Drop Patil for performing homa to invoke rain God, demands Shettar

Bengaluru, Jun 6: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar on Monday criticised the Siddaramaiah government over Water Resources Minister M B Patil conducting a homa to invoke the rain God's blessings recently.

He demanded that he should be dropped from the state Cabinet immediately.The government's double standards have been exposed since it is talking of enacting an anti-superstitious law but allows its own minister to perform Parjanya homa, he said. “Patil hails from the land of Basavanna (12th century social reformer). But, unfortunately, he is performing such homas,” he stated, raising the issue in the Assembly.

“If the minister believes that the homa will bring rain, then why did he not perform it in the past three years when there was severe drought? If the government believes in such homas, there is no need for it to spend crores of rupees on irrigation...The government had initially planned to spend Rs 20 lakh for the homa at the birth place of the Krishna and the Cauvery rivers. Later, it was dropped due to criticism from various quarters,” he charged.

Shettar described the Parjanya homa performed by the minister as “heights of stupidity” and accused the government of misleading people. He also sought to know why “all those intellectuals” who had been insisting that the government ban superstitious practices, are not raising their voice against Patil and the government.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who claims he has a socialist background, has turned a blind eye to the homa issue, he charged.

Senior BJP leader K G Bopaiah said several officers of the Water Resources department attended the Parjanya homa at Bhagamandala, near the birth place of the river Cauvery in Kodagu district.

Many Congress and JD(S) members tried to counter Shettar saying the BJP government in the past had distributed Gangajal on the occasion of Shivaratri. Members on the Opposition and the Treasury benches indulged in mudslinging on the issue. JD(S) MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda said a BJP leader had gifted elephants to a temple in Kerala in the past. Then, BJP's C T Ravi said a senior politician had performed a month-long homa in the past.

Minister Patil was not present in the House.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

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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