Hindutva activist Srikant Pujari walks out of jail after getting bail in Ram temple agitation case
Hubballi (K'taka), Jan 6: Hindutva activist Srikant Pujari, who was arrested for participating in the Ram temple agitation over three decades ago, was released on bail here on Saturday.
Soon after coming out of jail, he asserted that he had fought for Ram temple in Ayodhya and would go there again.
Police said they had picked up Pujari in December, 2023, in connection with the disposal of pending cases. It turned out that the accused had participated in the Ram temple agitation in 1992.
Police, however, maintained that there were 16 cases pending against him including bootlegging and that he was designated as 'rowdy' in two police stations.
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Soon after his release from jail, Pujari expressed his gratitude to the Hindu organisations, which fought for his release.
"Thirty-one years ago I fought for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. I will go there again," Pujari told reporters.
According to him, the policemen who came to arrest him said that they wanted to take him to the market.
"The policemen did not give me any warrant or summons. They just picked me up and put me in the lock-up," Pujari said.
When asked if he was arrested intentionally by the Congress government ahead of the Ram temple inauguration on January 22, he said, "I don't know all that. They (police) just called me to the market and arrested (me)."
He dismissed the allegations that there were many pending cases against him.
"There were no cases against me. I got all of them cleared one after the other. That's why I returned from Belagavi," Pujari said.
Responding to a question, the Hindutva activist said he was in jail for eight months in 1992.
The BJP had made his arrest an issue and staged demonstrations across the state. It also launched a campaign called 'I'm a Kar Sevak. Arrest Me Too.'
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lashed out at the BJP, saying leaders of the opposition party need to understand that assigning caste and religious labels to criminals is extremely dangerous.
"If any BJP leaders have a little wisdom, they should please read out the list of charges against this person from Hubballi and then decide whether to fight for him. Since Hindus are the majority in the population, they are also the majority in prisons. Does that mean BJP should fight for all of them because they belong to the Hindu religion," Siddaramaiah had asked.
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Two killed, over half a dozen injured as harvester hits wedding bus in UP's Budaun
Budaun (UP) (PTI): Two persons were killed and more than half a dozen others injured after a private bus carrying wedding guests was hit from behind by a speeding wheat harvester on the Budaun-Delhi road in the Mujariya police station area, police said on Monday.
The accident occurred late Sunday night, when the harvester rammed into the bus, smashing its rear.
The impact was so severe that several passengers were flung onto the road along with their seats, eyewitnesses said.
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The bus was carrying a marriage party from Usahait area to Kolhai village in Mujariya.
The deceased have been identified as Sajid (25) and Farhan (12), who died on the spot, police said.
More than six injured persons were rushed to the Government Medical College with the help of ambulances. Their condition is stated to be serious, officials said.
On receiving information, police teams reached the spot and carried out rescue operations.
"The injured were immediately shifted to the medical college where doctors declared two persons dead," said Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hridayesh Kumar Katheria.
Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Vipin Kumar confirmed the deaths and said six injured persons are undergoing treatment.
Both vehicles were cleared from the road during the night to restore traffic movement.
