Rahul Gandhi's 'hydrogen bomb' a mere firecracker: Fadnavis
Nagpur (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's "hydrogen bomb" remark over alleged vote theft has turned out to be just a "small firecracker".
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis also said the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha appears to be pursuing an agenda aligned with foreign forces that seek to destabilise India's democracy.
Gandhi recently said his party will soon come out with a "hydrogen bomb" of revelations about "vote chori".
At a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday, Gandhi put up a presentation, "The H-files", to allege that the 2024 Haryana assembly polls were "stolen". He cited electoral roll data to claim that 25 lakh entries were fake and the Election Commission colluded with the BJP to ensure its victory.
Asked about the Congress leader's vote theft allegations, Fadnavis said, "Gandhi's hydrogen bomb was a very weak bomb, actually, it was a small firecracker."
"What Rahul Gandhi is doing and his agenda are looking similar to international forces that do not want democracy to prevail in the country properly. These international forces are also trying to remove the people's trust in the country's democratic institutions, and Rahul Gandhi is doing the same thing," he said.
On Shiv Sena (UBT) head and former CM Uddhav Thackeray, who is touring Marathwada, criticising the Mahayuti government on the farm loan waiver issue, Fadnavis said people know such visits are in view of the upcoming (local body) polls.
"I am happy that Uddhav Thackeray is coming out, because he had not come out of the carpet (of his house) when he was the chief minister and farmers were in trouble. At least, now he has realised that one has to go to the people. However, people know that they (Uddhav Thackeray) are coming to them because of the upcoming elections," he said.
Elections in 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats in Maharashtra will take place on December 2.
Fadnavis said funds from the relief package announced by his government for farmers (affected by deluge in August-September) were being deposited in their accounts, hence, they (Thackeray) are not getting any support from the people.
The amounts for the remaining farmers left will be credited to their accounts soon, he said.
"I feel that no matter how much Uddhav Thackeray tries (referring to his tour) on the backdrop of the elections, he will not get any support from the people," the CM added.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
