Seven killed in AP as bus plunges into canal
Darsi (Andhra Pradesh) (PTI): Seven people died and several others were injured when a bus carrying a marriage party fell into a canal in the early hours of Tuesday in Prakasam district, police said.
The accident occurred near Darsi when the APSRTC bus in which nearly 45 persons were travelling fell into the NSP canal, resulting in the death of five women, a six-year old girl and a man, police said.
The mishap took place on the outskirts of Darsi when the driver of the RTC bus carrying the marriage party plunged into the canal while trying to avoid a private bus coming in the opposite direction, Prakasam district superintendent of police Mallika Garg told PTI.
The bus also hit a pole before falling into the canal, Garg said. The driver, who survived in the accident, said the steering stopped working and the brakes had also failed, the police official added.
Police said the driver of the RTC bus lost control of the vehicle after crossing the first of the two bridges when the private bus veered into its lane.
She said as per initial reports, the reason for the deaths was suffocation as people who were seated in the front portion got crushed due to the weight of others from the rear portion falling on them.
However, the driver and his assistant managed to survive.
The survivors broke windows to free themselves.
As many as 18 persons suffered injuries, police said, adding five of them have been referred to a hospital in Ongole and were said to be stable.
A crane was deployed at the accident site to rescue the injured persons.
Incidentally, a family from Podili had hired the APSRTC bus to go to Kakinada to attend a reception. They boarded the bus at 12:35 AM and some 15 minutes later when they had reached the outskirts of Darsi the accident occurred.
Following an initial probe, police ruled out drunk driving as a cause of the mishap.
Police have booked a case under IPC Section 304 and are investigating.
Meanwhile, an official release from Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's office said the CM has expressed grief over the incident.
The CM ordered officials to ensure better medical care for the injured.
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Kerala Catholic bishops backs Waqf amendment bill, seeks unbiased approach from political parties
New Delhi (PTI): An organisation of Catholic Bishops on Monday came out in support of the amendments to the Central Waqf Act, contending that some of its provisions were inconsistent with the Constitution and secular democratic values of the country.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) also urged political parties to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to the issue.
The remarks from the leading body of Christian clerics come at a time when the government is pushing to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill for consideration in the ongoing Budget Session.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before Parliament and accused some organisations of "misleading Muslims".
The CBCI said that the Waqf Board in Kerala had invoked the provisions of the existing Waqf law to declare the ancestral residential properties of more than 600 families in the Munambam region as Waqf land.
"Over the past three years, this issue has escalated into a complex legal dispute. The fact remains that only a legal amendment can provide a permanent solution, and this must be recognised by the people's representatives," the CBCI said.
"As the Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be introduced in Parliament, CBCI urges political parties and legislators to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to this issue," it said.
The CBCI said that the rightful ownership of land must be fully restored to the people of Munambam.
"Any provisions or laws that contradict the principles of the Indian Constitution must be amended. At the same time, the rights of religious minorities, as guaranteed by the Constitution, must be safeguarded," the CBCI said.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council has also asked the state's MPs to support the Waqf Amendment Bill and vote in favour of amending the "unconstitutional and unjust provisions" in the existing Waqf Act.
Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju welcomed the statement of the Kerala Catholics Bishop Council.
"It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. This Bill is not against any community -- that is a propaganda spread to poison the minds of some," Rijiju said.
"A welcome step by the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC). Their call is for amending the sections which are unfair and anti-constitutional in the existing Waqf Act," Sitharaman said.
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