Akhilesh cautions Rahul Gandhi over hug-diplomacy
Lucknow, July 21 : Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday sought to caution Congress president Rahul Gandhi against his controversial hug-diplomacy wherein he had embraced Prime Minister Narendra Modi after speaking on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
In a tweet from his official Twitter account, the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief referred to a famous Urdu couplet penned by late poet Bashir Badr: Koi haath bhi na milayega, jo gale miloge tapaak se, ye naye mijaaz ka shahar hai, zara fasle se mila karo (If you promptly embrace someone, he will not even shake hands, this is a city of new ways, be careful and keep a distance while meeting someone).
The Congress and SP chiefs, despite a failed and unsuccessful electoral tie-up in the 2017 UP assembly elections have displayed camaraderie. The latest tweet is also seen in political circles as an advice from a prospective ally who disapproves of a sudden gesture by Gandhi to Modi.
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Fisherman killed in crocodile attack in Odisha's Kendrapara
Kendrapara (Odisha) (PTI): A 48-year-old fisherman was killed in an attack by a saltwater crocodile in a village on the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district, a forest officer said on Wednesday.
The forest and fire brigade personnel later retrieved the maimed body from a river.
The incident took place at Baulakani village in Mahakalapada forest range when the fisherman, Deba Kumar Mandal, was dragged into the water by a crocodile while he was casting a fishing net on Tuesday afternoon. His body was retrieved on Wednesday, the officer said.
Though the incident occurred outside the national park limits, the deceased fisherman's family would be covered under an ex gratia compensation payment scheme after post-mortem examination, Varadaraj Gaonkar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, said.
As per the revised ex gratia compensation for human fatalities arising out of conflict with wild animals, the forest department will provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved family, he said.
Human-crocodile conflict in areas close to the national park has resulted in the loss of four human lives in the last 12 months.
The national park is home to 1,858 saltwater crocodiles in its water bodies and river system. No crocodile death has been reported in the last one year, the DFO said.
