Mangaluru: Former minister Ramanath Rai has criticized the Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar for allegedly taking credit of the works done by others. “I have never seen a lazy MP like him,” said Ramanath Rai.

Rai, who attacked Nalin Kumar at a press meet held in the district Congress office on Monday, said “he is the MP who does not know what dollar is. He has set the district on fire through his hatred speeches. Besides causing tension in the area, he did no developmental works.

“He is blaming that the sand mining is taking place in the district. But the sand mining is continuing for around 15 years and not only for two to three years. It is not good to blame somebody when a problem comes.”

“I was an MLA when a bridge was collapsed in Bondantil village. The reconstruction work of the bridge was started within two days. The Bahugram drinking water project was not processed as in Bantwal. The Siddaramaiah-led government was a golden age of development over the past five years,” Rai asserted.

“There were plenty of developmental activities in the previous term. But MP Nalin Kumar is trying to make others guilty when elections are approaching. We have taken approval for several central award programs during the previous term. But, Nalin Kumar has said that I, then MLA Mohiuddin Bawa, and Abhayachandra Jain were the reason for slowing down the construction of Mangalore-Solapur road. I did not understand on what basis he has given such statement. I have conducted various meetings with land acquisition officer and completed the acquisition process. Naveen Kumar did not attend a single meeting at that time. Then why he is blaming me now?’ Rai asked.

”The Lady Goschen Hospital was initiated by the MRPL's CSR fund. At least ten meetings were held for this. The work was completed through other contractors when the first contractor escaped after taking the contract. The first phase work of Shiradi Ghat is undertaken by the state highways in coordination with National Highway. It is now handed over to the National Highway Authority. The first phase work has been completed within a specified period. The second phase work was handed over to Hyderabad contractors. The permission of the forest department has been taken well in advance. Though many works including Rs. 41 crore’s work of the Deputy Commissioner's Office, Airport Road, Ambedkar Bhavan, Veterinary Medical College, Uppinangady Community Hospital, etc. have been completed by the previous government, the MP is blaming that no developmental works were taken place,” Rai said expressing displeasure.

Mayor Bhaskar Moily, Shashidhar Hegde, Mamata Gatti, Shahul Hameed, Naveen D'Souza, Pratibha Kulai, Ashok DK, Shalett Pinto and others were present.

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Ahmedabad (PTI): A man was killed in a violent altercation triggered by a motorcycle accident in Dhandhuka in Gujarat's Ahmedabad district on Saturday, after which several shops were set on fire, a police official said.

Two men from different communities clashed this afternoon after their motorcycles collided, which intensified when members of one group went to the house of the other individual involved in the accident, he said.

"During the confrontation, Dharmesh Gamara (30) was stabbed in the leg with a knife. He later died due to excessive bleeding. Following his death, tensions flared, and a group of people set ablaze seven to eight roadside shops. Several properties were damaged," Ahmedabad Rural Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat said.

Videos circulating on social media showed small shops engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke rising in the area.

Police and fire brigade teams rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control, Jat told PTI.

"The fires have been doused," he said, adding that house-to-house combing and patrolling were underway in the area to identify those involved in the arson.

Two persons identified as Samir and Rizwan have been arrested for alleged involvement in the killing of Gamara, while 15-20 persons have been detained in connection with the arson, police said.