capital.

The Congress vice president had made the remarks at an election rally and was referring to Muslim youth affected by the violence in September this year in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

Minority affairs minister K Rehman Khan and minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajiv Shukla were also were present at the event.

The minister said Rahul Gandhi is secular to the core and that no one can doubt his credentials in the matter.

"He is genuinely concerned about minorities, weaker sections, Dalits and deprived classes." Ramesh said.

He added that secularism in the country faces challenges from divisive forces and warned that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was out to turn the country into a Hindutva Rashtra.

Ramesh said that the BJP was trying to make the elections a matter between clashing personalities and said India is a parliamentary democracy not a presidential one where two people fight it out for the top post.

The minister reminded reporters that regional parties too had a role to play in deciding who would come to power. He said that while the Bharatiya Janata party was largely confined to India's cowbelt, the Congress had a pan-nation base.

Ramesh said that there should not be double standards in the distribution of relief.

He said that whether communal violence or natural disaster, those affected should get relief. He said the centre had released Rs.250 crore to Assam for riot-affected people, but Uttar Pradesh had not approached the centre with a request for relief to the violence-affected people of Muzaffarnagar.

K Rehman Khan said the Uttar Pradesh government had implemented almost all recommendations of the Sachar Committee for the uplift of minorities. He admitted, however, that there were lapses in implementation of schemes for minorities, which have been corrected.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

•    Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

•    STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

•    Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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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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