Kasargod: Senior politician and former minister Cherkalam Abdullah, 76, passed away at his home on Friday morning.
Cherkalam Abdullah, who was admitted to a private hospital in Mangaluru for the last few days, was brought to the home late yesterday night as per doctors’ opinion. He breathed his last at his residence at 8:20 am today.
The former legislator of Manjeshwar Cherkalam Abdullah was the treasurer of the Muslim League in the state.
Cherkalam, who was a prominent leader of the Congress-led Muslim league, was elected as MLA from Manjeshwar for four times from 1987 to 2001 and was Minister of State in the AK Antony cabinet in 2001.
Cherkalam Abdulla, a resident of Cherkala in Kasargod, had entered the assembly in 1987 by defeating BJP's H. Shankar Alva. With this victory, the Congress-led UDF entered into the Manjeshwara Assembly constituency. UDF once again won the polls in 1992 when the Muslim league leader Cherkalam defeated the most popular BJP leader KG Marar by a margin of 1,072 votes.
Cherkalam, who was elected for the third time by defeating BJP’s CK Padmanabhan in 1996, repeated the triumph over CK Padmanabhan in 2001 and entered into the assembly for the fourth term. Cherkalam, who served as the Muslim League and UDF district president for many years, won the Kannadigas by stirring up Kannada at the Assembly session.
Cherkalam Abdullah is the first MLA to be sworn-in in the Kannada language in Kerala Legislative Assembly.
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Jalna/Mumbai (PTI): Eight women labourers were killed, and three others were injured after a speeding truck rammed into a tempo on the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway in Jalna district of Maharashtra on Wednesday evening, police said.
The incident occurred when a group of women was returning home after completing cleaning work on the expressway.
"A total of 11 persons, including the driver, were sitting in the tempo. As the vehicle was about to start, a speeding truck headed towards Mumbai rammed into it from behind at Kadvanchi village," a police official said, adding that seven women died on the spot and another succumbed in the Jalna government hospital.
The tempo was badly mangled, and the bodies were reportedly strewn across the road.
The deceased have been identified as Alkabai Admane (45), Laxmibai Madan (35), Meena Admane (45), Kanchan Admane (50), Tarabai Choudhari (60), Kadubai Madan (55), and Suman Admane (70), all residents of Jalna tehsil.
The identity of the eighth deceased is yet to be confirmed.
Three people are undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Police have arrested the truck driver and registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.
Expressing grief, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the death of eight people is extremely unfortunate, and announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.
Fadnavis paid heartfelt tributes to the deceased and expressed solidarity with their families.
He said in a statement the injured have been immediately admitted to hospitals and the local administration is coordinating relief efforts.
The district collector and the superintendent of police are present at the spot, overseeing the situation, the chief minister added.
Environment Minister and Jalna District Guardian Minister Pankaja Munde has expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
In a condolence message, Munde extended her sympathies to the families of the deceased.
