Congress' Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha resigns over party's stand on J&K issue
NEW DELHI: On a day it fronted protests in parliament against a massive government move to scrap special status for Jammu and Kashmir under the Article 370 of the constitution, the Congress lost a key voice, Bhubaneswar Kalita, who, as Chief Whip, was supposed to keep the flock in line.
Bhubaneswar Kalita, a senior Congress leader from Assam, resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the party saying he disagreed with its stand on Article 370 as it was "against the mood and emotions of the nation".
He said in a statement: "The Congress has asked me to issue a whip on the Kashmir issue. But the truth is that the mood of the nation has completely changed and this whip is against the public sentiment across the country... It seems the Congress is committing suicide with this ideology and I don't want to be part of this. I will not follow the whip and I resign... today's Congress party leadership is trying to destroy the Congress. I believe nothing can stop the party from being ruined."
The Congress has strongly opposed the scrapping of provisions under Article 370 and the government's bill to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. "I had never imagined that the head of the state, which is India's crown will be chopped off," said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. "You have made light of the state of Jammu and Kashmir," he added, calling it a "matter of shame" that the centre had reduced the state to a non-entity.
courtesty: ndtv.com
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7 held in election-related violence in Assam: Police
Guwahati, Apr 9 (PTI) Seven people were held in connection with election-related violence at two places in Assam, officials said on Thursday.
Besides, minor clashes also erupted at several polling booths after voting began in the morning, with people suffering minor injuries, they said.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Akhilesh Kumar Singh, told PTI that violence took place in Tamulpur and Sivasagar on Wednesday night, hours before polling began for the assembly elections at 7 am.
"We got reports of a clash between two groups at Tamulpur last night. Police reached the spot immediately and tried to control the crowd. When they did not listen, a few rounds were fired in the air to disperse the mob," he said, adding that four people were arrested from the site.
In another incident, two to three members of a political party were attacked in Sivasagar, the IG said.
"We have detained three persons there. The investigation is going on," he said.
Akhil Gogoi, who is seeking re-election from the Sibsagar seat, alleged that BJP nominee Kushal Dowari was behind the incident.
In a series of social media posts, Gogoi claimed two people were injured, and their vehicles were also damaged in the attack.
Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary said a detailed enquiry will reveal the cause of the clash in Tamulpur.
"The situation is normal now. We are monitoring it, and there is enough security presence to avoid any untoward incident," he said.
Polling is underway for the 126-member assembly to decide the electoral fate of 722 candidates. It will continue till 5 pm, with May 4 scheduled for the counting of votes.
A number of minor clashes have erupted at several polling stations in Sribhumi, Golaghat and Nagaon districts.
"Most of the clashes took place due to heavy rush, with people fighting over breaking the queue," an official said.
At some polling booths in places like Patharkandi, Merapani and Raha, supporters of ruling and opposition parties clashed, he said.
"However, police were already present in those areas, and the situations were handled instantly. The polling is going on uninterrupted," he added.
The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power in these elections, while the Congress is looking to reclaim the state it lost a decade ago.
