Four dead in Gujarat due to kite string injuries
Ahmedabad, Jan 14: Four persons including a four-year-old boy died after their throats were slit by 'manja' or kite string during Uttarayan celebrations in Gujarat on Tuesday, police said.
A death each was reported in Rajkot, Panchmahal, Mehsana and Surendranagar districts while numerous cases of injury were reported across the state, officials said.
Kunal Parmar (4) bled to death in Halol town of Panchmahal district after his neck was slit by kite string, said an official of the local police station.
He was riding with his father on motorcycle to buy kites and balloons from the market when a piece of string wrapped around his neck and caused a deep gash.
"He was rushed to hospital but died during treatment," the official said.
Mansaji Thakor (35), a farmer, died in Vadnagar taluka of Mehsana district. "He was riding to his farm at his village Vadbar on motorcycle when his neck was slit by kite string. He was taken to hospital but died during treatment," a Vadnagar police station official said.
An unidentified man, riding a motorcycle, was similarly killed on the outskirts of Rajkot city.
Ishwar Thakor (35) died in Patdi taluka of Surendranagar district after suffering deep cuts in the neck due to kite string while riding a motorcycle, police said.
GVK EMRI, which operates 108 ambulance service in the state, reported a rise in emergency cases on Uttarayan compared to the last year. As of 6 pm, the number of emergency calls received was 3,707, against 3,362 on the same day in 2024, a GVK EMRI official said.
These included numerous cases of injuries due to kite string and fall from rooftop while flying kites.
Manja made from nylon or coated with crushed glass is sharp enough to cause fatal injuries. Despite being banned, it is used by kite enthusiasts who find them effective for cutting an opponents' kite.
On Monday, the state government had informed the Gujarat High Court in response to a petition that a total of 609 First Information Reports were registered and 612 individuals arrested for alleged manufacture, sale and stocking of nylon string (`Chinese manja') and glass coated string in the run-up to Uttarayan.
A notification dated December 24, 2024, imposed a complete ban on these items, but they still found their way into the hands of kite enthusiasts.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
