Congress stages protest rally in Mangaluru against attack on MLC Ivan D'Souza's residence
Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee organized a protest rally in Mangaluru on Friday, condemning the recent attack on the residence of senior Congress MLC Ivan D'Souza. The rally, which began at D'Souza's house in Valencia and concluded at Kankanady Circle, was in response to the stone-pelting incident on Wednesday night, allegedly carried out by BJP and Sangh Parivar activists.
The attack on D'Souza's house is believed to have been sparked by his strong criticism of Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, following the Governor's decision to grant permission for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The CM is facing allegations related to illegal site allocations under the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
During the protest, Congress leaders and party members marched from Valencia to Kankanady Circle, chanting slogans against the BJP, whose activists have been accused of involvement in the attack. The rally culminated in a protest meeting on the footpath near Kankanady Circle, where police had set up barricades to prevent further escalation.
MLC Ivan D'Souza, along with District Congress President Harish Kumar, KPCC Spokesperson MG Hegde, former MLA JR Lobo, and other Congress leaders including PV Mohan and Deviprasad Shetty, addressed the gathering. They condemned the attack and called for justice.
In light of the protest, police security was increased along the rally route. Hundreds of police personnel were deployed to maintain order and ensure the safety of participants, with barricades placed at Kankanady Circle as a precautionary measure.
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Indian visa application centre suspended indefinitely in Bangladesh's Chattogram
Dhaka (PTI): India on Sunday suspended visa operations at its mission in Bangladeshi port city of Chattogram until further notice, according to media reports.
The move comes in the wake of a fresh wave of unrest witnessed in the country following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
His death triggered attacks and vandalism across Bangladesh, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner's residence in Chattogram on Thursday.
Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.
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He was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen at an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area and died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on December 18.
“Due to the recent security incident at Assistant High Commission of India (AHCI) Chittagong, Indian visa operations at IVAC Chittagong (Chattogram) will remain suspended from 21/12/2025 until further notice,” the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) said in a brief statement.
The announcement for reopening the visa centre will be made after reviewing the situation, the statement added. The decision came into effect on Sunday.
There are five IVAC facilities across Bangladesh at Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Chattogram and Sylhet. An IVAC official told PTI that the other four offices have remained operational as of Sunday.
India on Thursday resumed operations at its visa application centre in Dhaka, a day after closing it over escalated security concerns, but closed for a brief period two other identical facilities in Rajshahi and Khulna as anti-India protestors tried to march towards the Indian missions there.
On Saturday, security was strengthened at the Indian Assistant High Commission office and the visa application centre in Bangladesh's Sylhet city.
The enhanced security measures were put in place to ensure that “no third party can exploit the situation,” Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Saiful Islam was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Saturday.
Hadi, 32, was laid to rest on Saturday amid extra-tight security beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University mosque.
Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral prayers, and ahead of the ritual, chanted anti-India slogans like “Delhi or Dhaka - Dhaka, Dhaka” and “brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain.”
Earlier on December 17, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah and conveyed its strong concern over certain extremist elements announcing plans to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka.
“We expect the interim government to ensure the safety of Missions and Posts in Bangladesh in keeping with its diplomatic obligations,” it said.
The envoy was apprised of India's strong concerns about the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh, it added.
