Madhya Pradesh: Stones hurled at garba venue; govt razes houses of three of 19 accused
Bhopal(PTI): Stones were hurled at a garba pandal in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district following a dispute between two groups, police said on Tuesday, adding 19 persons have been booked and houses of three of them razed by officials for "illegal" construction.
The stone pelting incident occurred on October 2 night at Surjani village under the Sitamau police station limits in Mandsaur district, about 345 km away from the state capital, in which four persons were injured, he said.
"After receiving information about stone pelting at a garba pandal due to a dispute between two groups, the police reached the spot and brought the situation under control," Superintendent of Police (SP) Anurag Sujania told reporters.
A case was registered against 19 persons and seven of them were detained after a probe, he said, adding that some of the accused are habitual offenders.
The SP said the illegal construction of more than 4,500 sq ft worth more than Rs 4.5 crore, belonging to three of the accused, was demolished on Tuesday with the help of the revenue department.
A case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 307 (attempt to murder) for hurling stones at the pandal, the police officer added.
According to police sources, a man named Salman was performing stunts on a motorcycle and a quarrel erupted between him and another man.
Later, Salman and his associates reached the garba venue to look for the person with whom he had fought and the matter escalated into stone pelting, they said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
