BJP MLA alleges threat to life, denies switching over to Congress
Bhopal: Amid the ongoing political drama over the allegations of poaching by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, a former minister and saffron party MLA expressed threat to his life and quashed speculation of switching over to the ruling Congress.
In a video statement, BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak denied news reports that he had called on Chief Minister Kamal Nath late on Thursday night.
The MLA from Vijayraghavgarh in Katni district also asserted he is with the saffron party.
The Congress on Thursday claimed the BJP had "abducted 14 MLAs" to bring down its government in Madhya Pradesh, a charge the opposition party has strongly denied.
"Do not spread any kind of confusion, I was with the BJP, I am with the BJP and I will be part of the BJP. The people of the state can see what is happening to me.
"Just take care that I am not killed. These people can even throw me somewhere after killing for their political gains," he said, addressing the media through the video statement.
Pathak, who is the state's richest legislator, also shared the video on Twitter.
The BJP MLA also clarified that he is currently attending to his family's medical needs.
"There is no truth in the reports that I called on Nath. The picture being circulated in this regard is fake. I am not in the picture in which the (person's) face is covered," he claimed.
The mining baron is said to be a key figure in the poaching row in the Congress-ruled state.
In the backdrop of the poaching row, the Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday had ordered the closure of an iron ore mine belonging to M/s Nirmala Minerals, a company owned by Pathak.
A former Congressman, Pathak joined the BJP and served as a minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
The administration in Jabalpur district, where the mine is located, ordered the closure of the facility for allegedly violating a Supreme Court ruling.
On Thursday, Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh had named five BJP leaders, including Pathak, whom he held responsible for "poaching" attempt.
Asked about speculation of Pathak switching over to the Congress, Singh, a former Chief Minister (1993-2003), on Friday told reporters here that the BJP MLA's father Satyendra Pathak was his friend and a minister in his cabinet.
"He is my friend's son. But, he lost his way after he earned money," Singh added.
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Heatwave scorches Odisha, Jharsuguda reels under 43.6 degrees C
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.
The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.
It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.
On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.
Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.
Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.
Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.
