6 killed, 80 injured after bus carrying marriage party overturns in Jharkhand's Latehar
Latehar (PTI): At least six people, including four women, were killed and over 80 others injured after a bus carrying wedding guests overturned in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Sunday, police said.
The accident occurred at Orsa Bangladara valley under Mahuadanr police station limits.
"A bus carrying a marriage party was coming from Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh for a wedding at Mahuadanr in Latehar. The bus overturned, and five people died on the spot. Among them, four were women. The injured were taken to a hospital," Superintendent of Police Kumar Gaurav told PTI.
One person died during treatment at Mahuadanr community health centre, another official said.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Hemant Soren asked the Latehar deputy commissioner to provide appropriate medical facilities to the injured.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vipin Kumar Dubey said 60 injured were admitted to Mahuadanr community health centre and over 20 at a private hospital.
"Thirty-two people, who are serious, are being referred to RIMS Ranchi for better treatment," he said.
The bus driver, Vikas Pathak, said around 90 passengers were on the bus.
"The brakes of the bus failed. Despite attempts to stop the vehicle using the handbrake and switching off the engine, I could not regain control, and the bus eventually overturned," he told reporters.
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Ex-CPI(M) MLA S Rajendran joins BJP
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Former CPI(M) MLA S Rajendran on Sunday joined the BJP after accepting party membership from state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar here.
Rajendran, a veteran leader from Idukki district, represented the Devikulam Assembly constituency from 2006 to 2021.
The induction took place at the BJP state headquarters, where Rajendran was joined by three other leaders, including CPI leader Gurunadan and CPI(M) leader Santhosh from Kuttanad.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajendran said he had not been active in party politics for the past four to five years but had continued working among the public.
He said he had been "living with regret and emotional distress after losing faith in his political space."
"Till the last day, I never betrayed the politics I followed throughout my life. There has never been any allegation that I worked against my party or its committees," he said.
He clarified that the decision to join the BJP was taken after discussions with people close to him.
Rajendran said his decision to meet BJP leaders was linked to issues related to plantations and plantation workers.
He said he was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand and expressed confidence that issues faced by plantation workers could be resolved under the BJP's governance.
BJP leaders said around 100 people are expected to join the party at an event scheduled to be held in Munnar on February 8.
Addressing the gathering, Chandrasekhar said Rajendran had told him that only the BJP could resolve the state’s problems.
He said issues faced by people in Munnar and Idukki remained unresolved and asserted they would be addressed when the BJP comes to power.
Chandrasekhar thanked the Railway Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allotting three new trains to Kerala.
He said the BJP would campaign in the upcoming elections on development, security and the protection of faith.
"Those who support these causes will be welcomed, irrespective of the party they belong to," he said.
Chandrasekhar alleged that Congress-led governments had been voted out in several states and at the Centre since 2014 and accused the Congress of "supporting corruption and appeasement politics."
He also alleged that CPI(M) state secretary M A Baby and Congress leader Robert Vadra had "spoken in favour of Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and claimed that the Congress-led UDF supports Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala."
Calling Jamaat-e-Islami "an extremist and anti-secular organisation", Chandrasekhar said it "posed a danger" to the state. He also alleged that the Hindu community had the lowest per capita land and housing ownership.
Referring to Karnataka, he alleged that the Congress came to power by making false promises and claimed there "was corruption and a lack of funds for development" after it assumed office.
"This organisation is destroying Bangladesh and Pakistan and is causing problems in other countries as well. This should be debated," he said.
Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader and MLA M M Mani said Rajendran had neither been a party member nor a sympathiser for several years and that his joining the BJP did not matter to the party.
"It is a closed chapter. Whether he goes with the BJP or even the devil does not matter to us. We will take care of our own matters," Mani said.
He said the CPI(M) leadership in Idukki district had not made any attempt to bring Rajendran back when reports of his possible move to the BJP emerged.
"He has not been in the party for several years. We had taken action against him and expelled him. It does not matter to us if he joins any other party," Mani said.
Mani added that even if he himself were to resign, the party would not be affected.
He denied allegations that the party had harmed Rajendran.
"We made him district panchayat president and MLA several times. He and his wife are receiving pensions for life," Mani said.
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