New Delhi, Aug 16: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcements on population control, respect for wealth creators and shunning single-use plastic, and hoped the finance minister and tax officials would heed to his exhortation.

"All of us must welcome three announcements made by the PM on I-Day. Small family is a patriotic duty; Respect wealth creators and Shun single-use plastic.

"Of the three exhortations, I hope the FM and her legion of tax officials and investigators heard the PM's second exhortation loud and clear," he said.

Chidambaram, who is a former finance minister, said, "The first and third exhortations must become people's movements. There are hundreds of dedicated voluntary organisations that are willing to lead the movements at local levels." 

Addressing the nation on the 73rd Independence Day on Thursday, the prime minister expressed concern over "population explosion" in the country, saying it causes innumerable challenges for the coming generations, and asserted that the central and state governments should launch measures to deal with the issue. 

He also said wealth creators should not be eyed with suspicion and that they are country's wealth and should be respected.

He urged people to shun single-use plastic and encouraged usage of jute and cloth bags to protect the environment.

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Dhar (MP) (PTI): A 25-year-old woman and her lover have been arrested in the district for allegedly conspiring to kill her husband by hiring a contract killer, police said on Thursday.

The case was solved within 36 hours of the murder though the woman initially tried to mislead the police by claiming that robbers killed her husband, an official said.

Dev Krishna Purohit (28) was stabbed to death on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday at his house in Gondikheda Charan village, about 60 km from here. 

Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi told reporters that accused Priyanka Purohit (25) was married to Dev Krishna when she was around 15 years old. Priyanka moved to her matrimonial home after attaining adulthood but was unwilling to live with her husband, leading to frequent disputes between them. 

During investigation, it emerged that she was in a relationship with Kamlesh (32), the SP said. 

The duo allegedly hatched a plan to kill Dev Krishna and hired a man identified as Surendra for Rs 1 lakh do the job, he said

After Dev Krishna was killed, Priyanka told police that unidentified persons broke into the house, attacked her husband with a sharp weapon while holding her captive in another room, and fled with valuables. 

But the inconsistencies in her statements raised suspicion, and eventually she confessed to hatching the murder conspiracy, the SP said.

While she and Kamlesh were arrested, police are looking for the contract killer, the official added.