'Denied' loan, man sets himself on fire outside bank in UP
Gonda (UP) (PTI): A man on Wednesday set himself on fire outside a bank here and his family alleged that he tried self-immolation because his loan was not sanctioned.
Twenty-five-year-old Divyaraj Pandey sustained 70 per cent burn injuries and was in critical condition, police said, adding that he has been taken to Lucknow for treatment.
Pandey's friend Pradeep too sustained burn injuries and is in a hospital.
The State Bank of India (SBI) said no loan application from Pandey was pending.
According to police, Pandey, who is a resident of Sarhara Pandey Purwa in Itiyathok area, immolated himself using petrol from his motorcycle.
Pandey and his friend Pradeep sustained burn injuries and were rushed to a hospital, Station House Officer of City Kotwali Police Station Sanjay Kumar said.
Pandey's family members alleged that he had applied for a loan to start an RO water plant but the bank officials were not sanctioning his loan due to which he took the drastic step.
The regional manager of the SBI branch in front of Kotwali, Gyan Prakash, denied the allegations levelled by Pandey's family.
In a statement issued here, Prakash said an unknown person tried to do an "illegal act" in front of the bank.
"No matter related to his loan was with the bank," Prakash said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
