Sidhu meets Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi, July 16: Amid continued infighting in the Punjab Congress, former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday met party chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence here.
The meeting comes ahead of the party’s Punjab unit revamp and amid reports that Sidhu may get a key role in the organisation. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party in-charge of Punjab affairs, Harish Rawat also attended the meeting with Sidhu, sources said. According to sources, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has expressed his resentment over Sidhu being given a key role. AICC general secretary Rawat had, however, denied such reports. (PTI)
Major fire at IISER in Pune
Pune, July 16: A major fire broke out at one of the laboratories at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) here on Friday, in which one student suffered minor injuries, officials said.
The blaze erupted around 12.15 pm, chief of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s fire department, Prashant Ranpise, said. “We have sent water tankers to the institute and the work of dousing the fire is going on,” he said.
An official of the IISER, which located in Pashan area of the city, said that the fire broke out at one of the labs in the chemistry department of the main building.
“The reason behind the fire is yet to be known and the fire department personnel are working to bring it under control,” she said.
No casualty has been reported and nobody is trapped inside. But one student sustained minor burns, she added. (PTI)
5 held for raising Pak slogans
Agra, July 16: Police have arrested five men, who were allegedly heard raising slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in a viral video captured during Samajwadi Party demonstrations, officials said on Friday.
The arrested accused were identified as Pankaj alias Paare, Aarif Khan, Chandra Prakash, Deepak Valmiki and Madhukar Singh – residents of Sultanganj Pulia locality.
The video posted on social media on Thursday evening shows Pankaj raising slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ during a protest against the state government, led by Wajid Nisar, Samajwadi Party’s (SP’s) Agra district unit head.
However, Nisar dissociated himself from Pankaj and asked police to take action against him. The protest was part of the statewide demonstrations by SP against the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government. (PTI)