Rohtak, July 6 (IANS) Haryana BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Chander Jangra said on Saturday that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ‘speaks without thinking’ and it is a misfortune for the country that he is Leader of the Opposition (LoP).

“The whole country is condemning what Rahul Gandhi said in the House. Gandhi speaks without intelligence. The whole country knows this. It is misfortune for our country that Rahul Gandhi is the LoP. Unfortunately, we don’t know for how many days we have to tolerate him,” Jangra told the media in Rohtak.

On Hathras stampede, he said that anyone could become a ‘baba’ (referring to Bhole Baba) by luring women.

“Baba should also be questioned on Hathras incident. He also had a responsibility to regulate the gathering. Not only this, the code of conduct and arrangements should be made for such gatherings.”

Regarding the BJP-JJP alliance in the state, which snapped in March this year, Jangra said the BJP has suffered a lot because of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).

“This was an alliance of their compulsion. The way the current government of the state is working at present, it’s certain that the Bharatiya Janata Party is going to form the government again and the government is engaged in solving whatever problems the people are facing at the moment.”

With the ruling BJP in Haryana in battle mode for the Assembly elections slated for October, Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week chaired a brainstorming session of the party in Panchkula and announced that the BJP will fight the polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

BJP leaders said that two sessions were convened in Panchkula to review the party’s preparations for a 100-day roadmap to ensure that it retains power in the state for the third consecutive time.

The new government in Haryana was formed in March this year after the BJP severed its four-and-a-half-year-old ties with the JJP led by Dushyant Chautala, by Nayab Singh Saini succeeding Manohar Lal Khattar as the Chief Minister.

The Assembly has a total strength of 90 legislators.

However, after the death of Badshahpur legislator Rakesh Daultabad, the resignation of Power Minister Ranjit Singh, and that of Mullana legislator Varun Chaudhary after his election from the Ambala Lok Sabha seat, the House has 87 MLAs now.

The BJP, which has 41 MLAs, enjoys the support of Haryana Lokhit Party’s lone legislator Gopal Kanda, and Nayan Pal Rawat, an Independent legislator.

In Opposition, Congress has 29 legislators, the JJP has 10, and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has one legislator.

Three Independents have extended their support to the Congress, while another Independent MLA, Balraj Kundu, has been voicing his opposition to the BJP.

–IANS

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Imphal, July 6 (IANS) Days, after the leading Meitei and Naga organisations reiterated their demand to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state to curb infiltration from across the border, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) on Saturday said that they would not oppose the execution of NRC in the state, provided it is under supervision of the Supreme Court.

The KIM, one of the leading bodies of Kuki-Zomi tribals in Manipur, said that they would not dispute any such genuine efforts for identification and necessary actions as per constitutional rules and principles, provided that it is carried out under strict supervision of the Supreme Court and in due consultation with tribal organisations.

“Subsequently, any illegal immigrant found, whether a Kuki, Naga or Meitei, may be thoroughly dealt with as per established laws of the country,” said KIM Secretary, Information and Publicity Janghaolun Haokip.

Haokip said that the Manipur state issue in no way concerns the Kuki-Zo people who have been forced out of Manipur and were compelled to petition their grievances to the government of India for constitutional protection in the creation of a Union Territory with Legislature for the tribals belonging to the Kuki-Zo community.

The KIM said that they would like to stress the immediate need for political settlement above all other matters of importance.

“The unwarranted and brutal hostilities against our people by the Meiteis must end, and only then a procedural conduct of NRC in Kuki-Zo inhabited regions can be justifiable and viable.

“The Meitei state leadership responsible for the oppression and persecution of our people, causing the loss of 186 precious lives, the arson and destruction of more than 7,000 houses, rendering more than 41,000 Kuki-Zo people homeless has no legitimate say and authority over the future of our people,” Haokip said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a joint delegation of leaders of Coordinating Committee for Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and the United Naga Council (UNC) earlier this week urged Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey to implement the NRC in the state with a base year of 1951 to curb infiltration from across the border and protect the indigenous people.

