Mother-daughter duo 'immolate' themselves during anti-encroachment drive in Uttar Pradesh
Kanpur (UP) (PTI): In a tragic incident, a 45-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter allegedly died after they immolated themselves during an anti-encroachment drive in a village in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
Pramila Dixit (45) and her daughter Neha (20) allegedly took the extreme step in the presence of police, district administration and revenue officials, who had gone to Madauli village in the Rura area of the district to remove encroachments from a "gram samaj" land, a police official said.
Rura Station House Officer (SHO) Dinesh Gautam and Pramila's husband, Gendan Lal, sustained burn injuries when they tried to save the victims, he added.
The aggrieved family members of the women allegedly beat up Lekhpal (revenue officer) Ashok Singh, following which the anti-encroachment team members fled the spot.
The victims' family members also put forward their demand before District Magistrate (DM) Neha Jain and Superintendent of Police (SP) BBGTS Murthy for the registration of an FIR against Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Maitha) Gyaneshwar Prasad, Lekhpal Singh and others.
Additional Director General of Police (Kanpur zone) Alok Singh, along with Divisional Commissioner Raj Shekhar, visited the village.
Officials said locals had made a complaint to the DM against Lal for "encroaching" the "gram samaj" land.
The SP said officials had gone to the village to carry out an anti-encroachment drive when the mother-daughter duo immolated themselves inside their hut.
"We have reached the spot and a probe is on," the officer said.
Reacting to the incident, the Samajwadi Party (SP) blamed the "insensitive" administration for the "murders".
"Under the Yogi (Adityanath) government, Brahmin families are targeted and such incidents are taking place selectively. Like Dalits and backwards, Brahmins are also a target of atrocities of the Yogi government," the opposition party said in a tweet in Hindi.
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Siddaramaiah congratulates Shivakumar on completing six years as Cong state chief
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday congratulated his deputy D K Shivakumar on completing six years as the Congress state president.
He hailed Shivakumar's organisational skills and commitment to the party despite being "harassed" by the BJP in false cases.
"Congratulations to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on completing six years as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.
Shivakumar's organisational skills, ideological commitment and hard work are an example for all the young leaders of Congress, he said.
"Despite being harassed by the opposition BJP by filing false cases, Shivakumar has remained loyal to the party without giving in and is a testament to his uncompromising loyalty to the Congress party. This is an inspiring behavior for lakhs of Congress party workers," the CM said.
He lauded Shivakumar, saying that he worked day and night along with party leaders and workers to defeat the communal forces and bring the Congress party to power.
"Shivakumar has stood shoulder to shoulder with me in rebuilding the state as a garden of peace for all races. Shivakumar, who is younger than me, has a bright political future," Siddaramaiah said.
He said that it is a common desire to bring the Congress party to power in 2028. "I will also be with the party in organising and fighting for this."
Siddaramaiah congratulating Shivakumar comes on a day where the latter is going to throw a dinner party for Congress MLAs.
All eyes are set on the outcome of the "dinner meeting", which is happening in the midst of the power tussle in the ruling Congress between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
