Free travel to those who participate in Janaagraha convention
Bus Owners Association’s diktat draws flak
Mangaluru, November 22: The direction of the Dakshina Kannada District Bus Owners Association to the bus owners, drivers and conductors to allow the people, who participate in Janagrah convention organized by the VHP and Bajrang Dal at Nehru Stadium on November 25 in support of Ram Mandir construction at Ayodhya, to travel freely has received widespread criticism.
In a meeting with the office bearers of the Bus Owners Association, MLA Vedavyas Kamath appealed the bus owners to provide free travelling facility to the people who would participate in the convention. Following this, association president Dilraj Alva and general secretary Prakash Shekha directed the bus owners, drivers and conductors to take the people free of cost to the Janagrah convention. This decision has received widespread criticism and being debated in the social media. Earlier also, bus owners association used to support the Hindutva organizations indirectly. Now, by directing the bus owners and drivers to allow the people in the buses freely, the Association has been supporting the Hindutva organizations openly, people accused in the social media.
DYFI
At the time of election, the efforts of BJP and the Sangha Pariwar in communal polarization are part of their political strategy. As part of that agenda, they have organized the convention in Mangaluru on November 25 demanding Ram Mandir construction at Ayodhya. This was completely a political programme with a hidden agenda engineering communal hatred.
The decision of the private bus owners association to provide free travel facility to the people to a political programme is condemnable. It was a shocking news that the association has served notice to all bus owners. A public transportation system should not be misused for certain communal programmes. People of the district should raise their voice against such a decision, said DYFI state president Muneer Katipalla.
Muslim merchants association
Muslim Merchants Association has said that the bus owners association decision is illegal. This would lead problems for the common people to travel in buses. Will the association office-bearers who act as per the Sangh Parivar’s direction, accept if other organizations appealed like this, association president Ali Hassan asked.
Won’t affect passengers: Dilraj Alva
“Following the appeal of MLA Vedavyas Kamath, the bus owners were requested to allow those who participate in Janagrah convention to travel in the buses freely. This is not the new development. Earlier also same kind of facility was made. But I don’t know why this issue is being blown out of proportion. We are not cutting the routes of any buses for this purpose. It is just asked the bus owners to provide the people free travelling opportunity”, Association President Dilraj Alva told Varthabharathi.
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Attacks on Christians contradict PM's message of harmony, visit to church: Gehlot
Jaipur (PTI): Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday expressed concern over the reported attacks and disruptions in prayer gatherings of the Christian community in different parts of the country, saying such incidents were "worrying and condemnable".
In a post on X, Gehlot said that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting a church and giving a message of peace and harmony, news of attacks on members of the Christian community from various regions reflected a serious contradiction.
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"Symbolic gestures would not be enough, and strict legal action was required against those spreading hatred," the senior Congress leader said.
He added that Indian culture has always upheld the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", where every citizen has full freedom to practise their faith.
Gehlot urged the Centre and state governments to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no citizen is forced to celebrate their festival under fear.
