Now, Muslims in Delhi lean towards AAP

March 31, 2014
New Delhi, Mar 31: With the balloting in Delhi barely ten days away, Muslims in the capital seem to be increasingly veering towards the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

AK

Although the Congress contests this publicly, Congress leaders admit privately that there is a major erosion of support for them among Muslims who may - unlike in the assembly election in December - now root for AAP.

A prominent Muslim leader, who did not wish to be named, said that the scenario may be true for many other parts of the country too.

When AAP won 28 of the 70 seats and went on to form a minority government, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said publicly that his party did not get the kind of Muslim support it had expected.

Indeed, four of the only eight seats the Congress won came from areas where Muslims live in large numbers.

But the situation is now changing, and radically, said AAP and Muslim leaders.

"During the assembly election, we got only 15-20 percent of all Muslim vote in Delhi," AAP leader Irfanullah Khan said. "In the Lok Sabha election, we expect this to zoom to at least 80 percent."

A well-known Muslim face in the Congress admitted that this may not be an exaggeration, in part because of the aggressive way Kejriwal and the AAP have taken on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

"Yes, there is erosion in our (Muslim) support base," said the Congress leader who did not want to be identified by name.

AAP candidates canvassing in the Lok Sabha election are also universally of the opinion that Muslims in Delhi - which has seven Lok Sabha seats - are leaning towards the AAP.

Khan, the AAP candidate who lost to the Congress in December from the Muslim assembly constituency of Okhla, said AAP has been interacting with Muslim intellectuals all over the country for a long time.

AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, have been meeting Muslim academics, those in the corporate field, social activists, religious leaders, retired bureaucrats and former politicians, explaining the AAP ideology and its faith in secular values.

"We are charting a road map for Muslims. But the issues we raise with Muslims are not exclusively for them. These include matters of security, health and education. These are valid for all Indians," said Khan, a member of AAP's decision making core committee.

"So, we are not promising the moon to Muslims. Or making special promises to them. We are for oneness in this country."

He said the traditional Congress argument that Muslims must vote for the Congress "to stop the BJP" was no more finding many takers.

"We tell Muslims that it is we, AAP, who derailed the BJP in Delhi. In 22 assembly constituencies, the BJP finished second. Imagine if we were not there? All these seats would have gone to the BJP," he added.

Muslims make up 12-14 percent of Delhi's 16-18 million people. Traditionally, they have dominantly voted for the Congress in a city where voters had only two main parties to chose from: the Congress and the BJP.

The emergence of AAP has changed the scenario, more so because the party, founded only in November 2012, has gained support cutting across religious, ethnic, linguistic and economic groups.

Salim Engineer from Jaipur who is National Secretary for the Jamaat-e-Islam-i-Hind, said that Muslims were upset with the Congress.

"The Congress could not deliver the promises it made. The community wants a reliable alternative which we see in AAP."

A Muslim resident in south Delhi said: "Muslims have always voted for the lesser evil. That is why we voted for the Congress vis-a-vis the BJP. Now that AAP is there, why not vote for a party which looks good?"

The Congress visibly looks jittery vis-a-vis AAP in Delhi.

Almost every other day, the Congress presents to the media some people who it says are Muslims now disgusted with AAP.

The other day, a dozen men, said to be Muslims, dumped the trademark AAP white caps in the Congress office and donned stole designed on the Congress party's colours.

Says Jamaat's Engineer: "Our people are in touch with AAP. We are impressed by what we saw in Delhi. If they want to do good, why shouldn't we support them?"

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News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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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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