Bishop of Mangalore visits Kudroli temple to mark Dussehra celebrations
Mangalore: In a display of religious harmony, the Bishop of Mangalore, Most Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, paid a visit to the Kudroli temple in Mangaluru on Monday, October 23, 2023, marking the auspicious occasion of Dasara festival.
The visit was organized as a gesture of goodwill and unity, following an invitation extended by Padmaraj R, Treasurer of Kudroli Gokarnantheshwara Kshetra.
During his visit, Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha emphasized the crucial need for harmony in society and praised the teachings of Shri Narayana Guru, the revered founder of Kudroli temple. He recognized the Kudroli festival, also known as Mangaluru Dusshera, as a globally recognized event, second only to the renowned Mysore Dusshera.
The Bishop acknowledged that Mangaluru Dusshera has transformed into a festival that unites people of all faiths and religions. Reflecting the teachings of the great sage, who advocated for one caste, one religion, and one God, the temple has become a symbol of unity and communal harmony.
Accompanying Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha were Rev Rupesh Madtha, Roy Castelino PRO of Diocese of Mangalore, Alwyn Dsouza (President of Catholic Sabha), Mithun Sequeira, Sunil Kumar Bajal, Stanley D’Cunha from Bantwal, and several others.
The esteemed Bishop and U T Khader, Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, were warmly welcomed and greeted by Sairam (President), Madhava Suvarna (Secretary), Hari Krishna (Bantwal), and Suryakant Jaya Suvarna, as well as Santosh Poojary, Trustees of Gokarnantheswara Kshetra.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
