After Modi, its Rahul’s turn to visit Jharkhand
Ranchi: AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi will visit Gumla and Khunti districts on April 1 to campaign for Congress candidates. “Rahul Gandhi will address two public meetings at Gumla under Lohardaga and Khunti Lok Sabha constituencies. Party leaders of the two districts have been advised to prepare for the meetings,” PCC spokesman Sailesh Sinha said quoting PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat. Congress leader and former union minister Rameshwar Oraon is contesting for Lohardaga while Kalicharan Munda is in the fray for the Khunti seat as the Congress candidate. BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today addressed two meetings, one at Gumla and another in Chatra in support of party candidates. While BJP’s Sudarshan Bhagat is contesting from Lohardaga, Sunil Singh is the party candidate from the Chatra seat. (PTI)
Lankan students in Kerala to learn state’s academic culture
Kochi: Sri Lanka’s oldest and most prestigious varsity, the University of Kelaniya, has sent a team of management students to Toc H Institute of Science and Technology here to study the state’s academic culture. The team, comprising 40 students and 12 faculty members, reached Kerala on March 24 and are undertaking a week-long academic programme at the TIST as part of a students’ exchange programme between the two institutions. The team is headed by Prof Dr D M Semasignhe, Dean, Commerce & Management Studies of University of Kelaniya. The programme is aimed at providing the Sri Lankan students an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the management education practices in India, especially in Kerala. It is also a forum for students to know more about the cultural and economic factors that shaped Kerala’s environment-friendly growth model, TIST Director Dr V Job Kuruvilla, said. “We are very happy to be here in Kerala. We had a great opportunity to learn a lot of things during the visit, said Kumuduni Wasala, MBA student from University of Kelaniya. The delegation also visited various industrial establishments, educational institutions as well as places of historical importance. (PTI)
Commotion at Modi rally in Bihar, Police lathicharge crowd
Gaya: Commotion broke out on Thursday at the venue of a rally here in Bihar shortly before BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was to address it prompting Police to resort to a mild lathicharge. The police action to restore order came after the crowd at the rally in Gandhi Maidan who had gathered for several hours became restive during which the wooden barricades were also broken. A section of the crowd also barged into the media enclosure. The people at the rally ran helter skelter and flung chappals as policemen wielded lathis to control the crowd. Police reinforcements were also rushed in. The rally continued after BJP leaders appealed for peace and calm. Modi flew into this pilgrim town in Bihar in a chopper to address the second rally in the state today after his address in Sasaram, where outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is the Congress candidate. Modi had earlier in the day addressed a rally at Gumla in Jharkand. The BJP Prime Ministerial candidate’s previous rally in Gandhi Maidan in Patna on October 27 last was rocked by serial blasts minutes before he began his address. A tight security cover was thrown at the rally here after Maoists blew up two mobile towers exploding powerful bombs in two areas of Gaya district ahead of Modi’s rallies. About 100 Maoists gathered in the two areas and blew up two mobile towers of a private company by exploding powerful bombs at Manjhauli and Dumaria Bazar villages late last night, Gaya Superintendent of Police Nishant Tewari said. (PTI)
If Modi is chaiwala, then I’m chalwala:Mistry
New Delhi: Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry, who is taking on Narendra Modi in Vadodara, on Thursday branded the BJP PM candidate as “casteist” alleging that he was trying to win elections in the constituency by provoking Dalits. The AICC General Secretary also demanded that Modi resign as Chief Minister before elections to “create a level playing field”. Countering the BJP leader who has been harping on his humble origins, Mistry dubbed Modi as the “face of certain corporates” whom he had given thousands of acres of land “If he is a chaiwala then I am chalwala (slumdweller). He is not a candidate of the poor,” Mistry said seeking to dismiss the projection by Modi of himself as a humble tea vendor rising to be the BJP PM candidate. Mistry, who is leaving for Gujarat today, also slammed Modi for raking up the dalit origin of Narendra Rawat, who was earlier declared the Congress candidate after winning the primaries. He said that since Modi is using caste to win elections, he should first declare what caste he belongs to. “This is for the first time that a leader who is seeking to become the Prime Minister was playing so petty by raking up caste”, he said. (PTI)
VHP demands apology from Maneka Gandhi
Pilibhit (UP): Vishwa Hindu Parishad office bearers in the city today alleged that BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit Maneka Gandhi has misbehaved with a priest of a local temple and demanded an apology from her. “Gandhi has hurt the religious feeling by insulting priest of Jara temple at Pooranpur road and threatening him of demolishing the temple,” VHP district president Deepak Agarwal told reporters here. “She will have to apologies otherwise we will meet Superintendent of Police and demand action against him,” he said adding that VHP will resort to agitation against the act. (PTI)
Process of proclamation for rape-accused IPS officer begins
Jaipur: The process of proclamation for rape-accused IPS officer B B Mohanty has been initiated under section 82 of the CrPC, police said today. Mohanty, accused of raping a 23-year-old civil services aspirant, has been evading arrest despite a warrant was issued against him in February. The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate No. 30 on Tuesday gave Mohanty time till April 30 to surrender, and said if he failed to honour its orders the process to declare him a “proclaimed offender” section 83 of the CrPC would be initiated. Standing warrant would be issued against Mohanty under section 83 of the CrPC if he fails to appear, investigating officer Premdan said. (PTI)