Smoke engulfs bus carrying convicted Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni
Bengaluru (PTI): A major accident was averted after a bus carrying murder convict Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and 16 accomplices developed a technical snag near Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, with thick smoke engulfing the vehicle, police sources said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when a Special Court for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru convicted Kulkarni and 16 others in the 2016 murder case of BJP leader Yogesh Goudar.
The court held them guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder, and directed the CBI to take the accused into custody.
Following the verdict on Wednesday, Kulkarni was taken to the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on Thursday.
According to police sources, a suspected short circuit combined with a diesel leak led to heavy smoke inside the bus, triggering panic among the occupants, including personnel of the Central Bureau of Investigation escort team.
Police sources said the CBI team acted swiftly and evacuated all those onboard, including Kulkarni, ensuring that no one was injured.
“The situation was brought under control immediately, and all passengers were safely moved out,” sources added.
The convicts were later shifted to alternative vehicles, including cars, and escorted safely from the spot without any casualties.
Police sources noted that the timely intervention of the escort team helped avert what could have been a major mishap.
STORY | Smoke engulfs bus carrying convicted Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 16, 2026
A major accident was averted after a bus carrying murder convict Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and 16 accomplices developed a technical snag near Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, with thick smoke engulfing the… https://t.co/dAzoxIBUaN
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Opposition to boycott election of RS deputy chairman: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): The opposition will boycott the election of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha as a mark of protest against the Modi government not appointing a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday.
The government had not had any meaningful consultations on the matter either, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. He added that the opposition hopes "Harivansh 3.0" will be more accommodative of and receptive to its requests.
"First, the Modi government has not appointed a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha for 7 years. This has never happened before.
"Second, the Deputy Speaker’s counterpart in the Rajya Sabha is the Deputy Chairman. Shri Harivansh’s second term ended on April 9th. A day later he was nominated by the President of India as a member of the Rajya Sabha and he is now the NDA’s candidate for Deputy Chairman for a third term," Ramesh said in his post.
Never before has a person nominated by the president to the Rajya Sabha been considered for the post of its deputy chairman, he said.
Third, all this is being done without any meaningful consultations with the Opposition, the Congress leader said.
"For these three reasons and as a mark of protest - but not with any disrespect to the very learned Shri Harivansh - the Opposition has regretfully decided to boycott the election of the Deputy Chairman scheduled for April 17," Ramesh said.
The Rajya Sabha will hold the election for the post of deputy chairman on April 17. The ruling NDA is likely to push for re-electing Harivansh to the key post.
The post of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha fell vacant after Harivansh's tenure of Harivansh ended on April 9. Harivansh has since been nominated to the Upper House by President Droupadi Murmu and took oath on April 10.
Union minister and BJP leader J P Nadda, who is also leader of the house in the Rajya Sabha, is learnt to have discussed the re-election of Harivansh as deputy chairman with leaders of various parties, while trying to bring about a broad consensus on his name.
However, the Congress, TMC and Left parties raised objections to the ruling party's "keenness" in holding elections for filling the post when the post of deputy speaker in Lok Sabha has been vacant since 2019.
