Sixth cruise vessel of season calls at New Mangalore Port
Mangaluru, Mar 21: The sixth cruise vessel of the current season, 'Silver Spirit', called at New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) and docked at 8 am on Tuesday, port authorities said.
The vessel, carrying 497 passengers and 411 crew members berthed alongside berth No.4, NMPA release here said.
The overall length of the ship is 210.70 metre with a carrying capacity of 39,444 gross tonnage and having a draft of 6.60 metre. The vessel's last port of call was Cochin Port and after leaving Mangaluru it will sail to Mormugao port.
The passengers were given a warm welcome by playing traditional drums (chende). Arrangements were put in place for the pleasant experience of the cruise passengers including medical screening of passengers, multiple immigrations and customs counters for swift movement.
A total of 25 coaches of bus including two shuttle buses were arranged for passengers visiting local market and shops in and around Mangaluru.
The cruise passengers also availed benefits of meditation centre set up by the department of AYUSH inside the cruise lounge. Cloth and handicraft outlets were also kept open for the tourists.
The passengers visited various tourist destinations including Achal cashew factory, Kudroli Gokarnatheshwara temple, Kadri Majunatheshwara temple, St Aloysius Chapel, local market, Pilikula artisan village, Thousand Pillars Basadi and the Soans Farm.
Souvenirs were given away to the cruise passengers while they were embarking back to their ship. The ship sailed at 6 pm to its next destination at Mormugao Port in Goa, the release said.
1/2 New Mangalore Port welcomed 06th Cruise vessel "Silver Spirit" today. The ship arrived today at 0800hrs carrying 497 passengers & 411 crew members. @shipmin_india @Indportsassn @SDCL_India pic.twitter.com/SRSpkVq71v
— New Mangalore Port Authority (@NewMngPort) March 21, 2023
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
