Six killed while disposing of explosives meant for quarrying in Karnataka
Chikkaballapur(KTK): Six people were killed when the gelatin sticks they were trying to dispose of exploded accidentally at a stone quarry site in a village here early on Tuesday, police said.
Among the deceased, three are reportedly from Andhra Pradesh, one is from Nepal and another is from Bargepalli, it is learned. The condition of the three severely injured workers is said to be critical, and they have reportedly been taken to the district hospital.
The deceased have been identified as Ramu, Mahesh, Murali, Gangadhar, Umakanth, and Abhi. I t is learned that all of the deceased were workers at the Bramaravasini crusher.
The incident comes close on the heels of a similar blast at a quarry site in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's hometown of Shivamogga on January 22, which left six dead.
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar, who represents the Chikkaballapur constituency visited the spot and said the bodies of the victims were badly mutilated and scattered all over the place.
According to police, the incident took place at Hirenagavalli near Peresandra. Quarrying was stopped by the police on February 7 following complaints from the locals against rampant use of gelatin sticks.
Yet, it continued clandestinely following which another raid was carried out a few days ago and the contractor was warned not to use gelatin anymore.
The men working there went to dispose of the explosives in the wee hours of Tuesday when it went off accidentally. Meanwhile, Sudhakar said stringent action would be taken against the owners of the mines, who had stored the explosives illegally.
He added that police investigations are on into the matter.
Karnataka Mines and Geology Murugesh Minister R Nirani said in a series of tweets that the government has been taking stringent measures against illegal mining activities, transportation and storage of explosives used for mining.
"It's rather very unfortunate that the blast occurred in Chikkaballapur before the wounds of the Shivamogga blast have healed," Nirani said.
The government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the safety of people in the mining areas, he said adding a thorough probe will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the explosion and the culprits responsible for this will be punished.
Nirani further said the government will provide all necessary assistance to the kin of the deceased and injured persons.
Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured, he said the senior officials were already on the spot and assessing the situation.
Meanwhile, the Congress came down heavily on the state government, alleging the BJP leaders were behind the illegalities just as they were involved in Shivamogga.
"Instead of waking up from slumber after the Shivamogga blast and putting an end to illegal quarrying and use of explosives, the government stood in support of such activities leading to another explosion caused by gelatin.
Just as Shivamogga, here too the BJP people are involved. Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar is directly responsible for this incident," the party tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences to the families of the victims of the blast.
"Pained by the loss of lives due to a mishap at Chikkballapur in Karnataka. Condolences to the bereaved families. Praying that the injured recover quickly."
Expressing shock over the incident, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said he has ordered a thorough investigation into the case and directed the officials to take stringent action against the guilty.
"A high-level investigation into the incident is underway and stringent action will be taken against the guilty," he added.
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Kerala CM Vijayan urges PM Modi to withdraw FCRA amendment provisions
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed concerns over certain provisions in the proposed FCRA Bill and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to withdraw them.
In a letter to Modi, Vijayan said the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, has sparked concern among various sections of society, particularly minority communities.
A copy of the letter, sent on Sunday, was shared on his Facebook page on Monday.
In the letter, Vijayan noted that a perusal of the bill’s clauses indicates that powers have been granted to authorities to take over assets even for technical omissions.
“The apprehension is that granting such sweeping powers to authorities could lead to arbitrary exercise, and such concerns cannot be dismissed as baseless,” he said.
The chief minister pointed out that the existing law already provides sufficient powers to deal with misuse by entities permitted to receive foreign contributions.
He further said the amendment proposes enabling the takeover of assets, including places of worship and charitable organisations, even in cases involving technical issues such as violations of time limits.
Vijayan warned that the provisions could adversely affect institutions engaged in selfless service in areas such as education, healthcare, and the welfare of the poor and marginalised, even in the absence of significant lapses.
Stating that the issue has triggered concerns among religious groups and minority communities, the CM urged the prime minister to intervene in the matter at the earliest.
He also urged the PM to take steps to withdraw the provisions related to the takeover of assets in the amendment bill, noting that the existing Act has adequate safeguards to address violations.
The chief minister wrote to Modi at a time when reports about the proposed provisions in the FCRA Bill had triggered widespread reactions among political parties and various church denominations in poll-bound Kerala.
