Baidnur: Members of the Jadkal Gram Panchayat have decided to boycott the ongoing by-election for the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) from the Dakshina Kannada Local Authority constituency in protest against the inclusion of their villages in the Kasturirangan report.

The Jadkal Gram Panchayat consists of 18 members, and none of them, including President Parvati, visited the polling station by noon.

Three security personnel are on duty at the polling station, along with election staff, waiting for voters who did not arrive.

The villages of Jadkal and Muduru within the Jadkal Gram Panchayat are included in the Kasturirangan report. Local residents are demanding the exclusion of their villages from this report, which affects a population of 6,800 people.

Speaking to the media, Jadkal Gram Panchayat President Parvati stated, "We are facing significant issues due to the inclusion of our villages in the Kasturirangan report. Over 35 land conversion applications that have already been submitted have been stalled. Therefore, we have decided to boycott the election, demanding that our villages be excluded from this report."

On Sunday, Assistant Commissioner Mamta Devi and Assistant Commissioner Mahesh Chandra visited the Jadkal Gram Panchayat in an attempt to persuade the members. However, Parvati noted that there was no discussion regarding the removal of their villages from the Kasturirangan report.

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Shahjahanpur (UP) (PTI): Two persons have been detained after a clash broke out allegedly over remarks targeting a Dalit family's wedding procession in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred in Lai Kheda village under Tilhar police station area, where a wedding procession from Bareilly had arrived at a Dalit household on April 20.

According to SP Saurabh Dixit, when the procession was near the house of Rajpal Yadav, he allegedly made a remark saying "Now, Dalits will also take out wedding processions riding a buggy", leading to an argument. Yadav's side allegedly turned aggressive, escalating the conflict further.

Police said a scuffle ensued between the two sides. Upon receiving information, police personnel reached the spot and ensured that the procession was conducted peacefully after the incident.

An FIR was registered on Friday against Rajpal Yadav, Sumit, Amit, Surendra, Avdhesh Yadav and five unidentified persons based on a complaint. Rajpal Yadav and his son Sumit have been taken into custody and are being questioned, Dixit said.

The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.

Dixit said preliminary findings suggest that Yadav, too, was hosting a function and processions from both sides had arrived around the same time. A dispute may have initially arisen due to a narrow passage and attempts to move the processions quickly.

Police have registered the case under relevant sections of the BNS and initiated further probe, officials said.