RSS worried over BJP's Varanasi seat row

March 9, 2014

RSS_worried
Bangalore, Mar 9: RSS today said it is worried about reported Varanasi seat row between BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and senior leader Murali Manohar Joshi, but was confident that the party would solve it.

"We are worried and also not worried... We feel they (BJP) are experienced enough as we had seen on earlier occasions. They are capable. They will solve the problem," RSS General Secretary Suresh Bhaiyaji Joshi told reporters on the concluding day of the three-day meet of its top policy making body, Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, here.

The reported controversy over who will contest from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency had found its echo at BJP's Central Election Committee meeting yesterday, with heated discussions taking place on the issue.

Sources said some members sought clarity as to whether Joshi would be moved from Varanasi and Modi would contest from there. Among those who are believed to have been keen to make the point are Joshi himself as well as Sushma Swaraj.

Joshi said, "These things are decided by political party. If a person wants to express his views, there is nothing wrong in it."

Asked about the Sangh's stand on whether senior leaders like L K Advani should contest elections, he said RSS cannot direct the party (BJP), but can only give an indication.

However, young people should be given an opportunity to render service to the nation with their youthful energy. At the same time, it is beneficial to have the guidance of senior leaders, Joshi said.

On Aam Aadmi Party, he said RSS will go with any organisation or political party if it was capable of fighting corruption. "However time will prove who is right or wrong."

On giving minority tag to the Jain community, Joshi said anything which divides society was unacceptable to RSS.

"Jainism cannot be separated from Hinduism. Jainism is separated from Hinduism based on rituals and religious tenets but not culturally," he said.

On live-in relationship and homosexuality, Joshi said RSS is strongly opposed to these two concepts.

"This concept is not only against Indian civilization, but it is dangerous for the entire human race. Acceptance of this system will end the feeling of mutual trust among the society. Hence this anti-social system must not be accepted on any ground," he added.

Joshi also urged the government to consult religious leaders before making any such laws.

On Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's view that he was "okay" with same sex relationships, Joshi said it is his personal opinion and everybody has the right to express his views.

"A talk is possible with the Dalai Lama. We don't have any difficulty in doing so. He has kept his views and everyone in this country has the right to put forth his views," he added.

To a query, Joshi said no resolutions were passed at the RSS meet here.

He said RSS is working on the issues of cattle conservation and family motivation with due concern.

"Family is the smallest constituent of society. Hence it must be ensured that children should get all types of "sanskars" in the family itself," he said.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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