Mangaluru: Leaders of several communities call for national unity at martyr's condolence meet
The event was organised by B-Human and Hidayah Foundation
Mangaluru: B Human organisation of Mangaluru, in association with Hidayah Foundation Mangaluru, on Friday, Feb 22 organised a condolence meet at the town hall Mangaluru, for the martyrs of Pulwama attack.
The event was attended by several prominent personalities of the city along with officers from Naval and Military wings of Indian Army.
Chief Guest, Colonel Raj Mannar, Army recruitment officer of Mangaluru, during his address spoke about how such events, become source of inspiration and moral support for the soldiers fighting with enemies, after seeing their fellow colleagues die in numbers.
“They (soldiers) know that the nation will stand for them if they die in the war zone, they know that their families will be taken care of, by the whole nation, and that is a great source of mental support to a soldier” Col. Mannar said.
He further stressed upon, maintaining cordial relations among the communities, as India is a diverse country, “A soldier who fight on the border, doesn’t fight for a particular community, he fights for India. Not the India that is divided, but one India” he added.
Kemaru Matta Isha Vittala Das Swamiji, also advised people to rise above politics of hate and be united for the sake of nation. He stressed upon respecting farmers and the soldiers and added “The deaths of soldiers and farmers are the two most expensive loss we as a country can face, so we should value them as much as we can to avoid such loss”.
Swamiji also questioned how 350 kg of RDX went undetected by the security forces in a defense’s sensitive area, he recalled a incident to support his question and said “During the assembly election, when I was coming from Udupi towards Mangaluru, at a checkpost I was stopped for regular checking and although I wasn’t carrying anything illegal with me, my vehicle was searched and checked over three times by three different officers, with such officers in our forces how did 350 kg of RDX consignment passed undetected?”
Mangaluru DCP Law and Order Hanumantharaya, lauded the efforts of organisers and for bringing people of all community on one platform to mourn and condole the deaths of the brave soldiers who died in the Pulwama attack.
Manager of Shanti Prakashana, Mohammed Kunhi, during his address elaborated on the need of people of this country being united while also condoling the deaths of the martyrs. He also called it responsibility of every citizen to take care of the families of the martyred by standing against terrorism and in solidarity with the martyrs.
Prominent social activist of the city MJ Hegde, added that the external forces can attack a country only by exploiting their internal weaknesses and a country which is united internally cannot be attacked by external forces.
He appealed to the citizens to not fight over issues which are out of our hand that weaken the nation.
“People these days are fighting over what is happening in other countries, what do we get from it, why are we creating differences among ourselves from what is happening in other countries? This is when we become vulnerable to the threat of external threats” Hegde said.
S.B. Mohammed Darimi, in his address called on people to prioritise nation upon everything and that one’s caste, creed, religion should be secondary and his nation’s interests should be placed above all”.
Navy DPO, Gautam, Mansoor Ahmed, Abdul Rauf Puthige, Hidayat Addur and others were present on the dias during the event.
The event concluded with people paying homage to the martyrs by lighting candles and NCC cadets presenting NCC song in the leadership of head cadet Rohan of Aloysius college.
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Accused gunman at correspondents' dinner was believed to be targeting top officials, Blanche says
Washington (AP): The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to The Associated Press as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Donald Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
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