Terror attack: Nagaland NCP candidate killed
Shillong: Four people, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Jonathon Nengminza Sangma, were killed while three others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in poll-bound Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district on Sunday, an official said.
The incident took place around 7.30 p.m. at Sawilgre village, about 14 km from Samanda Block, when the candidate was returning to Williamnagar, the district headquarters of East Garo Hills from poll campaigning.
Sangma, 43, was contesting the Assembly election from Williamnagar which he had unsuccessfully contested as an Independent candidate in 2013. He lost the elections to the incumbent Education Minister and senior Congress leader Deborah C. Marak.
The incident was preceded by posters appearing in certain areas of Williamnagar constituency saying anyone who votes for the NCP candidate Jonathon Sangma would get bullets from "AK-17 and pistol".
Incidentally, Sangma had filed a case in 2013 against Deborah, alleging that she had sought the help of terrorist outfit Garo National Liberation Army to intimidate people to seek votes.
Deborah had won the seat in 2013 securing 8,402 votes while Sangma had garnered 5,525 votes.
A year later, Meghalaya Police filed a charge sheet against Deborah Marak and her aide Tennydard Marak for "hatching a criminal conspiracy" with the GNLA to garner votes in the February 2013 Assembly election.
Voicing "serious concern" on the blast, the Meghalaya Bharatiya Janata Party tweeted: "Our thoughts are with the near and dear ones of NCP candidate Shri Jonathan N Sangma and those traveling with him. The news that he was shot dead...comes as a serious concern on the eve of elections."
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Kejriwal responds to EC, says water received from Haryana 'extremely poisonous' for human health
New Delhi (PTI): AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday responded to the Election Commission notice over his claim the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in Yamuna, and said raw water received from the BJP-ruled state in the recent past has been "highly contaminated and extremely poisonous" for human health.
In the 14-page reply to the Election Commission, the former Delhi chief minister said if such "toxic water" is allowed to be consumed by human population it would lead to grave health hazard and fatality.
Kejriwal said he only wanted to highlight the "urgent public health crisis" due to the quality of drinking water in the city, and he violated no law or Model Code of Conduct, hence the issue should be closed.
He said the "alleged statements" attributed to him were made as it was his public duty to red flag the "severe toxicity and contamination" of raw water received from the BJP-ruled state.
Following a complaint filed by the BJP over the matter, the Election Commission issued the notice to Kejriwal on Tuesday, giving him time till Wednesday 8 pm to furnish his reply.
Kejriwal also said the ammonia level in raw water received from Haryana was so "extreme" that water treatment plants in Delhi are unable to process and bring it down to safe and permissible limits for human consumption.
Following their party chief's response, the AAP issued a statement, saying, "It is an undisputed fact that there is 7 ppm ammonia in Yamuna water, A Delhi Jal Board CEO letter admits toxicity is 700 percent higher than the permissible limit."
In his response to the EC, Kejriwal also alleged that Haryana's "failure" in controlling pollution in Yamuna has resulted in an "unprecedented public health crisis" in Delhi. He alleged "indiscriminate" discharge of industrial waste in the river by the state.
The AAP supremo said Haryana is an upper-riparian state and Delhi, ruled by his party, has no role to play in the high level of toxic water being made available to the city.
"Due to such high level of toxic content in the raw water supplied by Haryana, the water treatment plants in Delhi are operating below capacity and there is a shortage of treated water in Delhi," he claimed.
Saying that access to clean water is a basic human right, the AAP chief asserted that raising this critical issue cannot be considered an offence.
"The said statement by no stretch of the imagination can be termed inciting enmity between different groups or prejudicial to national integration," he said.
On the contrary, the substance and purpose of these statements are rooted solely in the public interest, aimed at highlighting a legitimate civic concern that requires urgent institutional intervention, he asserted.
He requested the EC to intervene in the matter and issue appropriate directions to Haryana so safe water is made available to the people of Delhi.
