Pawar celebrates 75th birthday with NCP workers
Mumbai: Former Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday celebrated his 75th birthday here with party workers and leaders. Pawar was at Y B Chavan Pratisthan since 9 AM today where party workers from different parts of Maharashtra flocked to extend their greetings to him. Pawar’s daughter and Baramati Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule, former Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse Patil, State NCP Chief Sunil Tatkare, NCP group leader in the Assembly, Jayant Patil were present at the meeting. Prominent among those who wished Pawar were Chairman of Legislative Council Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council Vasant Davkhare, Sikkim Governor Srinivas Patil, Congress leader Manikrao Thakre, Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe and BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar. Walse Patil said Pawar’s 75th birthday was unlike the celebration every year. “This is a milestone in his chequered life and the party wanted to celebrate it with workers coming from all over the state,” he said adding that over 5,000 workers came over to wish their leader from 9 AM till 12.45 PM. Pawar sat on the dias of the Pratishthan auditorium for over three hours accepting wishes along with bouquets, greeting cards, shawls. Some even gifted him hockey sticks and balls. (PTI)
Elephant tramples man to death
Udhagamandalam: A 52-year-old man was today trampled to death by an elephant in an estate area near Gudalur, about 70 km from here. Venkatachalam was going to a shop to buy provisions when the pachyderm attacked him, police said. He died on the spot, they added. (PTI)
Security beefed up in Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer: Security agencies have been put on alert in this border district in the wake of arrest of two suspected ISI spies from Jodhpur and one ISIS activist in Jaipur. The police force has kept up vigil and suspicious elements have been put under surveillance, Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajiv Pachar said. “Police is fully alert and vigilant,” the SP said. In the past, a few spies and smugglers were arrested by the intelligence agencies in Jaisalmer, bordering Pakistan. Two persons allegedly spying for Pakistan were recently arrested in Jodhpur’s Baap area while one Indian Oil Corporation manager was arrested in Jaipur on Thursday for spreading the ideology of ISIS. (PTI)
Rival groups open air fire in UP’s Etah over ‘voting’
Etah: In an alleged show of might after local panchayat polls at Yadgarpur village here people from two groups indulged in open-air firing, police said on Saturday. The accused persons opened fire yesterday to show their strength and create a sense of fear among villagers after they an argument broke out between the opposing groups over voting in the election, police said. The offenders, however, managed to escape from the spot before police action, they added. After the incident, police staged a flag march along with the personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in adjoining Achalpur, Nagla Jawahari, Supeti, Nagla Khyali and Dateyi villages, police said. In another incident, six persons were injured in a clash after a heated argument in Supeti village here. The injured, Anil Kumar, Mamta, Saurabh, Ramkali, Pooja and Suman have been admitted to a hospital, police said. The matter is under investigation, they said, adding that no arrests have been made so far. (PTI)
9 militia members surrender in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam: Nine armed militia members, including three commanders, surrendered before the district police here on Saturday. Visakhapatnam Superintendent of Police Koya Praveen told reporters that nine armed militia members have surrendered before the police today after their families were counselled. Among the nine persons, three members — K Gopala Rao, M Ranga Rao and K Lassu — were armed militia commanders while remaining were militia members, the officer said. All of them belonged to Bonthvalasa village in GK Veedhi mandal of the district, he said. They were involved in various illegal activities, including blasting of coffee plantations and working as Maoist courier for supplying essential commodities, newspapers etc. To a query, the SP said since January this year, 91 militia members and nine Maoists have surrendered, while 63 militia members, three extremists and 10 sympathisers have been arrested by police, he said. (PTI)
Jaya thanks UP CM
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today thanked her Uttar Pradesh counterpart Akhilesh Yadav for contributing Rs 25 crore for flood relief operations in the rain-ravaged state. “Thank you for your generous contribution of Rs 25 crore to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, towards flood relief operations in Tamil Nadu,” she said in her letter to Akhilesh Yadav. She said her government was ceaselessly working to ensure return of normalcy at the earliest in the affected districts. “I wholeheartedly thank you for your magnanimous gesture,” she said. (PTI)
