Former ICAR member demands CBI probe into Padma Shri awardee Ayyappan's death
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI): A former member of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Sunday demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the "untimely and mysterious" death of former ICAR Director General and Padma Shri awardee Subbanna Ayyappan.
Venugopal Badaravada, previously on ICAR's Governing Body, said: "The conditions surrounding his untimely death are deeply troubling. His scooter was found abandoned, and the cause of his death remains unclear. These circumstances demand a court-monitored CBI investigation".
In separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Badaravada alleged that the tragic event reveals "deep-rooted corruption, irregular appointments, and abuse of power within ICAR, ASRB (Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board), and affiliated institutions".
"Ayyappan ji's death might be a consequence of institutional vendetta or administrative collapse, as the scientific and farming communities are now alleging," he added.
Ayyappan (70) was found dead in the Cauvery River near Srirangapatna, Karnataka, on Saturday. His two-wheeler was discovered on the riverbank, with local police suspecting he may have jumped into the river. His body was recovered three days after he went missing under suspicious circumstances.
Badaravada also criticised ICAR for "unlawfully" removing him from the governing body on May 5 through "a one-sided office order without conducting a serious inquiry".
"This unlawful removal reflects a dangerous trend within ICAR, silencing whistleblowers while shielding entrenched corruption," he claimed.
Ayyappan, who resided in Vishweshwara Nagar Industrial Area of Mysuru, was reported missing on May 7 when his family filed a complaint with the Vidyaranyapuram Police Station. Police noted that he often meditated at the Saibaba ashram, located on the Cauvery River banks in Srirangapatna.
The deceased scientist was the first non-crop specialist to head ICAR and was credited with playing a significant role in India's 'Blue Revolution'.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
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JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's son Nishant to start maiden political yatra on Sunday
Patna (PTI): JD(U) leader Nishant Kumar, whose belated political entry has shone a ray of hope on the party rattled by his father Nitish Kumar's sudden relinquishment of power, is set to launch his first public outreach programme in Bihar on Sunday.
The 45-year-old, who joined the party only last month, is scheduled to kick off his "Sadbhav Yatra" (goodwill tour) from Valmiki Nagar in West Champaran district.
The place had been chosen multiple times by his father as the starting point for numerous "yatras" during a nearly two-decade-long tenure as the chief minister of Bihar.
The party, which is still recovering from the shock of the 75-year-old leader's sudden decision to enter the Rajya Sabha, triggering fears of a diminution in political clout, has coined a catchy slogan to announce the arrival of the heir apparent.
"Jai Nishant, tay Nishant" (victory for Nishant, his rise is inevitable) is a catchphrase that can now be seen splashed on the JD(U)'s posters as well as social media handles.
On the eve of the launch of "Sadbhav Yatra", JD(U) spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar told a press conference in West Champaran's headquarters of Bettiah, that "Nishant belongs to the land where Emperor Asoka was born.
Like his father, he is starting a Yatra from the land of Sage Valmiki".
"Both Valmiki and Asoka epitomised renunciation. Our supreme leader Nitish Kumar showed the same spirit of renunciation when he decided to give up the seat of power to live by his convictions," said Neeraj Kumar.
He added that "the same dispassion for power has been demonstrated by Nishant. He could have secured a berth in the new Cabinet or the state legislature any time. But he chose to shun shortcuts and earn his spurs through the tried and tested method of mass contact".
After the JD(U) supremo stepped down as chief minister, a new government headed by BJP leader Samrat Choudhary has been formed in Bihar.
"Nitish Kumar had always followed the policy of zero tolerance for crime, corruption and communalism. The new government, too, has adopted the same as its motto. In Nishant, we have a leader who will carry forward the legacy," said Neeraj Kumar.
