Panchayat development officer booked for posting WhatsApp status 'insulting' CM Siddaramaiah
Kalaburagi (PTI): A case has been registered against a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) for allegedly posting a WhatsApp status, "insulting" Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, police said on Saturday.
Suntanur gram panchayat PDO Praveen Kumar, reportedly edited a photograph of the Chief Minister to add a Muslim cap and shared it as his WhatsApp status.
The matter came to notice after locals noticed his mobile WhatsApp status and alerted a villager leader, who filed a complaint at Nimbarga police station in this regard, they said.
A memorandum has also been submitted by a few to the Panchayat officials demanding disciplinary action against the PDO.
"Based on the complaint received, we have registered a case under appropriate sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the accused PDO and the matter is being investigated further," a police officer said.
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
