Samajotsav: Police will be given free hand to take action against trouble mongers, says Rai

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Suresh)

February 28, 2015

Mangaluru, Feb 27: District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai asked the police to be tough and take action as per the law if there were any speeches hurting religious sentiments in the Hindu Samajotsav on March 1. The police will be given a free hand to take action against those disturbing peace, however powerful s/he might be.

Mr. Rai said this at a peace committee meeting held at the office of Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim on Friday. The meeting was held in light of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Hindu Samajotsav scheduled on March 1.

Former BJP MLA N. Yogish Bhat said police should be impartial in taking action against persons disturbing peace. “There have been occasions where innocents have been arrested and real perpetrators have been let free. Though the (district in-charge) Minister says he is not interfering in police action, does he touch his heart and say it,” Mr. Bhat said.

Irked by this, Mr. Rai said, “Persons commenting against me should review their own actions when they were in power.” Mr. Rai reiterated that police will be tough against those violating conditions imposed on the conduct of the event. “However powerful he or she might be, action will be taken. There will be no interference from us,” he said and added that in the past he had been questioned over reluctance in taking action against a leader.

In-charge president of Dakshina Kannada Pradesh Congress Committee Ibrahim Kodijal asked the event organisers not to make speeches that hurt sentiments of other communities. Democratic Youth Federation of India Dakshina Kannada unit president Dayanand Shetty asked people not be carried away by speeches made at the event. Activist Suresh Shetty asked organisers to remove banners hurting religious sentiments.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad South Region Unit president M.B. Puranik said the event would discuss about issues and concerns of Hindus. Mr. Puranik said while speaking on such issues, some might be provocative, which, he said, was difficult to screen. Mr. Puranik said they intend to conduct the event in peace.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner S. Murugan said arrangements had been made to ensure peaceful conduct of the event. He said the police were prepared to respond within 10 minutes of trouble, if any, reported in the city and district. Arrangements have been made to provide security for all the places of worship in the city.

Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, Superintendent of Police Sharanappa S.D., MLAs J.R. Lobo and Mohiudin Bava and MLC Ivan D’Souza were present.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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