Ex-Arunachal CM Apang to float new political party
Kolkata: Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang, who quit the BJP after a four-year association earlier this week, Friday said he will form a new political party. Asserting that he will not join any other party, Apang said, “I will float a new party.” The 69-year-old leader arrived here to attend Saturday’s mega opposition rally at the invitation of West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. He praised Banerjee as a ‘great leader’ and expressed support for her initiative to defeat the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Apang has been the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh for 22 years in two stints – from January 1980 to January 1999 and again from August 2003 to April 2007. Apang resigned from the saffron party in a letter sent to party president Amit Shah on Tuesday. He had left the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 general election. (PTI)
Ganja worth Rs 1.61 cr seized in Tripura
Agartala: In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Tripura Police on Friday seized 300 kg of ganja (cannabis) valued at Rs 14.60 lakh in the international market. “Police and BSF troopers in a joint raid seized around 300 kg ganja amounting to Rs 14.60 lakh from a border village of Anandapur in Sepahijala district on Thursday night,” a BSF release said. “Separate cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the seized consignment handed over to police,” the release said. With this seizure, the total amount of seized contraband over the last two weeks has reached 2,855 kg, valued at Rs 1.61 crore, according to the release. “The operation was led by the para-military force’s Assistant Commandant A.K. Singh and Sonamura sub-divisional police officer Sauvik Dev,” it added. Last week, a police official and his sister-in-law were arrested for their alleged involvement in drug smuggling. So far, 16 policemen have been either arrested or suspended from service for their reported involvement in drug menace. (IANS)
National Youth Day celebrated at ICFAI University
SHILLONG: ICFAI University Tripura celebrated National Youth Day on the auspicious occasion of 156th birth day of Swami Vivekananda by urging the students, faculty members and staff to follow and sincerely act upon his ideology. The programme was graced by Swami Hitakamananda, Head of Ramkrishna Mission of Viveknagar, Agartala as chief guest. The chief guest along with the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. Biplab Halder and Registrar, Dr. A Ranganath, faculty members and students offered floral tributes on the portrait of Swami Vivekananda. Key note speaker Swami Hitakamananda described Swami Vivekananda as global icon for the youth and urged upon everybody to work hard and achieve perfection in life.