Priest hit by car in Kerala for objecting to high speed driving in church premises
Kottayam (PTI): A priest was allegedly hit by a vehicle at a church here a day ago by some boys for objecting to their high speed driving within the grounds of the place of worship, police said on Saturday.
According to police, the incident occurred on Friday afternoon at the St Mary's Forane Church at Poonjar here.
A group of boys in several vehicles, including motorcycles, arrived at the church after their school exam, drove at high speed and made a lot of noise there, police said.
When one of the priests saw what was happening, he asked the boys to leave as prayers were going on in the church, it said.
However, as the boys did not heed him, he tried to close the gates of the church and that is when he was first hit on the hand by one of the motorcycles and thereafter, one of the cars hit him from behind.
Following the incident, the boys were taken into custody and a protest was held within the church grounds by other priests.
The cars and two-wheelers used by the boys were also taken into custody, police said.
The priest was admitted to a private hospital for treatment and presently is in a stable condition, it said.
Meanwhile, Kerala Congress(M) chairman Jose K Mani demanded strict action against those who trespassed into the church and allegedly attacked the priest with a vehicle.
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Centre must roll back LPG price hike, says Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday demanded that the Centre immediately roll back the recent steep hike in LPG prices, alleging that it has severely impacted common people and small businesses.
In a statement, Vijayan described the increase as "one of the most cruel" in the history of cooking gas price revisions, saying it has pushed ordinary households and entrepreneurs into distress.
He said the price of commercial LPG cylinders had been raised by Rs 993 in one go, crossing Rs 3,000, which would adversely affect the hotel and restaurant sector.
The hike in the price of 5-kg LPG cylinders by Rs 251.50 would hit migrant workers and small families who depend on them, he added.
The chief minister alleged that the hike came immediately after the conclusion of Assembly elections in states, placing an additional burden on common people, small-scale entrepreneurs and migrant labourers.
Pointing to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Vijayan said the hospitality sector has already been facing a shortage of cooking gas for months and the latest price increase would be difficult to absorb.
The burden would ultimately be passed on to consumers, he said, warning that several small establishments, including those in Kerala, could be forced to shut down.
Accusing oil companies of prioritising profits over public welfare, he said such a trend of imposing additional financial burden on people cannot be accepted.
Vijayan also alleged that the Centre's policies favour corporate interests and called for a correction in approach.
He urged the Union government to withdraw the excessive hike without delay.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on May 1, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
