Mangaluru: Neglecting voting is insult of Constitution, says District Judge Mallikarjuna HS
Mangaluru: Voting is not just a right but a duty, and neglecting it is an act of disrespect towards the Constitution, said District and Sessions Court Judge Mallikarjuna HS. He was speaking at the 15th National Voters’ Day programme organized by the Dakshina Kannada District Administration and the District Legal Services Authority at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall in Mangaluru on Saturday.
The judge highlighted that India had around 98 crore registered voters for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the number has now crossed the 100-crore mark. However, he pointed out that the voter turnout last year was only 66 percent, meaning nearly 30 crore eligible voters skipped the elections. While around three crore people could not vote due to unavoidable reasons, the remaining 30 crore abstentions reflect a disregard for the Constitution, he remarked.
Despite this, he appreciated the efforts of district officials in ensuring a good voter turnout in every election. Urging young voters to take the initiative, he said it is the responsibility of the youth to ensure voter turnout crosses 90 percent in the next elections. They must spread awareness among their friends, classmates, and neighbors about the importance of voting.
Judge Mallikarjuna also explained the significance of National Voters’ Day, which was first observed in 2011. Though the Indian Constitution came into effect in 1950, authorities later noticed that despite rising literacy levels, voter awareness was declining. This led to the launch of National Voters’ Day in 2011 to encourage greater participation in elections, he said.
Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anand, the chief guest at the event, administered the oath of voting to citizens. Eligible voters were handed representational voter ID cards, and officials who had made significant contributions during the last elections were felicitated.
The event was presided over by Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Mullai Muhilan. Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. G Santhosh Kumar and senior officer Khader Shah were also present. The event was compered by Manjula Shetty.
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Mangaluru: Bajpe police arrests young man for alleged derogatory posts against police
Bajpe: Police have arrested a youth for allegedly posting derogatory and defamatory content against the Bajpe police on social media.
The arrested accused has been identified as Abhishek M. (23), a resident of Katipalla, Surathkal.
According to the police, Abhishek posted a photograph of Bajpe Nisarga Hotel on his Instagram account mr_a_titude_22, alleging that accused persons in a murder case under the jurisdiction of the Bajpe police station were being treated “like royalty” by the police and were being served beef meals from the hotel every day. In his post, he further accused the police of colluding with criminals and misusing their authority, stating that public trust in the police was being betrayed.
Following which, the Bajpe police registered a case and arrested the accused.
Police records reveal that Abhishek is already facing multiple criminal cases. A case of murder, attempt to murder, assault and robbery has been registered against him at the Surathkal police station. At the same time, a robbery case has also been registered at the Kaup police station.
After his arrest, Abhishek was handed over to the custody of the CEN police for further investigation. He was later produced before a court, police said.
