Farmers take crocodile
to protest power outage
Vijayapura (k’taka), Oct 25: Farmers here took a crocodile to the office of the state-run Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) in an unusual protest against irregular power cuts that disrupted their agricultural activities. They were peeved at the risk posed by wild animals and snakes when they went to their farms during night due to inadequate supply during day time. A farmer spoted an alligator in his agriculture field when he went to water his farm after power supply was restored late in the night last week. Villagers said the crocodile had come from the nearby Krishna river in search of a prey. The farmer then quickly called the fellow villagers, who tied the alligator and took it to the HESCOM office on October 19 to “demonstrate” the danger posed to them. Finding the “unusual guest” near their office, the terrified HESCOM officials called the police and forest officials to take it away. The HESCOM officials then assured the villagers that they will ensure that there will not be any power cuts during day-time. The forest officials later left the crocodile in the Almatti Dam from where it is believed to have strayed into the field. (PTI)
Cong moves EC against Shah, Assam CM
New Delhi, Oct 25: The Congress on Wednesday lodged complaints against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with the Election Commission, alleging that their remarks during the Chhattisgarh assembly poll campaign violated the model code of conduct. A delegation of Congress leaders met the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners, and presented to them eight different memorandums of poll code violations in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. (PTI)
MVA slams Maha govt
on quotas
Mumbai, Oct 25: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) attacked the Maharashtra government for not implementing its promise on giving reservations to the Maratha community even as their leader Manoj Jarange-Patil started a fresh fast-unto-death agitation in Jalna on Wednesday. Congress state President Nana Patole, Nationalist Congress Party Working President Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena-UBT national spokesperson Kihore Tiwari targeted Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CMs of BJP Devendra Fadnavis and NCP-AP’s Ajit Pawar on the Maratha quotas issued that returned to the centre-stage in state politics. Patole said that before it came to power, the BJP had assured quotas for Marathas, Tribals, Dhangars, OBCs, etc. but despite being in power for 10 years, they have not fulfilled the promise that is now fuelling afresh the Maratha agitation. Sule took a swipe at Shinde who dramatically bowed and vowed before a bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at a Dassehra Rally in Mumbai on Tuesday night “to give justice and reservations to the Marathas till the last drop of blood in his body”. (IANS)