Mangaluru, May 24: The Congress has shown its true intentions to hurt the sentiments of Hindus with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stating that moral policing will be curbed in Karnataka, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said on Wednesday.

Addressing reporters here, he said the Chief Minister’s statement should be read along with the Congress Assembly poll manifesto in which it has been suggested to ban the Bajrang Dal.

Condemning the statement, Kateel, who is also a Lok Sabha member, said the BJP will resist any action against Hindu nationalist workers.

On the assertion by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar that the government will not allow saffronisation of the police force, Kateel said all government employees have the freedom to practice his or her religion.

Stating that Shivakumar’s statement exposes the mindset of the Congress and its 'dirty politics', the BJP leader said people holding constitutional positions should not comment on religious beliefs of individuals in such a manner.

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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.

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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.