23 held for Assam lynching, 26 for misusing social media
Guwahati, June 11: A total of 23 people have been arrested for the lynching of two youth in Assam's Karbi Anglong on Friday, while 26 more have been arrested under a crackdown launched against misuse of social media, police said on Monday.
A rumour about presence of some child snatchers was spread through social media by a section of people in and around Dokmoka in Karbi Anglong in past few days and the mob that lynched to death Nilotpal Das and Abhijit Nath on Friday mistook the duo to be child snatchers.
"While police have arrested 26 people since last night for posting hate messages on social media over the lynching of two youths in Karbi Anglong district by villagers, a total of 23 people have been caught for their involvement in lynching the two," said Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Agarwala.
Meanwhile, the Assam government has decided to to introduce a programme 'Sanskar' in all the development blocks and gaon panchayats very soon in view of incidents triggered by sheer ignorance and superstitions in the state in the last few months.
The programme will be replicated throughout the state on mission mode so that it can create a deterrent against superstitions and all its manifestations.
"Assam is known all over India for its unique hospitality and people coming from all over the country must feel an ambience of friendliness where ever they in the state," said Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while urging the authority concerned to frame modalities of the programme and a suitable roadmap should be created to implement it at all levels of the state so that any unfortunate situation does not arise in the state due to superstitions.
With the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council as the nodal agency, the programme will encompass all Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and all concerned government departments in a districts.
Moreover, all local bodies, mahila samiti, voluntary organizations, media persons, leading citizens, academicians, MPs and MLAs from ruling and opposition parties will be the stake holders of the programme. Social activists like Birubala Rabha, who has been fighting tirelessly against witch-hunting, will also be involved in the programme.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kharge likens BJP and RSS to poison; says 'poisonous snake should be killed'
Pune, Nov 17: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday likened the BJP and RSS to "poison" and termed them as "politically most dangerous" in India.
Addressing a rally in Sangli on the penultimate day before the campaigning for the Maharashtra assembly polls concluded, Kharge used the "killing the poisonous snake" analogy in his speech.
"If there is anything which is politically the most dangerous in India is the BJP and RSS. They are like poison. If a snake bites, the person (who is bitten) dies...such a poisonous snake should be killed," said Kharge.
He targeted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the death of 10 newborns in a fire at a medical college.
Without naming Vishal Patil, the Congress rebel and Independent MP from Sangli, Kharge accused him of betraying the party and supporting his sister-in-law, who is contesting as an Independent nominee in the November 20 assembly elections.
In a dig at BJP, Kharge said the number of leaders who campaigned in Maharashtra polls outnumbered the number of candidates of the saffron party in the fray.
"The Prime Minister, Home Minister (Amit Shah) and other leaders have come here. Today, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath was also here. No idea what happened to him. In UP, in a fire at a hospital in Jhansi, 10 kids died. Despite that, his rallies in Maharashtra didn't stop," the Congress president said.
Kharge took potshots at PM Narendra Modi for holding rallies for state-level elections.
This is an election for assembly and not to elect the prime minister of the country, he said, adding that his (Modi's) "thirst for authority" is unsatiated.
He slammed Modi for not visiting strife-torn Manipur and instead travelling abroad.
"Modi was here till yesterday. Today he is abroad. Manipur is burning, people are dying, adivasi women are disrespected, and women are raped but Modi never visited Manipur. He is on foreign tours. Today he is also visiting a country. I want to tell him first to look after your home. Make the country strong first. You can go anywhere later," Kharge added.
He questioned the output of Modi's meetings with Donald Trump, Pakistan's prime minister, and presidents of Russia and China from India's perspective.
The 83-year-old leader said his age didn't stop him from supporting the Congress' ideology and meeting people.
"There are leaders who were given positions by the party and benefited. We are not criticising anyone but if the Congress party is giving you everything, you should not betray it," said Kharge in an apparent dig at Vishal Patil.
Kharge said the Congress didn't want any rift in the family of (former chief minister) late Vasantdada Patil, who hailed from Sangli.
"I was told that the Lok Sabha MP from Sangli (Vishal Patil) won with the support of Congress party and Congress party has re-inducted him with respect," he said.
Kharge said he respects the woman candidate who is contesting as an Independent because of her association with Congress.
"I had promised and told Ramesh Chennithala (Maharashtra Congress incharge) that we will offer whatever she wants after the elections. We sent Chennithala and KC Venugopal to talk to them as we did not want any rift in Vasantdada Patil's house and Sangli," he added.
Kharge said his assurances, however, didn't work.
Jayashree Patil, from former chief minister Vasantdada Patil’s family, has entered the fray as an independent candidate from Sangli against Congress nominee Prithviraj Patil.
"It is difficult to wake up those people who are pretending to sleep," Kharge added.
