West Bengal: Toll in panchayat poll violence rises to 15
Kolkata (PTI): The toll in the violence during panchayat elections in West Bengal rose to 15 after a person was found dead in South 24 Parganas, and two others succumbed to their injuries, officials said on Sunday.
A person, identified as Abu Salem Khan, was found dead near a polling booth in West Gabtala in Kultali police station area. He had injuries on his head, they said.
He was known to be a TMC worker in the area, locals said.
Police said they are investigating the cause of the death.
Tension was palpable in the area, and a large police contingent was deployed to prevent any further flare-up.
Another TMC worker, identified as Azhar Lashkar, injured during violence in the district's Basanti area on Saturday night died at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, doctors who were treating him said.
In Malda district's Baishannagar, TMC worker Motiur Rahman was stabbed outside a polling booth. The incident happened near KBC primary school in the Barkamat area, officials said.
TMC alleged the incident happened when Congress workers were trying to tamper with the ballot box, and he tried to stop them. Congress denied the charge.
Rahman succumbed to the injuries on the way to the Malda Medical College and Hospital, officials said.
Till Saturday night, 12 deaths were reported in the violence that broke out in the state during the polling. Among them, eight were from the ruling TMC and one supporter each of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress.
However, different political parties claimed that the number of deaths was higher, totalling 18. TMC claimed nine of its members died in the violence, while the Congress claimed three of its supporters were killed. The BJP claimed two of its supporters died, and the CPI(M) also said that two of its members died. The political affiliation of two deceased could not be known.
The State Election Commission (SEC) said it has sought detailed reports on the deaths from the district magistrates (DMs).
"We have asked the DMs to file reports on the deaths within 24 hours," an official told PTI.
A total of 73,887 seats in the state's three-tier panchayat system went to the polls, with lakh 2.06 lakh candidates in the fray. A voter turnout of 66.28 per cent, provisionally, was recorded, while 5.67 crore people living in the state's rural areas were eligible to vote, officials said.
Repolling was underway in 32 booths in Cooch Behar district's Dinhata, they said.
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Waqf board claims ownership of 53 historic monuments in Karnataka
Hubballi: The Karnataka Waqf Board has claimed ownership of 53 historical monuments across the state, including notable sites like Gol Gumbaz, Ibrahim Rauza, and Bara Kaman in Vijayapura. In 2005, the Waqf Board declared 43 of these sites in Vijayapura, once the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty, as Waqf properties. However, these sites have since faced encroachments and unauthorised modifications.
According to records obtained through an RTI, the Waqf Board designated these 43 sites as Waqf properties using Record of Rights (ROR) documents, though the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the recognised custodian of these protected sites. “While ASI is the holder of the land/monument, the encumbrance is the Waqf authority. This has been done without consulting ASI,” says the RTI response from the Union government.
This declaration was made by Mohammad Mohsin, who held dual roles as Vijayapura’s Deputy Commissioner and Waqf Board Chairman at the time.
“I don’t remember how many monuments were declared as Waqf properties. But whatever I have done is according to the government gazette notification issued by the Revenue Department and authentic documentary evidence produced by the parties,” said Mohsin.
Many of these monuments, designated as nationally significant heritage sites since 1914, are officially under ASI’s care as per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (1958). ASI asserts that "once an ASI property, it is always an ASI property," meaning their ownership is non-transferable. However, sources report that several of these sites have been defaced, unscientifically renovated, or altered with elements like air conditioners, fluorescent lighting, and even commercial and residential structures, impacting their historical integrity and tourism appeal.
“Monuments are the living examples of our history. Monuments can be renovated/conserved in the prescribed manner only by ASI. However, the 43 monuments in Vijayapura are being defaced and are being repaired with plaster and cement. Fans, air conditioners, fluorescent lights and toilets are being added to the monuments. Shopkeepers have taken over certain properties. This is adversely impacting the flow of tourists to these monuments,” said an officer who did not wish to be named.
Since 2007, the Ministry of Culture has repeatedly requested the state authorities to clear encroachments on these sites. Despite a joint survey in 2012, ASI officials report that neither the Waqf Board nor the Vijayapura Deputy Commissioner’s office has provided adequate documentation to substantiate Waqf’s ownership claim. ASI officials, under directives to avoid commenting on the issue publicly, maintain that their ownership under the AMASR Act remains unchangeable.
