Rahul Gandhi promises to set up medical college in Wayanad
Malappuram (Kerala) Nov 3: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday assured that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the UDF candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll in Wayanad, are committed to establishing a medical college in the hill constituency.
Addressing a public meeting at Areekode in nearby Malappuram district as part of the election campaign, the former Wayanad MP said it's not easy for him to leave the hill constituency as the people cutting across party lines supported him during his tough time.
"Some commitments that I have made to you. Commitment to medical college... commitment of night traffic. I guarantee you, your new MP is going to be committed to doing these things. And also, your old MP is also going to be committed. We will personally build one of the best medical colleges in the country in this constituency," he said.
The mountainous constituency faces a shortage of basic infrastructure, with the need for a well-equipped medical college emerging as a key issue highlighted by all three political fronts - the Congress-led UDF, CPI(M)-led LDF, and the BJP - in this bypoll.
"I must tell you that it's not easy for me to leave Wayanad because I got tremendous love and affection from all the people here. When I was being attacked relentlessly and campaigns were launched against me, the people of Wayanad stood by me," Gandhi said.
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said the people of Wayanad didn't treat him like a politician but as a brother and a member of their family.
The Congress leader alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not provide assistance to the landslide-hit region.
"You saw that the Prime Minister of India came to Wayanad.., but he did not really support Wayanad financially," he said.
Despite the rain, hundreds gathered in the small town, patiently waiting to see the Congress leader as the meeting started over two hours later than scheduled.
Earlier in the day, Rahul, along with his sister, attended corner meetings in Wayanad.
The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency consists of seven Assembly segments-- Mananthavady (ST), Sulthan Bathery (ST) and Kalpetta in Wayanad district, Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district and Eranad, Nilambur, and Wandoor in Malappuram district.
The by-election for Wayanad LS seat was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi, who won the Lok Sabha polls from there and Rae Bareli constituency, decided to vacate Wayanad.
Voting in Wayanad will be held on November 13.
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
