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Mangaluru, Jan 2: The coastal city of Mangaluru witnessed yet another alarming car fire incident last evening, marking the latest in a series of similar mishaps in recent months. Fortunately, quick action by the driver and passengers prevented any injuries.

On January 1, a moving Volkswagen car caught fire on the road leading to the helipad at Maryhill. The passengers noticed flames emanating from the front of the vehicle. Acting promptly, the driver pulled over, and all four occupants exited safely.

Local residents attempted to douse the flames using water, and personnel from the Kadri fire service soon arrived to manage the situation. Despite their efforts, the car's engine was completely destroyed.

This incident adds to a growing list of car fire cases reported in Mangaluru recently:

December 16, 2024: A Hyundai car caught fire near City Centre Mall. The driver narrowly escaped.

November 15, 2024: A car was gutted within minutes near Kadri police station, though the driver escaped unharmed.

November 10, 2024: A Maruti 800 waiting at a petrol station caught fire and was completely burnt.

September 28, 2024: A parked BMW at Adyar was destroyed in a fire.

September 5, 2024: Another BMW caught fire near NITK.

In all these incidents, timely evacuation ensured that no injuries were reported. However, the frequency of such cases raises serious concerns about vehicle safety and the need for preventive measures.

Authorities and vehicle manufacturers must investigate the underlying causes of these fires to prevent future occurrences. Public awareness about vehicle maintenance and safety measures is also critical to avert such mishaps.

BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath and several BJP leaders were arrested in Mangaluru during a protest organized by the Dakshina Kannada BJP Yuva Morcha near Mini Vidhana Soudha. 

The protest targeted the Congress-led Siddaramaiah government, accusing it of fostering an environment of harassment and distress, which the BJP claims has led to multiple suicides among contractors and government officials.

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Addressing the gathering before his arrest, Kamath criticized the Congress government, alleging that neither contractors nor honest officials have found peace since it assumed power. He remarked, "Suicide seems to be the only 'guarantee' under this administration."

Kamath cited the suicide of contractor Sachin, allegedly driven to death by harassment from individuals linked to Minister Priyank Kharge.

Other cases highlighted included the suicides of Chandrashekar, superintendent of the Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation, and Rudresh, who was allegedly harassed by an aide of Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar.

Kamath also referred to a Dalit inspector, Parashuram, who reportedly succumbed to alleged torture connected to Congress MLA Channareddy Patil’s son.

He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of remaining silent due to political fears over their positions.

Prominent BJP leaders such as Ramesh Kandetthu, Premananda Shetty, Vikas Puttur, Nandan Mallya, Monappa Bhandary, Pooja Pai, Deputy Mayor Bhanumathi, and Sanjay Prabhu participated in the protest alongside party workers and municipal council members.

The protest escalated, resulting in the arrest of Kamath and other BJP leaders by the police, marking a dramatic standoff between BJP and Congress.

New Delhi: In a jibe at AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva urged him to give up what he said were the former CM's "deceitful and dishonest" political practices as a new year resolve.

The dig at Kejriwal comes in response to his letter to RSS head Mohan Bhagwat in which he has accused the BJP of "openly" distributing money and trying to get Puravanchali and Dalit voters deleted from Delhi's electoral rolls ahead of the assembly polls.

Sachdeva extended Kejriwal new year greetings in his letter and said since childhood we all make resolutions on New Year's day to give up bad habits and start something good and new.

The Delhi BJP president said he hoped that, on the first day of 2025, Kejriwal would strive to bring meaningful change by abandoning "dishonest and deceitful political practices".

As part of his New Year's resolution, Kejriwal should resolve to "never to swear in the name of his children", and "apologise for promoting liquor" and "making false assurances" of cleaning Yamuna, Sachdeva said.

He also said he hoped the AAP chief would stop "playing with the sentiments" of Delhi's women, elders, and religious communities by making "false promises" and will not "associate with or accept donations" from "anti-national forces" for political gains.

"May God give you the strength to walk on the path of righteousness," Sachdeva said concluding the letter.