Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, supporters detained in Patan
Ahmedabad, Oct 4 : Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor and others were detained by police in Gujarat's Patan district Thursday as they staged a protest demanding farm loan waiver and water for the farmers of his constituency, Radhanpur.
Earlier, speaking at a rally in Radhanpur town of the district, Thakor gave one week's time to the BJP government to declare his constituency as 'scarcity-hit'.
Radhanpur Assembly seat comprises tehsils of Radhanpur, Santalpur and Sami.
"We detained Thakor and 93 others including his supporters for holding protest on Radhanpur highway. All of them were released later," said Deputy Superintendent of Police R P Zala.
Thakor accused the BJP government of ignoring the plight of farmers in his constituency, claiming that though most parts of Patan had received scanty rain this time, these three tehsils were not declared as scarcity-hit.
"If these three tehsils are not declared as scarcity-hit in one week, farmers along with their kids and cattle will march towards Gandhinagar. I also demand waiver of farm loans, as the crops have failed due to scanty rains this season," said Thakor.
Following Thakor's warning, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that though several tehsils have been declared as scarcity-hit, the process of obtaining data from other areas is underway.
Later in the evening, Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel announced that Rupani had asked the administration to conduct a survey and find out which other tehsils need help such as drinking water and fodder for cattle.
"In one or two days we will prepare the list," said Patel.
Last month, the Gujarat government had declared 16 tehsils in Kutch, Banaskantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts as 'scarcity hit' due to deficient rainfall.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