COCOMI Coordinator Thokchom Somorendro and UNC President NG Lorho led the joint delegation, which also submitted a memorandum to the Governor.

COCOMI is the apex body of the Meitei community in Manipur while the UNC is the leading organisation of Nagas in the state.

Somorendro and Lorho had informed the Governor that NRC implementation in Manipur is extremely vital to curb the influx of illegal immigrants, which they claimed, “shattered the demographic balance” of the northeastern state.

“Illegal migrants have already caused serious uncertainties and political insecurities to the native population of the state,” the memorandum said.

The COCOMI and UNC leaders have urged the Governor that NRC should be implemented at the earliest so that scientific method of identification may be applied to detect illegal immigrants and ensure that no further infiltration occurs in the state henceforth.

In the over year-long ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zomi tribals, over 220 people were killed, 1,500 injured and over 70,000 people displaced after the ethnic hostility broke out on May 3 last year following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’, organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

–IANS

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Bhopal, July 6 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Jitu Patwari on Saturday accused Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led BJP government of running away from the debate in the Assembly.

He claimed that the Assembly was adjourned sine die nine days before its schedule because the Congress legislators raised public issues in the House.

The monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly that had begun in July, was adjourned sine die on July 5, while the session was scheduled to run till July 14.

“The BJP adjourned the House hurriedly because the Congress exposed their failure. Even the BJP MLAs were questioned over Nal Jal Yojana, which is why the Assembly was adjourned before its scheduled time,” Patwari said during a press conference.

He also claimed that the BJP government did not reply to 64 per cent of the questions asked during the monsoon session.

“Congress and BJP MLAs have asked a total of 4,270 questions, of which 2,756 went unanswered,” Patwari said.

Meanwhile, the State Congress Chief targeted Chief Minister Yadav over unemployment and the law and order situation in the state.

–IANS

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Kochi, July 6 (IANS) The Kerala High Court has slammed Indian Railways for the waste found besides tracks and directed it to ensure proper disposal of garbage.

A Division Bench of the High Court made these observations while hearing the case that was registered by it suo motu after a fire broke out at Brahmapuram, near here and also dealing with the management of gypsum generated by Fertilizers & Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT).

The court observed that Railways has a duty to prevent the disposal of waste on tracks.

It said that while the waste generated near the railway stations was managed, not much was being done to remove garbage from the side of the tracks.

The court said the main reason for this dumping was that train compartments do not have adequate garbage bins.

It further pointed out that the waste disposed on the tracks flows into water bodies causing damage to the environment.

The court, looking into the two cases, directed Indian Railways to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken to clear the plastic waste from tracks.

On the second issue, the court expressed whether the gypsum generated could be used in road construction and asked FACT and the National Highway Authority of India to explore the possibility.

The court posted the case for further hearing on July 26.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 6 (IANS) The police have arrested two persons, including a woman, in connection with the carnage at Bolpur in West Bengal’s Birbhum district which killed three members of the same family.

The woman who has been arrested in this connection is Smirti Bibi, who is the wife of Sheikh Ratan, the younger brother of Sheikh Tuta, 40, who was killed in the carnage.

Besides, Sheikh Tuta, his wife Rumpa Bibi, 30, and son Ayan Sheikh, 94, were also killed in the carnage.

Sheikh Safiqul, a quack residing in an adjacent village, with whom Smirti Bibi allegedly had an extra-marital affair, had also been arrested in connection with the incident.

Based on the complaint lodged by other members of the family, there were often quarrels in the family over an alleged extra-marital affair.

The family members as well as the neighbours of the family have informed the police that since Sheikh Tuta was vocal against this extra-marital affair, both Smirti Bibi and her paramour had developed a grudge over the deceased person.

On early Friday morning, the room where the three deceased individuals were sleeping was set on fire.

While Rumpa Bibi and Ayan Sheikh died on Friday only after they were brought to the hospital, Sheikh Tuta died early Saturday morning.

The local police have started an investigation into the matter.

Sources said that based on statements of different persons as well as some circumstantial evidence, the two persons were arrested on Saturday.

–IANS

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