Congress observes silent protest in Kolkata over Rahul Gandhi's LS disqualification
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday held a silent protest here to express solidarity with party leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.
Sporting black bands on their arms, Chowdhury along with his party colleagues gathered at the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Mayo Road-Dufferin Road crossing in the central part of the city and started the 'maun satyagraha'.
They will hold the demonstration till 5 pm, a party leader said.
Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha in March after he was convicted by a Surat court in Gujarat in a 2019 criminal defamation case.
The Gujarat High Court had on July 7 dismissed Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark.
Chowdhury, who is the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, had earlier written to Speaker Om Birla to hold a debate on the disqualification of Gandhi.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Six killed, 5 injured as passenger vehicle hits truck in Odisha
Sundargarh (Odisha) (PTI): Six people were killed and five others injured after a vehicle in which they were travelling rammed into a truck in Odisha's Sundargarh district early on Saturday, police said.
The accident occurred near Gaikanapali area under the Hemgiri Police Station limits when the passenger-carrying van hit the truck from behind, a senior officer said.
"Six members of a 'kirtan' group died on the spot, and five others were injured. Maybe, the accident occurred due to fog in the area," he said.
The 'kirtan' party went to Chakkplai village for a programme on the occasion of Diwali, and the accident took place when they were returning to their villages.
The deceased people belonged to Kandagoda and Samarpinda villages in the district.
The injured persons were admitted to a local hospital, the officer said.
Local people blocked the road, demanding ex gratia for the victims' families.
