Diganth missing case: Cong leader Ramanath Rai accuses communal groups of spreading misinformation
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Mar 13 (PTI): Congress leader B Ramanath Rai on Thursday urged law enforcement authorities to take action on their own against leaders of certain communal organisations allegedly spreading false narratives to incite unrest.
Addressing a press conference here, Rai expressed concern over what he described as a systematic effort to disrupt communal harmony.
He argued that prosecuting lower-level activists was insufficient and called for cases to be registered against those in leadership positions who, he claimed, were responsible for provoking such incidents.
"It was a clear attempt to foment communal clashes," he stated.
Referring to the recent case of missing youth Diganth, the former minister asserted that the situation could have escalated into a communal clash had the police not intervened in time.
He contended that while discussing the disappearance itself would have been a legitimate political approach, certain groups attempted to exploit the incident to inflame tensions.
"The timely action of the police in locating Diganth helped prevent a possible communal disturbance," Rai said, urging the public to remain vigilant against politically motivated narratives.
Drawing parallels with previous incidents, Rai accused right-wing groups of "distorting facts" for electoral gains.
He cited the 2017 murder of Sharath Madivala, alleging that misleading propaganda was used to influence public sentiment.
He also claimed that during Tipu Jayanti celebrations, BJP workers were responsible for the killing of Harish Poojary—a case that was later framed differently in the political discourse.
Rai criticised the prevailing political climate in Dakshina Kannada, asserting that certain politicians deliberately exploit cases of murder or disappearance to fuel communal divisions. He called for stringent legal action against those inciting violence and disturbing societal peace.
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.
PM Modi holds bilateral talks with several leaders
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held talks with top leaders of Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Slovakia with a focus on shoring up bilateral cooperation in trade and technology sectors.
He also held a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and discussed how the global body can play a "constructive role" in making use of artificial intelligence inclusive.
Modi met Guterres and other leaders on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit.
We talked about making AI all inclusive and how the UN can play a constructive role in this regard, the prime minister said on his talks with the UN chief.
"Reiterated India's support towards any effort aimed at harnessing AI for a better planet. We also exchanged perspectives on UN reforms, especially giving greater voice to the Global South," he said on social media.
Following his talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Modi said both sides will continue to work in close cooperation to ensure regional security and prosperity.
"Delighted to meet Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam. Reaffirmed our shared commitment to take our enhanced Strategic Partnership to new heights in AI, technology, culture and people-to-people ties," he said.
Modi also described Mauritius as a vital partner in India's MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision.
On his meeting with Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the prime minister said: "We took stock of the progress in India-Sri Lanka relations in the recent times."
"We also discussed avenues of cooperation in areas such as energy, connectivity, infrastructure, healthcare, skilling, culture, blue economy and more," he added.
Modi said he and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini discussed bilateral cooperation in areas of defence, space and digital public infrastructure.
My meeting with Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic was "very productive", the prime minister said on social media.
"The recent India-EU FTA will create several opportunities to boost trade and investment between our nations. Other subjects we discussed included cooperation in digital technology, StartUps, Digital Public Infrastructure, defence, space and more," he said.
