Karnataka: Project will proceed, Siddaramaiah says
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused his Tamil Nadu counterpart, J Jayalalithaa, of politicising” the Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery River, which flows through both states. Reaffirming Karnataka’s intention to go ahead with the project, Siddaramaiah said that Jayalalithaa was using the issue for “her political benefits”, adding that there were no legal hurdles to the project. The chief minister’s remarks came a day after Jayalalithaa in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi submitted a memorandum stating her government’s opposition to the proposed dam.
Jharkhand: 27 arrested for killing women for witchcraft
At least 27 people connected to the murders of five women over claims that they had practiced witchcraft were arrested by police in the Ranchi district of Jharkhand on Saturday. A senior police official said that the women were rounded up and beaten to death with sticks by the residents of Kanjia village on Friday night. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Arun Kumar said that rumours about the five women spread after three people died in the village. Fifty people have been named as accused persons in the case. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 400 women have been murdered over witchcraft claims in Jharkhand since 2001.
Bihar: Polls to be completed before Nov 29
The Bihar assembly elections in Bihar will be completed before November 29, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Saturday. Political parties have already submitted their suggestions about the election timetable, keeping in mind factors such as festivals and floods in the state, Zaidi told reporters while on a two-day visit to Patna to review the Election Commission’s preparedness for the polls. Expressing satisfaction at his meeting with state government officials, Zaidi said that he had been assured by Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh that the model code of conduct would be strictly implement and that communal harmony would be maintained.
Gujarat: Compulsory voting law a gimmick, Congress says
The Gujarat unit of the Congress on Saturday said that the compulsory voting law implemented by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state was nothing more than a gimmick Party spokesperson Manish Doshi said that the BJP was “not serious about electoral reforms” as it had only provided Rs 100 fine to be imposed on people who failed to exercise their franchise. The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, which was given approval last November, came into effect in July. The law makes it compulsory for citizens to cast their votes in elections to local self-governing bodies.
Maharashtra: Police to question Radhe Maa this week
The Mumbai Police will question self-proclaimed god-woman Radhe Maa in connection with a case relating to dowry this week. The 50-year-old spiritual leader was named as an accused after the complainant said that the Radhe Maa had instigated her husband and in-laws to harass her. However, Mumbai Police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said that there was currently no “actionable evidence against her at the moment”. Meanwhile, an advocate in Bhopal lodged a complaint against Radhe Maa, saying that she had insulted the word “Maa”. The advocate, RK Pandey, also alleged that the so-called god-woman had ties to the real-estate mafia.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused his Tamil Nadu counterpart, J Jayalalithaa, of politicising” the Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery River, which flows through both states. Reaffirming Karnataka’s intention to go ahead with the project, Siddaramaiah said that Jayalalithaa was using the issue for “her political benefits”, adding that there were no legal hurdles to the project. The chief minister’s remarks came a day after Jayalalithaa in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi submitted a memorandum stating her government’s opposition to the proposed dam.
Jharkhand: 27 arrested for killing women for witchcraft
At least 27 people connected to the murders of five women over claims that they had practiced witchcraft were arrested by police in the Ranchi district of Jharkhand on Saturday. A senior police official said that the women were rounded up and beaten to death with sticks by the residents of Kanjia village on Friday night. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Arun Kumar said that rumours about the five women spread after three people died in the village. Fifty people have been named as accused persons in the case. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 400 women have been murdered over witchcraft claims in Jharkhand since 2001.
Bihar: Polls to be completed before Nov 29
The Bihar assembly elections in Bihar will be completed before November 29, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Saturday. Political parties have already submitted their suggestions about the election timetable, keeping in mind factors such as festivals and floods in the state, Zaidi told reporters while on a two-day visit to Patna to review the Election Commission’s preparedness for the polls. Expressing satisfaction at his meeting with state government officials, Zaidi said that he had been assured by Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh that the model code of conduct would be strictly implement and that communal harmony would be maintained.
Gujarat: Compulsory voting law a gimmick, Congress says
The Gujarat unit of the Congress on Saturday said that the compulsory voting law implemented by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state was nothing more than a gimmick Party spokesperson Manish Doshi said that the BJP was “not serious about electoral reforms” as it had only provided Rs 100 fine to be imposed on people who failed to exercise their franchise. The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, which was given approval last November, came into effect in July. The law makes it compulsory for citizens to cast their votes in elections to local self-governing bodies.
Maharashtra: Police to question Radhe Maa this week
The Mumbai Police will question self-proclaimed god-woman Radhe Maa in connection with a case relating to dowry this week. The 50-year-old spiritual leader was named as an accused after the complainant said that the Radhe Maa had instigated her husband and in-laws to harass her. However, Mumbai Police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said that there was currently no “actionable evidence against her at the moment”. Meanwhile, an advocate in Bhopal lodged a complaint against Radhe Maa, saying that she had insulted the word “Maa”. The advocate, RK Pandey, also alleged that the so-called god-woman had ties to the real-estate mafia.
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