Two arrested after they light bonfire in running train to beat the cold
Aligarh (UP), Jan 6: Two men were arrested for lighting a bonfire in a running train after a gateman alerted authorities to smoke emanating from a compartment of the New Delhi-bound Sampark Kranti Superfast Express, averting a major disaster.
According to an official of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Aligarh, the incident occurred on January 3 night when the gateman posted at a railway crossing near Barhan railway station observed a flash of light and smoke from a coach of train which was coming from Assam.
He immediately informed his superiors at the Barhan railway station after which an RPF team arranged for the train to be stopped at the next station Chamraula.
Simultaneously, as they were combing through the running train, they found that some men had lit a bonfire inside a general coach with dung cakes to get relief from the extreme cold conditions.
The fire was immediately doused before any major damage could occur and the train then proceeded to Aligarh Junction where 16 persons were detained.
The RPF Commandant posted at the Aligarh railway station, Rajiv Verma, told reporters on Saturday that two youths - identified as Chandan (23) and Devendra (25) - who belong to Faridabad admitted that they lit the bonfire for some comfort. They were booked under relevant sections of the IPC and Indian Railway Act and sent to jail.
The other 14 co-passengers, who had joined them later, were released with a warning.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
