More than 30 dead in stampede at Iraqi Shiite shrine
Karbala (Iraq): More than 30 pilgrims were killed and dozens injured Tuesday in a stampede at a major shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala on the Shiite holy day of Ashura.
It is Iraq's deadliest mass stampede in recent history during Ashura, whose commemorative marches were previously targeted by Sunni extremist groups.
Hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims from around the world swarmed Karbala, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Iraq's capital Baghdad, to commemorate the death of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Hussein.
The packed processions of black-clad worshippers made their way to his gold-domed shrine, carrying flags and crying out, "We sacrifice ourselves for you, Oh Hussein!" As the massive crowds pressed forward, a stampede broke out that left at least 31 people dead and more than 100 more wounded, according to Iraq's health ministry.
Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr said the death toll could rise as nine of the wounded were in critical condition.
Outside the Al-Hussein Medical City in Karbala, paramedics wheeled wounded people into the emergency room throughout the afternoon.
"The pilgrims started falling down all of a sudden," said a young man in a wheelchair who had been bruised around the eye and temple. "They piled up one on top of the other. There was a stampede and people were suffocating," he said.
The governor of Karbala said at least four million pilgrims had taken part in the procession that led to the stampede. Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and Health Minister Alaa al-Din Alwan travelled to Karbala late Tuesday to visit the wounded as messages of support began pouring in, with President Barham Saleh expressing his "deep condolences" to the victims' families.
Hussein was killed in the year 680 by the forces of the Caliph Yazid, a major event which helped solidify the divide between what would become Islam's Sunni and Shiite branches. Iraq is majority Shiite, but under ex-dictator Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime, the vast majority of Ashura commemorations were banned.
Now the day is a national holiday, and devout Shiite pilgrims travel from neighbouring Iran and Gulf countries, as well as Pakistan and India, to mark it in Iraq.
Streets across the country were shuttered Tuesday to allow for funeral-style processions and elaborate re-enactments of the Battle of Karbala.
Mourners swung large black flags with "Hussein" written in red, wailing loudly and singing religious anthems of praise. Some whipped their backs and chests, a traditional way to demonstrate their sorrow and suffering.
Others -- even young boys -- made incisions in their foreheads with scalpels or large swords, leaving streams of blood cascading down their faces. After reaching the Imam Hussein shrine, some pilgrims set fire to a tent to symbolise the burning of Hussein's camp by Yazid's forces.
Similar ceremonies took place in Baghdad, in the southern city of Basra and in Iraq's second holy city Najaf, where the Prophet Mohammed's son-in-law Ali is buried.
After Saddam's ouster in 2003 by the US-led invasion, Iraq was rocked by years of sectarian violence, which made such processions deadly.
In 2005, at least 965 pilgrims heading to the Imam Kadhim shrine in Baghdad during a different holiday died after rumours of a suicide bomber in the crowd sparked a mass stampede.
And in 2013, nearly 40 Shiite pilgrims were killed across various Iraq cities in a series of attacks on Ashura.
The following year, the Islamic State group swept across a third of Iraq and carried out mass attacks against civilian populations, including Shiites.
Iraq declared victory against IS nearly two years ago, but the group still carries out hit-and-run attacks in remote parts of the country.
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I need not indulge in any revolution, have confidence, hope: D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka for the CM post, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he is with "utmost patience", and he has no need to indulge in any kind of revolution, as he believes in himself and has hope.
Asserting that he is neither interested in any kind of blackmailing for selfishness, nor is he interested in causing any trouble for the Congress, Shivakumar, who is also its state unit chief, said, though a "street fighter", his fight is never within the party.
Amid claims that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was using state intelligence to keep a tab on Shivakumar's camp through phone tapping during the ongoing power tussle, he stated that he doesn't know about it, and pointed out that the CM and Home Minister G Parameshwara have made statements on the issue.
"To this day, I have not spoken about the CM issue at any point. On matters concerning us, it is between me, the CM and the party high command. I have only said that we are party to the decision that has happened, other than that I have never said anything else," Shivakumar said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Others have been saying the post will become vacant, Dalits should get the post, others should get it. It is others who want the CM post to become vacant, wanting it to be given to Dalits and others. I have never spoken about it. Only if the post is vacant can it be given to anyone else. I have never spoken about the post becoming vacant."
Noting that he is the Congress state president, Shivakumar said he is aware of that responsibility and has always tried to ensure that no harm is caused to the party because of him and that discipline is not violated.
"Being the president of the party, sitting in this chair, no one should point out to me that I have done injustice from this position, killing the party. I don't want anyone to pass such comments against me in the future. So, I'm with utmost patience, I know what is all happening, whether it is right or wrong. I'm aware of it," he said.
Highlighting that the Congress party was built, nurtured and sacrificed for by a number of workers and leaders, including him, he doesn't want lakhs of party workers to be troubled because of him.
"They (workers) have made us sit in power. Neither am I interested in indulging in any kind of blackmail for my selfishness, nor am I interested in causing any trouble for the party," he added.
Replying to a question about his hesitation to comment on the CM change issue and when it might happen, Shivakumar merely said, "Time will answer, and decide."
He, however, did not wish to respond to reports about party leadership, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, top leader Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary K C Venugopal having held a discussion on the leadership issue in Karnataka. "I don't know. I haven't spoken or asked anyone," he added.
Shivakumar, who is hosting a dinner party for party legislators on March 10 to mark his six years as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, responded to a question about his continuation in the post by saying, "New blood should come, youngsters should come with fresh ideas."
"(Ministers) Parameshwara, H K Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and I became Ministers during our first term as MLAs. Our term is over, we are senior citizens, and new people should come....enough for me six years (as KPCC chief), others should also get an opportunity," he said.
Questioned whether he was speaking like a "Yogi," he said, "I'm a street fighter....I have come so far fighting; I know how to fight, but not for power. My fight is not within the party; I will fight outside the party. If anyone thinks I'm quiet, it is left to them."
Asked whether there will be some "Kranti" (revolution) after the budget, he said, "I need not do any Kranti. I have belief in myself, I have self-confidence. I always have hope.....I need not put in any effort; whatever has to come to me, it will come at the appropriate time. I have that confidence. I will meet you soon."
Responding to a question about Siddaramaiah's statement -- that if the BJP and JD(S) leaders have any "evil idea" to woo Shivakumar, it is their "daydream" -- the Deputy CM said, "He (the CM) said that out of his experience, he has seen me closely both when he was in another party and after joining Congress."
Asked whether there were any attempts by BJP and JD(S) to woo him, he said, "I will write a story about it some other time.....why speak about it now."
To a question, whether he accepts Siddaramaiah describing the bond between them as "milk and honey", Shivakumar said, "Of course. It was the same earlier, it is the same now, and it will be the same in 2028."
When pointed out that the bond between him and the CM doesn't seem to be cordial amid the ongoing power tussle, and after listening to some legislators supporting him, he said, "I want to request all the legislators, if they have any desire, that good things should happen to me, please keep quiet."
Accusing the opposition leaders of trying to "sour the relationship" between him and Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, earlier in the day, while rejecting phone tapping allegations, had asserted that such actions would not affect their relationship, which he described as being like "milk and honey."
