Dam breach: NCP workers throw crabs outside minister's house
Pune, Jul 9: Workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Tuesday threw crabs outside the residence of Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant to protest his claim that the crustaceans caused a dam breach in coastal Ratnagiri.
Sawant drew much flak and ridicule when he claimed last week that crabs hollowed out the wall of Tiware dam in Ratnagiri district, causing the breach which claimed at least 15 lives.
NCP workers led by Rupali Chakankar reached the residence of Sawant, the minister for water conservation, here and threw live crabs on the porch.
Earlier, NCP workers in Thane and Kolhapur had approached police seeking that a `case' for murder be registered against crabs for causing the breach, following Sawant's statement in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The dam, located near Chiplun, 250 km from Mumbai, breached on the night of July 2.
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Kharge expresses regret over 'illiterate' remark, says he has highest of respect for Gujaratis
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New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed regret over his controversial statement calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate", and said he has always had and will continue to have the highest of respect for the people of the state.
In a post on X, the Congress president said, "Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Kerala are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret.
"It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of respect."
Kharge on Sunday had sparked a row during his Assembly poll campaign in Kerala, calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate" and claiming they were being "fooled" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the same time, Kharge said neither Modi nor Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could fool the people of Kerala, describing them as "very clever and educated".
"Don’t misguide the people of Kerala. They are very clever and educated. Modiji, Vijayan, you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you cannot fool the people of Kerala," the Congress chief had said.
He made the remark while alleging that both Modi and Vijayan were following the same path, with no difference between them except the parties they lead.
The BJP on Tuesday had demanded an apology from Kharge for his remarks, saying that the comment was "shameless, demeaning and utterly despicable."
Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to clarify whether they agreed with Kharge's statement.
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