BJP attacks Sidhu for hugging Pakistan army Chief
New Delhi, Aug 18 : The BJP on Saturday attacked Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan's Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and for sitting beside the President of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) at the swearing in ceremony of new Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded his suspension from the party immediately.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also used the opportunity to attack the Congress party over statements made by some of its leaders during their visits to Pakistan and asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi whether Sidhu had his permission to go there and whether he would suspend him immediately.
"Sidhu during his visit to Pakistan to attend the swearing in ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's Prime Minister hugged Pakistan's Army Chief," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters adding that he also sat next to PoK President Masood Khan.
"It is not an ordinary thing. Sidhu is not an ordinary man but a minister in the Punjab government. And every Indian has taken this issue very seriously," he said asking why Sidhu did not object when the PoK President was made to sit next to him.
Firing salvos at the Congress President, Patra said, "Rahulji, did you grant permission to Sidhu to go to Pakistan? Will you suspend him before his arrival in the country?".
Slamming Sidhu, he said that before hugging Pakistan's Army Chief, did he not remember how their army killed innocent people and armymen in India.
The BJP spokesperson's remarks came after Sidhu's participation in the ceremony and his remarks to the media there that he hoped ties between New Delhi and Islamabad would improve with Imran Khan at the helm.
Praising Khan while speaking to the state-run PTV, Sidhu said: "A new morning is here in Pakistan with a new government which can change the destiny of the country." He hoped that Khan's victory would be good for the peace process between the two neighbours.
Raking up the statements of several Congress leaders visiting Pakistan and praising Pakistan, the BJP leader said, "Salman Khurshid went to Pakistan and said Narendra Modi government did not want peace with Pakistan. Even Mani Shankar Aiyar in an interview in Pakistan in November, 2015 said that Modi government should be removed," he said.
"In June this year, Ghulam Nabi Azad also questioned Army's action in Jammu and Kashmir after he said that the armed forces kill more civilians than the terrorists," he said adding that another Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had said that he stood with Gen Pervez Musharraf and demanded an independent Kashmir.
"And today Sidhuji said that he wants to thank the people of Pakistan. For what does he want to say 'thank you' to them? For sending terrorists, for killing innocents, for killing our soldiers?" Patra asked.
The BJP leader also slammed the Congress President and its leaders for questioning the surgical strike and its leaders disrespecting the Army Chief of the country.
"Your (Gandhi) party leaders disrespect the army chief of the country by calling him a street goon, while your leader (Sidhu) believes Pakistan's army Chief that they want peace," he added.
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Two women died, 6 taken ill after ‘consuming’ mango kernel gruel in Odisha
Bhubaneswar/Berhampur/Phulbani, Nov 1: At least two tribal women died and six others fell ill after allegedly consuming mango kernel gruel in Odisha's Kandhamal district, police said on Friday.
Consumption of mango kernel, prepared by boiling the seeds in water, was reported from Mandipanka village in the district's Daringbadi block, an officer said.
While one of the two women (Rasmita Pattamajhi aged 22) died on Thursday night at Mohana community health centre in Gajapati district where she was undergoing treatment after "consuming the gruel", another woman (Runu Majhi aged 29) breathed her last while being taken to MKCG Medical College Hospital in Berhampur, Gadapur sarpanch Kumari Mallick said.
Six others, who fell ill after allegedly consuming the gruel, were admitted to a hospital and their condition was critical, said Dr Subrat Das, a medical officer of the health facility.
"All the six have been admitted to the hospital in a serious condition. We suspected that they fell sick due to food poisoning. The exact cause of the illness will be ascertained after completion of the investigation," he added.
The six were identified as Pravati Patmajhi, Dranglu Patmajhi, Tuni Majhi, Susama Patmajhi, Jita Majhi and Jibanti Majhi, Daringbadi BDO Pritiranjan Ratha said.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has rejected allegations that tribal people have been consuming mango kernel gruel due to a lack of access to rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Rasmita's husband Anil Pattamajhi alleged that they were denied rice under PDS for the last three months because of which his wife consumed mango kernel.
However, Kandhamal district magistrate-cum-collector Amrit Ruturaj dismissed the allegations, saying the family received rice according to PDS norms. "We are awaiting the postmortem report to determine the facts," the collector added.
Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, who is also in-charge of the women and child development department said, "It is not a case of malnutrition. Mango kernel is part of their (tribal) regular diet. Sometime, the mango kernels get contaminated and lead to such unfortunate incidents. We have been actively spreading awareness about the risks of food contamination."
Health and family welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling, who ordered a departmental inquiry into the death of two tribal women, said a team from the district headquarters hospital and another local team are at the spot to assess the situation and conduct a detailed probe into the incident.
Mahaling said that the government was waiting for the postmortem report for a confirmation on the cause of the deaths. "People in Kandhamal consume mango kernel. It is common in that region and there also have been reports of health complications linked to it in the past," he said.
The Kandhmal incident reminds a similar tragedy involving mango kernel deaths in Kashipur block of Rayagada district, where at least 20 people died in 2001, and two more succumbed to mango kernel consumption in 2016. Additionally, mango kernel has claimed lives in Laxmipur in Koraput district in 2012 and 2013, as well as in Jharigaon in Nabarangpur district in 2018.
