Jammu-Srinagar NH shut for second day as road clearance operations continue in Ramban
Jammu (PTI): Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as the work to clear the fresh landslides is going on amid heavy rains in the Ramban district, officials said.
The strategic 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked by multiple landslides early Monday. Though it was reopened for a few hours on Tuesday morning, two major landslides forced its closure, they said.
According to a traffic update issued at 10 am, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) continues to remain blocked, with road clearance operations underway at Shalgarhi and Banihal.
“Road clearance is going on, but it will take some time. Moreover, there is continuous rainfall along the highway,” the advisory said.
A traffic police spokesperson said movement has been stopped in both directions — from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa — due to a heavy landslide between Digdol and Khooni Nallah on Tuesday. “The road is completely blocked,” he said.
Officials said more than 400 vehicles are stranded at various points along the highway.
Men and machinery have been pressed into service to clear the debris, but intermittent rains are disrupting the restoration efforts.
Authorities have advised commuters not to travel on NH-44 until the road is fully restored.
“People are advised not to pay heed to rumours and check the status of roads through the traffic police’s official social media handles and traffic control units,” the spokesperson added.
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Assam: RSS files police complaints against Kharge for 'derogatory' remarks at poll rally
Guwahati (PTI): The RSS on Wednesday said it has filed complaints at two police stations in Assam against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for allegedly comparing the ideology of the organisation and the BJP with a 'poisonous snake' at an election rally.
The complaints were filed to seek legal action over alleged ''derogatory, provocative, and communally sensitive statements made during a recent election rally in south Assam, a RSS spokesman said
In the complaints, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh alleged that the Congress chief had made controversial remarks during an election rally in Nilambazar under the Karimganj South assembly constituency in Sribhumi district.
"If a poisonous snake is moving in front of you while you are offering namaz, you must stop the prayer and rush to kill the poisonous snake first - that is what the Quran prescribes you to do. I tell you that the RSS and BJP are like that same poisonous snake,” Kharge was quoted as saying in the complaints.
The RSS expressed serious concern, claiming that such remarks were "inflammatory in nature and capable of inciting hostility, intimidation, and violence against workers and supporters of the RSS and the BJP".
The complaints pointed out that the statement constitutes a ''corrupt electoral practice under Section 83 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the remarks criminally intimidated the public and promoted enmity between supporters of different political and social groups''.
Describing the ideology of RSS and BJP as “poisonous” and calling for their elimination could encourage "bodily harm against members and supporters of these organisations", the complaints said.
Kharge's remarks attempt to promote ''communal division between Hindu and Muslim communities, potentially disturbing public peace and harmony in Assam and influencing the electoral environment", the RSS said.
The complainants also claimed that such statements might lead to communal tensions or clashes if not addressed promptly by authorities.
The complaints were filed by RSS' North Assam secretary Khagen Saikia at Dispur Police Station and South Assam's secretary Jyotsnamoy Chakraborty at Silchar PS.
The BJP had also filed complaints on the same allegations at the Basishta Police Station here and with the Election Commission on Tuesday.
