Koppal, May 28: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Koppal district police have seized 1.8 kg of hydro ganja being illegally transported for sale in Gangavathi. Eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, Koppal Superintendent of Police Ram.L. Arshiddi announced on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at the district police office, SP Arshiddi said that the operation was carried out based on specific intelligence inputs. Acting on the tip-off, the police team raided two cars near the Government ITI College in Gangavathi, where the accused were reportedly attempting to sell the banned substance.

The seized ganja, believed to have been smuggled into India from Thailand, is estimated to be worth around Rs 18.06 lakh in the illegal market. During the operation, police arrested eight individuals and seized two vehicles used in the transportation of the contraband.

The arrested have been identified as Saujesh K.K. (28), Salim P.P. (27), B. Durga Prasad (27), Bad Shah (32), Madan (26), Surya Pratap Reddy (19), Muhammad Hameed (22), and Manikantha (23). Of these, three are said to be residents of Kerala.

A case has been registered at the Gangavathi Town Police Station, and further investigation is underway to uncover more details and possible links to other drug networks.

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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."