Davangere: Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa clarified on Sunday that the comparison drawn between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is solely in the context of their governance and public service, not on a personal level.

Speaking to the media in the city, Mahadevappa said that Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was a visionary ruler who stood for social justice and built an equitable society with people-centric reforms. "It's not appropriate to compare any individual with him. He was incomparable. The reference made between Siddaramaiah and Nalwadi is only in terms of their pro-people and developmental work," he reiterated.

Responding to BJP’s criticism over Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala allegedly acting like a “Super CM,” Mahadevappa said, "Just as a jaundiced eye sees everything as yellow, BJP leaders view everything with bias. The Congress party has never interfered in the functioning of the government. There is no instance of party in-charges criticizing ministers or MLAs. Our focus has always been on governance, not internal meddling," he said.

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Dewas/Indore (PTI): At least three workers were killed and 15 persons injured after a fire broke out following an explosion at a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district on Thursday, an official said.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident and ordered an investigation. The state government will provide an assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased, and the injured will receive free treatment, he said in a post on X.

Three persons were killed in the fire at the firecracker unit located in Tonk Kalan area, and around 15 injured persons were sent to hospitals in Indore and Dewas, Collector Rituraj Singh told reporters after inspecting the site.

Videos of the aftermath surfaced on social media, showing thick white smoke billowing from the factory along the Agra–Mumbai national highway. The clips also showed people rushing the injured for treatment amid cries for help, with body parts seen scattered at the site.

The collector said the fire has been brought under control. The administration has taken possession of explosives stored at another location within the unit, he said.

The work to manufacture small firecrackers at the factory of a person named Anil Malviya had begun only 15 days ago, and a licence has been issued for the unit, the collector said.

A detailed investigation is underway into the incident, he added.

CM Yadav said, "I have directed Deputy Chief Minister and Dewas district guardian minister Jagdish Devda, the home secretary and senior officials to visit the spot. An inquiry has also been ordered into the incident."

Local residents said there was a massive explosion at the factory, and the victims' body parts were found scattered far away from the site.

They said construction work was underway at the site and different sheds were being built there.