Bomb thrown at home of local BJP leader in Kannur
Kannur (PTI): A bomb was thrown at the home of a local BJP leader near Kannapuram in the wee hours of Thursday, police said.
The incident occurred around 2.30 am. The parents of the BJP leader -- Viju Narayanan -- were at home when the incident occurred. However, no one was injured in the incident but there was damage to the windows and some of the walls of the house, they added.
A case was registered against unknown persons, and an investigation was launched.
Police also said that they deployed the bomb and canine squad to search the BJP leader's residential premises and nearby areas for clues.
Following the incident, the BJP accused the CPI(M) of being behind the attack, an allegation denied by the Left party.
The saffron party also accused the police of being complicit in the matter, alleging that they did not consider the BJP's complaints.
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.
No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
