Mangaluru, May 26: Senior Congress leader B Ramanath Rai on Friday urged the state government to form a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the politically motivated' murders that took place in the district in the last few years.
Addressing reporters at the Congress office here, Rai said many youths, belonging to Hindu and Muslim communities have been victims of political violence in the district in the last few years.
ALSO READ: Kundapur: 4 riders on one speeding bike try to run down cop at NH checkpost; case filed
He said there should be a comprehensive probe into these murders after preparing a list of the victims. Congress workers were not involved in these political murders and the role of BJP and other religious outfits in the communally sensitive district should be probed, the former minister said.
The Congress government will not tolerate violence of any kind in the coastal region, he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the Centre to introduce additional Vande Bharat train services between Mangaluru and Bengaluru to improve daily connectivity.
In his letter, Dinesh Gundu Rao said the Karnataka government is focusing on developing tier-2 cities into modern work and industry destinations to ensure balanced growth across the state and generate employment opportunities. He noted that Mangaluru has the potential to emerge as a strong alternative to Bengaluru, citing its strengths in education, commerce and culture, but pointed out that inadequate fast transport links have limited the city’s growth.
The minister said that the absence of quick daily travel options forces professionals and businesspersons to spend nights travelling for short-duration work, resulting in loss of productive time. He described this as unfair to the people of Dakshina Kannada, many of whom regularly commute between the two cities.
ALSO READ:Christmas message: Archbishop of Bangalore calls for peace, unity, respect for Human Dignity
To address this, Dinesh Gundu Rao requested the introduction of Vande Bharat trains from Mangaluru to Bengaluru at 4 am, 10 am and 6 pm, with return services on the same day on all weekdays. He said such services would significantly benefit working professionals and business communities and provide a major boost to economic activity in coastal Karnataka.
The minister added that improved high-speed rail connectivity would facilitate exchanges in healthcare, banking, commerce and industry, as both cities complement each other. He also said better connectivity would attract travellers from other parts of India and abroad to Mangaluru, given the city’s existing infrastructure and facilities.
Stating that passenger occupancy would not be a concern for these services, Dinesh Gundu Rao said the proposal reflects the aspirations of both the Karnataka government and the people of coastal Karnataka. He expressed hope for a positive response from the Union Railway Ministry.
