Powerful explosion kills five people in Ayodhya
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Ayodhya (PTI): At least five people were killed and several others were injured after a house collapsed following a powerful explosion in Pagla Bhari village under the Pura Kalandar police station area of Ayodhya on Thursday, officials said.
Circle Officer (CO) Shailendra Singh told PTI that several people were still feared trapped under the debris, and rescue operations were underway. "Five people have died in the explosion, a few have been injured, and efforts are on to rescue those trapped. The cause of the blast is not yet clear," Singh said.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the police, the fire department and the local administration teams rushed to the spot.
Rescue workers have been using excavators to clear the rubble, while nearby houses have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Officials have appealed to residents to stay away from the accident site to facilitate rescue efforts. Senior police and administrative officers are supervising the operation and have begun an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
Ayodhya SSP Gaurav Grover said that the owner of the house, which got demolished in the blast, was Pappu Gupta, a local resident. "We are collecting the evidences from the spot," said the officer.
He said that a search operation is being conducted in nearby villages.
District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde, however, did not comment on the reason behind the blast.
Funde said that the forensic team is on the spot and investigating the incident. However, the deceased have not been identified yet, he said, adding that there is no information about the injured till now.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident and expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives.
According to an official statement, the chief minister has directed senior officials to rush to the spot, ensure proper medical treatment for the injured, and personally oversee the ongoing rescue and relief operations.
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Shivakumar opposes ‘One Nation One Election’, calls it ‘unworkable’
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday strongly opposed the central government’s proposed ‘One Nation One Election’ initiative.
Shivakumar expressed his views at a dialogue on ‘One Nation One Election’ organised by the Joint Parliamentary Study Committee.
He said the plan is a politically motivated, power-centralising scheme that would seriously damage India’s federal structure by weakening states and poses a threat to the democratic system, according to a statement from his office.
As KPCC president and deputy CM of Karnataka, he categorically rejected the proposal, stating that it is being crafted to suit the convenience of those in power at the Centre.
Shivakumar said that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing ‘One Nation One Election’ and read out the resolution at the meeting.
He firmly stated that it is “not a workable plan” and added that it is “practically impossible.”
“If a government falls midterm due to political instability, a no-confidence motion, or loss of majority, what is the solution?” he asked.
“Elections are held at different times in different states for different terms. Karnataka had its election in 2023, while Tamil Nadu and Kerala had theirs in 2021, and Punjab and Telangana in 2022 and 2023, respectively. How can these elections with varying schedules be synchronised?” he asked.
He added that the proposal is a ploy to suppress the voices of regional and Opposition parties.
He also said the Karnataka government does not agree with the proposal and remains committed to the position of the Congress party’s national leadership.
