Mangaluru: Snake shrine desecrated, Hindu outfits protest
Mangaluru, Nov 13: A snake shrine in a sacred grove (Nagabana) at nearby Kodikal was found damaged on Saturday.
A stone at the Nagabana was found thrown away by some miscreants, police sources said.
Local people gathered at the spot and informed the police. City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar also visited the place.
Leaders of right wing outfits Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, who visited the grove, warned of observing Kodikal city bandh on November 15 if the accused were not arrested immediately.
VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell said it was the third time that an idol of Naga has been desecrated in the district. The first incident was in Panambur and then in Kulur. "It is a planned strategy to desecrate Hindu worship centres," he alleged.
Bajrang Dal Puneeth Attavar also said a bandh will be observed if the culprits are not arrested within a day. Mangaluru North MLA Bharath Shetty and local corporators joined the protest at Kodikal.
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Heatwave scorches Odisha, Jharsuguda reels under 43.6 degrees C
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.
The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.
It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.
On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.
Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.
Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.
Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.
