To denounce deforestation, Peruvian actor marries tree
Santo Domingo, Aug 20 : Peruvian actor Richard Torres has "married" a tree in the Dominican Republic capital to draw attention to the indiscriminate felling of forests.
In the curious ceremony on Sunday in the Ciudad Colonial neighbourhood here Torres placed a ring on the tree and told a person who acted as a judge that he accepted the marriage.
"We have come to Santo Domingo to perform our wedding number 17 and we will not stop until we establish a new Guinness record, with 100 ceremonies like this," the actor told EFE.
The small ritual attracted dozens of people in the Columbus Park, a few meters away from the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. Torres was assisted by a couple of Dominican actors, who served as best man and bridesmaid of the wedding.
Although admitting that the project is very expensive, the actor said he will continue with his plan to make at least five weddings a year in different countries and cities.
Before Santo Domingo, Torres wedded to a tree in his native Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Guatemala, Cuba and Bolivia, among other countries.
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Maharashtra Congress chief Patole meets Kharge, dismisses resignation talk as 'rumours'
New Delhi, Nov 25: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday dismissed as "rumours" talk of his resignation following the assembly polls debacle and stressed on "collective accountability" for the defeat.
Patole made the remarks after meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during which he conveyed that the result had not reflected the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra.
"Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other national and state leaders were leading Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from the forefront during the assembly polls. So, we were sure that the trends were in favour of Maha Vikas Aghadi, even the citizens believed that," the Maharashtra Congress chief said.
"If I talk about Nanded, the Lok Sabha bypolls and assembly elections were held on the same day. In Lok Sabha bypolls, our candidate was winning in six assembly seats, whereas, in the assembly elections, we are not winning even a single seat," he said, adding that there cannot be such a "huge difference".
This is the sentiment among the people also and they have stated that this government in Maharashtra was not being formed on their votes, he claimed.
"So, I spoke to Mallikarjun Kharge on this," he added.
Asked whether he had offered to resign or the party had asked for his resignation after the Maharashtra assembly polls defeat, Patole said, "These are all rumours and there is no truth in them. There is collective accountability."
Patole also said he will meet Rahul Gandhi in a day or two and discuss all issues.
"Democracy is being finished. We have discussed that... there was no talk of resignation," he said.
The MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), was restrained to 46 seats by the Mahayuti that reaped a rich harvest of 230 seats in the 288-member House.
