Bengaluru: In  a bid to strengthen Third Front to take on national parties, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday invited the JD(S) to be a part of the Front and has also offered to campaign for the party in the upcoming polls.

 Rao called on JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and party state president H D Kumaraswamy at the former prime minister's residence in Padmanabhanagar in the city. He was accompanied by two Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs and multi-lingual actor Prakash Raj. Rao held a detailed meeting with the JD(S) leadership. The meeting was followed by a lunch hosted by Gowda.

He also watched videos of Kumaraswamy's 'Vikasa Parva' election campaigns.

Later, speaking to the media, Rao appealed to the Telugu-speaking people of Karnataka to support the regional party in the polls. He said he would campaign for the JD(S) in key constituencies, including those in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

The TRS chief said the formation of a new front of non-BJP and non-Congress parties had become imperative. He accused both national parties of failing to resolve inter-state water disputes. He said the Third Front would ensure sufficient water for all states, including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Rao has already met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as part of the formal talks to float the front as an alternative to the national parties.

Rao said he had invited Raj, whom he termed the 'son of the soil', to join him in his discussion with the JD(S) leadership. The actor, who is a bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had recently called on the chief minister in Telangana.

The actor maintained that he would not take a plunge into active politics. But he would, however, support the Third Front.

 

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Ranchi (PTI): The body of a migrant worker from Jharkhand’s Giridih district killed in Saudi Arabia in October last year has arrived at Ranchi Airport, but his family refused to accept it over pending compensation, officials said.

Shikha Lakra, team leader of the state migrant control cell, told PTI that, before taking the body of Vijay Kumar Mahato, the family is demanding compensation from the private company where he used to work in the Arab country.

Mahato was killed in an alleged crossfire between the police and criminals.

“Since it was a bullet injury case, the matter is before a court in Jeddah. The final compensation may depend on the court’s decision,” Lakra said.

“The Indian Embassy informed us about the body’s arrival, and coordination was done with district authorities. Our role is limited to coordination in cases involving overseas employers and foreign jurisdiction,” she added.

Giridih Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav said the authorities will try to convince the family to perform the last rites.

“We have already sanctioned Rs 5 lakh under the government scheme for migrant’s deaths abroad. The compensation payment might take some time,” he said.

The body is currently at the mortuary of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

The Family members said they will only accept it if the company provides written assurance regarding compensation. “Without that assurance, we will not receive the body,” said Ram Prasad Mahato, the deceased’s brother-in-law.

Mahato, a native of Dudhpaniya village in Madh Gopali panchayat under Dumri block, was employed as a tower line fitter. His family said he was struck by a bullet during a gunfight between local police and an extortion gang and later succumbed to his injuries.

Social activist Sikander Ali said Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and elderly parents.