BJP MLA seen wiping face with flag during Tiranga Yatra in Jaipur, Congress slams act
Jaipur, May 15 (PTI): A BJP legislator was seen wiping his face with the national flag during a Tiranga Yatra held in Jaipur on Thursday, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition Congress, which termed the act "disrespectful".
The incident took place during the march taken out in honour of the Indian armed forces following the success of Operation Sindoor.
Balmukund Acharya, the MLA from Hawa Mahal assembly constituency, was seen using the tricolour to wipe his face as the rally passed through crowded markets and historic locations in the city.
A video of the act surfaced on social media, prompting criticism from Congress leaders, who accused the BJP of politicising patriotism while showing "utter disregard" for national symbols.
However, after realising his mistake, the MLA almost immediately switched to a regular piece of cloth to clean his face. Nevertheless, the moment has already drawn attention.
Reacting to the video, Congress leaders said on X, "Such behaviour during a rally meant to honour the Army and the national flag was 'insensitive' and 'disrespectful'."
There was no immediate comment from the BJP on the matter.
The Tiranga Yatra, which began from Albert Hall and concluded at Badi Chaupad, witnessed participation from Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Deputy CM Diya Kumari, BJP state president Madan Rathore and several senior party leaders.
तिरंगे का अपमान — शर्मनाक दृश्य!
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क्या यही है राष्ट्रभक्ति का चेहरा?#TirangaKaApmaan #BJPMLA #BalmukundAcharya #RespectTheFlag #NationalFlagAct #Shameful #RahulGandhi #RajnathSingh pic.twitter.com/8K3eL8oEwX
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
