Siddaramaiah shares video of BJP leader questioning presence of Vivekananda’s portrait in meeting
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in an ‘X’ post on Thursday shared a video clip claiming that BJP National General Secretary Radhamohan Das Agarwal questioned the presence of Swami Vivekananda’s portrait during a state BJP functionary meeting.
Expressing outrage against the BJP, CM Siddaramaiah wrote in his post, "No matter how much the BJP and Sangh Parivar worship and hug Vivekananda for show, the incident that took place in today's @BJP4Karnataka executive special meeting is proof of how much impatience there is for Vivekananda in their hearts. BJP national general secretary Radhamohan Das Agarwal, on the stage in the program, questioned why there was a portrait of Vivekananda. They openly expressed their displeasure by questioning that. By insulting Vivekananda on his death anniversary, BJP has insulted the entire Hindu society.”
The Chief Minister further criticized Das for his actions, stating, "BJP National General Secretary openly expressed his displeasure by questioning what is the portrait of Vivekananda doing in the program. BJP has insulted the entire Hindu society by insulting him on the same day as Vivekananda's death anniversary.”
ALSO READ: Yediyurappa challenges CM Siddaramaiah to dissolve Assembly and hold elections now
"No matter how long the Sangh Parivar pampered Vivekananda, he still has not fully surrendered to the BJP and will not surrender in the future. Vivekananda preached brotherhood instead of hatred, scientific thinking instead of ignorance, interfaith coexistence instead of communal strife in the bedrock of Hinduism," added the CM.
Furthermore, he said, “At the Parliament of the World's Religions, Vivekananda, who addressed tens of thousands of people of different religions, cultures, and languages from hundreds of countries addressing them as ‘My dear brothers and sisters,’ stated that Hinduism is universal human thought. But if BJP leaders open their mouths, they incite violence by saying hit, hit, and kill. These thoughts of Vivekananda are not palatable to the BJP, which sows hatred in the name of religious protection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no exception to this. For this reason, he (Das) dared to ask why there was a photo of Vivekananda in a meeting full of people.”
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramiah has demanded a public apology on the same platform from the Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly insulting Vivekananda.
ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಘ ಪರಿವಾರದವರು ತೋರುಗಾಣಿಕೆಗಾಗಿ ವಿವೇಕಾನಂದರನ್ನು ಎಷ್ಟೇ ಆರಾಧಿಸಿದರೂ, ಮುದ್ದಾಡಿದರೂ ಅವರ ಆಂತರ್ಯದೊಳಗೆ ವಿವೇಕಾನಂದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ಅಸಹನೆ ಇದೆ ಎಂಬುದಕ್ಕೆ ಇಂದಿನ @BJP4Karnataka ಕಾರ್ಯಕಾರಣಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದಿರುವ ಘಟನೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ. ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ ರಾಧಾಮೋಹನ್ ದಾಸ್ ಅಗರ್ವಾಲ್… pic.twitter.com/mXMapBWPzx
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 4, 2024
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Gold smuggling racket busted at Bengaluru airport, 5 arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru following a coordinated operation, according to an official statement.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the case and efforts are underway to identify the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers of the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.
The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, culminated in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold worth about Rs 5 crore in paste form.
“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.
Officials said the contraband was ingeniously concealed in paste form inside capsule-shaped packets, highlighting the sophisticated methods adopted by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose Bengaluru as a transit point, exploiting longer layovers to facilitate covert transfers within the airport premises.
“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.
The use of coded exchanges within restricted zones enabled the syndicate to evade routine checks, it said, adding that the probe also uncovered insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.
“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.
The operation also revealed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.
Authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of a wider international network.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.
Officials said the case reflects the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to curbing such organised economic offences.
