Shopkeeper beaten to death over cigarette dispute in Belagavi; Four arrested
Belagavi: A 48-year-old shopkeeper was beaten to death following a dispute over cigarettes at Bodakenatti village in Belagavi district, police said on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Yallappa Durgappa Naik (48), a resident of Bodakenatti. The accused are Prajwal Ramachandra Patil (22), Nikhil Mahesh Chougale (22), Vivek Rajendra Chougale (22) and Shridhar Ratan Patil (21), all residents of Kadoli village.
According to police, the incident occurred late on Wednesday night. The four accused, who had attended a fair at Mohanagaad in Hukkeri taluk, were returning on a motorcycle under the influence of alcohol. Around midnight, they stopped at Bodakenatti village to smoke cigarettes.
As the shop was being closed, the accused allegedly stopped the shopkeeper, took cigarettes and began smoking. When Naik asked them to pay, a heated argument broke out, following which the youths allegedly assaulted him.
Naik sustained serious injuries in the attack. Locals rushed him towards KLE Hospital in Belagavi for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries on the way.
Kakati police traced and arrested all four accused who had fled after the incident. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
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AAP accuses Chadha of indulging in 'soft PR', dodging key issues in Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): The AAP on Friday hit back at party MP Raghav Chadha, accusing him of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR".
Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha failed to toe the party's line on several matters in Parliament and did not join opposition walkouts on key issues.
"We all are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, the Centre doesn't care about soft PR or talking about samosas at airport canteens when bigger issues are at stake," Bharadwaj said in a video posted on X.
"Whenever the Opposition staged a walkout in Parliament, you (Chadha) did not participate. You did not raise issues concerning Punjab, from where you are elected, and you hid in a foreign country when former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested," he added.
AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also criticised Chadha, questioning whether someone who "fears" Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fight for the country.
"In West Bengal, the right to vote is being snatched away. When a proposal against the CEC came up in the House, you (Chadha) refused to sign it," Dhanda said on X.
"In Parliament, we get limited time to speak, and it can be used either to fight for the nation or discuss trivial matters like cheaper samosas at airport canteens," Dhanda said, adding that Chadha has been hesitant to speak on "real issues" for the last few years.
The remarks came after Chadha earlier in the day said he was "silenced, not defeated", a day after being removed as the AAP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha.
