Mallikarjun Kharge booked for remarks on Bhupen Hazarika
Morigaon: Police have registered a case against senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge over his remark on Assam’s legendary singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika, officials said on Sunday. The case has been filed based on a complaint by RTI activist Raju Mahanta, alleging that Kharge has hurt sentiments of Assamese people. On Saturday, Kharge had slammed the Centre for not conferring Bharat Ratna on spiritual leader Shivakumara Swami, the Lingayat seer who died recently, and instead choosing “a singer” (Bhupen Hazarika) and a “man who propagated their RSS ideology” (Nanaji Deshmukh). “A case has been filed against Mallikarjun Kharge at Morigaon Police Station,” Swapnanil Deka, Superintendent of Police of Morigaon district, told PTI. Mahanta, who is also the president of ‘Sahai’ — a socio-cultural organisation of central Assam, told reporters that he filed the case as the remark passed by the Congress leader was objectionable and has hurt Assam and sentiments of its people. He demanded an apology from Kharge, who is the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha. On Friday, the Centre named former President Pranab Mukherjee for Bharat Ratna along with Bhupen Hazarika and Nanaji Deshmukh. (PTI)
One killed in train-tempo collision in Assam
Guwahati: One person was killed and another injured on Sunday when a tempo carrying them was hit by a train at an unauthorized level crossing in Lower Assam’s Chirang district, an official said. Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesman Nripen Bhattacharji told PTI that the tempo, while attempting to cross the tracks between Basugaon and Dangtol, came in the way of Dadra-Guwahati Express and got entangled to its engine. The tracks were covered with mud in a way that vehicles could move over it, Bhattacharji said, adding that the collision did not have any impact on the train engine. The railway officials had to stop train movement on the tracks for about an hour to disengage the tempo from the engine, he said. Stating that trains have to pull brakes 300 metres before the halting point to avoid toppling over, the NFR spokesman clarified that drivers were not required to either slow down or stop at unauthorized crossings. Bhattacharji also said that NFR has no unmanned level crossing in its areas of operation in Northeast, Bengal and Bihar. “In several places, there are bridges over and under the tracks for pedestrian and vehicular movement, but the NFR does not maintain any unmanned level crossing,” he added. (PTI)
Tripura gets award for maintaining cleanest fish market
Agartala: Tripura has been awarded on 70th Republic Day for maintaining the cleanest and most hygienic fish market in India by National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). The wholesale fish market of M G Bazar in Agartala has been built at the cost of Rs 2.25 crore with modern facilities including, scientific sanitation system, for which the state entered into the award category. More than 100 fish markets across the country had made entry for the award under swachha market component of Prime Minister’s Swachha Bharat Abhiyan last year, which was aimed to create competitive environment among the markets in terms of cleanliness and hygiene, officials of NFDB said here. While receiving the award in a simple ceremony at NFDB Hyderabad, the state government representative sought more supports from the board as well as from the central government to make the state self-sufficient in terms of fish production and fishery management. (UNI)