Odisha man carries daughter's body on shoulder for 8 kms for post-mortem
Bhubaneswar, Oct 18 : A man in cyclone-ravaged Odisha's Gajapati district Thursday apparently walked for eight kilometres carrying the body of his seven-year-old daughter, who died in a landslide, on his shoulder for post-mortem.
The incident, footage of which was shown by local channels, was reminiscent of a 2016 episode, when a man had walked 10 km carrying his dead wife on his shoulder after being denied a hearse at Bhawanipatna government hospital in Kalahandi district.
The Gajapati incident happened in Atankpur village under Laxmipur gram panchayat. Mukund Dora put daughter Babita's body in a sack and carried it on his shoulder for the post mortem.
Babita had gone missing after Cyclone Titli and the state government on Wednesday declared her dead based on information from local panchayat functionaries, though her body was yet to be traced, officials said.
The girl had gone missing on October 11, her father said.
"Babita was swept away due to landslide during Cyclone Titli and subsequent flood caused by extremely heavy rainfall in the Mahendragiri hills of Gajapati district," an official at the special relief commissioner's office said.
Dora, walking down to Kainpur government hospital with the body, said, "We found my daughter's body near a nullah on Wednesday afternoon. Police was informed and they came to our village this morning and took photographs of the body."
He told reporters, who spotted him near Laxmipur on his way to the hospital, that the police did not make arrangements to shift the body to hospital for post mortem. "Instead they (policemen) instructed me to bring the body to the hospital. I am a poor man and cannot hire a vehicle to transport the body from the village to hospital. Also the road to my village is damaged due to the cyclone and landslide. Therefore, I put the body in a bag and carried it on my shoulder."
Following this, police arranged an auto-rickshaw to carry the man and the body to Kainpur hospital.
Gajapati District Collector Anupam Shah told PTI he was trying to gather the details of the incident. "I am aware of the allegation and examining the matter to ascertain the truth."
This evening, the collector handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Dora as compensation following the death of his daughter in the cyclone-triggered landslide.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a resident of Angul district in Odisha, visited the cyclone-hit Gajapati and Ganjam districts Thursday. He said, "It is painful to witness a man carrying the body of his daughter on his shoulder and walking down to hospital for post-mortem."
Dana Majhi, a poor tribal man from Kalahandi district, had walked more than 10 km carrying his dead wife on his shoulder from the government hospital after being denied a hearse in 2016.
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Bihar minister Nitin Nabin appointed BJP's national working president
New Delhi (PTI): Bihar Minister Nitin Nabin was on Sunday appointed as the BJP national working president and is likely to eventually succeed JP Nadda as its national president, signalling a generational shift in the ruling party.
Nabin, 45, son of late Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha -- a veteran BJP leader and former MLA -- is considered dynamic and ideologically rooted, and deeply committed to the organisation, party leaders said.
A five-time MLA, he represents Bankipur assembly constituency in Bihar and has served twice as a minister in the Bihar Government.
His tenures as a minister in Bihar and his role as the party incharge of Chhattisgarh have been truly outstanding and marked by his effective organisational leadership, they said.
The BJP parliamentary board picked Nabin for the post.
"Bharatiya Janata Party's parliamentary board has appointed Nitin Nabin, a minister in the Bihar government, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national working president with immediate effect," BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said in a notification.
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Nabin, who belongs to the Kayastha community, is likely to succeed incumbent BJP chief Nadda and is one of the youngest leaders to occupy the post, the leaders said.
Nadda, 65, was appointed the BJP President in January 2020 and has already completed his full term. He was granted extensions to lead the party through the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Congratulating Nabin on his appointment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he has distinguished himself as a "hardworking Karyakarta" and expressed confidence that his energy and dedication will strengthen the party.
"He is a young and industrious leader with rich organisational experience and has an impressive record as MLA as well as Minister in Bihar for multiple terms. He has diligently worked to fulfil people's aspirations.
"He is known for his humble nature and grounded style of working. I am confident that his energy and dedication will strengthen our Party in the times to come. Congratulations to him on becoming the BJP National Working President," PM Modi said on X.
Nabin has also worked extensively for Yuva Morcha. His appointment reflects the BJP’s focus on capable leadership and signals a generational shift, the leaders said.
BJP chief Nadda also greeted Nabin and said he was confident that the party would attain new heights under his leadership.
"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the dynamic BJP leader from the sacred land of knowledge and culture, Bihar, and Minister in the Bihar Government, Shri Nitin Nabin ji on his appointment as the National Working President of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"I am fully confident that under the guidance of the esteemed Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and your leadership, the organisation will reach new heights with the sentiments of nation-building and public service. Heartfelt best wishes for your illustrious and successful tenure," he said on X.
