Giriraj courts controversy again
Patna: BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Wednesday again courted controversy by saying that all terrorists belong to a “particular community”. “Since terrorism is a matter relating to the country and not to a community, why secular leaders remain silent when all persons arrested in terrorism cases belong to a particular community,” he told reporters here. “Are there only a few to define religious non-discrimination? Is it not true that all the terrorists caught belong to one community? I am not saying that all the people in that community are terrorist but whoever is caught belongs to same community,” he said. The BJP leader, who was recently booked for his hate speeches, said this mindset was “posing a danger” to the country. “This is a naked example of pseudo secularism and patronisation of a community for vote bank politics. This mindset is posing danger to the country,” said the Nawada Lok Sabha candidate of the saffron party. During the poll campaign, Jharkhand and Bihar police had lodged three FIRs against Singh for saying that those opposed to Narendra Modi had no place in India and they should go to Pakistan. (PTI)
Cong calls meeting of spokespersons on eve of poll results
New Delhi: A meeting of Congress spokespersons has been called on Thursday on the eve of the declaration of results of the Lok Sabha elections. The meeting has been convened by AICC general secretary Ajay Maken who is in-charge of the party’s communication department. (PTI)
Heat wave sweeping south Bengal
Kolkata: The southern districts of West Bengal are reeling under a heat wave accompanied by dry wind, causing immense discomfort to people. Giving no hope of any immediate relief, regional Met director G C Debnath said that the heatwave would continue in south Bengal and parts of north Bengal for at least the next two to three days. The metropolis recorded a maximum of 38.9 degrees Celsius today, four degrees from normal, while the lowest temperature hovered around 29.3 degrees, which is three degrees above average. “The situation is abnormal and there are no chances of rainfall in the next three to four days,” Debnath said. People in the districts of Bankura, Purulia, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah and South 24-Parganas remained mostly indoors during the day with roads and market places wearing a deserted look. (PTI)
Freight train derails in C’garh; Naxal hand suspected
Raipur: Thirteen bogies and two engines of a freight train on Wednesday derailed and fell from a bridge in Maoist-hit Bastar district after suspected Naxalites removed fishplates from the tracks on Vishakhapattam-Kirandul route. The empty goods train derailed between Kaklur and Kumar Sandra restive villages while going towards Kirandul this morning, leading to rail traffic disruption on the route, Bastar Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav told PTI over phone. “However, no injuries were reported due to the incident,” he said. A police team and repairing staff have been dispatched to the spot after getting report of the mishap, he said. According to preliminary information, 13 bogies and two engines of the jumbo goods train jumped the tracks and fell from the bridge located on a small rivulet in the area which is a Naxal stronghold, he said, adding that complete details regarding the mishap were awaited. When asked about Naxals’ role in the tampering of fish plates, the SP said, “We can’t rule out the hand of the Naxals. However, we can’t come to a conclusion on this and the exact reason behind the mishap would be known after the investigation.” (PTI)
US tourist molested on Delhi-Dehradun highway
Lucknow: A taxi driver was arrested Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly molesting a US tourist on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, police said. The woman tourist hired a cab from Delhi to visit Rishikesh town on the Ganga and the driver en route allegedly molested her. He was arrested in Muzaffarnagar city and booked under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code and sent to jail, a police official said. The incident took place around 1 a.m. Tuesday at an isolated place on the highway near Nayi Mandi Kotwali area. The woman raised an alarm which people at a roadside eatery heard. They ran to rescue her. The driver was hauled up and handed over to police. The driver was identified as Samay Singh, resident of Saharanpur district in the state, police said. (IANS)
