Cong suspends 12 newly-elected councillors in Maharashtra's Ambernath for tie-up with BJP
Mumbai (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday suspended from the party 12 newly-elected councillors in Maharashtra's Ambernath Municipal Council along with its block president for forging an alliance with the BJP after last month's civic polls.
The BJP forged a post-poll understanding with the Congress and Ajit Pawar's NCP in Ambernath town in Thane district, securing a majority of 31 seats, even though the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is the single largest party with 27 members.
After a row over a tie-up between rival parties BJP and Congress, the latter took action against the party cadre.
The Congress suspended its Ambernath block president Pradip Patil. In a letter, the Maharashtra unit of the party also informed him that its block unit has been dissolved.
All the councillors, who were elected on the Congress symbol, were suspended from the party, the letter said, adding that the decision to align with the BJP in the local body was taken without informing the party's state leadership.
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Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, "Several councillors, including independents, formed the Ambernath Development Front (Ambernath Vikas Aghadi) by setting aside party symbols and affiliations to oppose the alleged corruption of Shiv Sena at the local level."
"There is no formal alliance between Congress and BJP. But the front was formed without permission and hence show-cause notices were issued," he added.
Twelve newly-elected councillors from the Congress, 14 from the BJP, four from the NCP and one independent came together to form the local front following a meeting at the local BJP office on December 31, and a letter was given to the Thane district collector, informing about the development.
In the December 20 polls to the 60-member council, Shiv Sena won 27 seats, falling just four short of a majority. The BJP secured 14 seats, Congress 12, NCP 4, while 2 independents were also elected.
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11k litres of milk poured into Narmada river after religious event; environmentalists see red
Sehore (PTI): Around 11,000 litres of milk were poured into Narmada river, often called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, in Sehore district on the culmination of a 21-day religious event as part of a sanctification ritual, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The event concluded at Satdev village in Bherunda area, located about 90 km from the district headquarters, with a 'mahayagna' on Wednesday.
The milk was offered to the river as part of rituals and prayers for the purity of the waters, the well-being of pilgrims and prosperity, organisers said.
The milk was brought in tankers to the riverbank and later poured into the flowing water amid chanting of mantras in the presence of a crowd of devotees.
However, environmentalists raised concerns over the practice, warning of its potential ecological impact.
"Such large quantities of organic matter can deplete dissolved oxygen in water, adversely affecting the river ecosystem. These impact local communities dependent on the river for drinking water and threaten aquatic life as well as domestic animals," noted environmentalist and wildlife activist Ajay Dube said.
Religious offerings should be symbolic and mindful, he asserted.
Renowned environmentalist Subhash Pandey said 11,000 litres of milk acts as a significant organic pollutant.
"It is highly oxygen-demanding and can lead to oxygen depletion, aquatic mortality, eutrophication (process of plants growing on river surface) and loss of potability. These effects are predictable from dairy-effluent chemistry and have been documented in similar incidents worldwide," Pandey pointed out.
Narmada originates at Amarkantak in the state and traverses 1,312 km westward to Maharashtra and Gujarat, emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, passing through a rift valley, and acts as a crucial water source for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
