BJP revokes suspension of Uttarakhand MLA seen in viral video dancing with guns
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand BJP on Monday revoked the suspension of controversial Khanpur MLA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion from the party 13 months after the action was taken against him when a video purportedly showing him dancing with guns in hand went viral.
The decision was taken by the party's core committee based on the legislator's "good conduct" during the last 13 months of his suspension and his repeated apologies to the party leadership, Uttarakhand BJP chief Bansidhar Bhagat told reporters.
After welcoming Champion back into the party fold at his residence, Bhagat said the MLA had apologised to him, to the party's core committee and to the media for his "misconduct" which had led to his suspension in June last year.
Champion was suspended from the BJP initially for three months on charges of breach of party discipline, for engaging in a public spat with Jhabreda MLA Deshraj Karnawal and challenging him to a wrestling bout at a Roorkee stadium.
When the action was taken against him, he was also facing the charge of abusing an electronic media reporter at Uttarakhand Bhawan in Delhi.
His suspension was extended indefinitely just a month later after a video in which he was seen dancing with guns in hand to popular Bollywood songs went viral, leaving the party red-faced.
After being welcomed back into the party, Champion said he remained loyal to the BJP even during his suspension period.
The Khanpur legislator also offered an apology before the press for his misconduct which had led to his suspension.
"I was sorry then and I apologise again today with folded hands for what I did. But even during the 13-month period of my suspension, I worked for the policies and programmes of the BJP," Champion said.
Champion is a fitness enthusiast and known for his love for guns.
He was among three other MLAs who had been summoned by the BJP's state unit leadership recently to offer their explanation.
The party's decisions on the three other legislators including Dwarahat MLA Mahesh Negi who has been accused of rape by a woman, Jhabreda MLA Deshraj Karnawal and Lohaghat MLA Pooran Singh Fartyal who face breach of discipline charges are not known yet.
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11 more bodies retrieved from Arunachal accident site
Itanagar (PTI): Eleven more bodies were retrieved on Saturday from the deep gorge in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district, where a mini-truck on which 22 labourers from Assam were travelling fell, an official said.
With this, 17 bodies have been recovered from the accident site, Anjaw's deputy commissioner Milo Kojin said.
He said three more bodies will be brought out on Sunday.
The operation, being conducted by a joint team of the NDRF and Army, resumed at 6 am.
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"The retrieval process was extremely difficult because of the treacherous terrain, and the gorge is very deep," Kojin said.
The operation was suspended around 4 pm due to low visibility and will be resumed on Sunday morning, he said.
"One person is still missing, and a search operation will be carried out tomorrow," he added.
The accident happened on the evening of December 8, around 40 km from Hayuliang towards Chaglagam in the district. On the evening of December 10, one survivor managed to climb out of the gorge and reach a nearby Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) labour camp, following which the authorities were alerted.
Six bodies were recovered from the gorge on Friday and handed over to their families on Saturday.
