Page 59 - Social Issues

Delhi cops avert suicide bid by man

Swift action by the Delhi Police prevented a man from committing suicide by jumping into the Yamuna river here, officials said Saturday. According to police, at around 11.20 pm on Friday, a man named Omi approached a Police Control Room (PCR) van of north east zone at its base point. He told them that his brother Rajender had a quarrel with some family members and in a fit of rage had gone towards Wazirabad to commit suicide by jumping into the Yamuna river, they said. The PCR van searched the spot and traced the man near the Signature Bridge, a senior police officer said, adding that they managed to convince the man to not take the extreme step.

I belong to caste of the poor, says Modi; slams SP, BSP for raising questions over his caste

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday came down heavily on the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh for raising questions on his caste, asserting that he belongs to the caste of all poor countrymen. Addressing election rallies in Sonebhadra and nearby Ghazipur, Modi also kept up his attack the Congress over its leader Sam Pitroda's hua to hua (It happened, so what?) remark on the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The prime minister also brought up national security, accusing a previous coalition government of weakening the intelligence agencies. He recalled the Pokhran nuclear tests 21 years ago this day. "They have destroyed Uttar Pradesh and now the SP and the BJP have come together to save themselves from destruction, he said, calling the opposition alliance mahamilawati or highly adulterated. They have started a new thing about my caste, he said, in an apparent reference to Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati's jibe that he is a farzi backward - a fake OBC leader. I want to tell them that .

Guj man kills wife, hangs self in Banaskantha

A man committed suicide after allegedly killing his wife at Udarna village in Banaskantha district's Tharad taluka on Saturday, police said. Ragnath Thakor (48) killed his wife Masiben Thakor (40) using an axe and then hanged himself from a tree near their house in the afternoon, an official said. "The couple is survived by four children. While the exact reason behind the murder and suicide is not clear, it could be marital discord as Thakor and his wife frequently fought," he said.

BJP-Cong workers clash, pelt stones at rally in MP's Ratlam

Workers of the BJP and Congress Saturday clashed in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district where cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu was scheduled to address a poll rally, police said. BJP workers had come with black flags to Alot, near here, to protest against Congress leader Sidhu, whose rally incidentally got cancelled in the last minute, an official said. Workers of the two parties clashed, pelted stones at each other, forcing police to resort to a mild cane charge, said the official. "Some people sustained minor injuries. We have rounded up 11 people, including BJP leader and Janpad president Kalu Singh Parihar, for violence. A case has been registered and further probe is underway," City Superintendent of Police (CSP) A Jain said.

With no water and power for days, Bhubaneswar villagers stage protest

Residents of Raghunathpur village in the district on Saturday staged a protest, alleging non-availability of water and power and discriminatory attitude of the authorities in carrying out the restoration work after they were hit by the cyclone 'Fani.'A resident of the village told ANI: "It has been 9 to 10 days, but no one from the administration has come here to survey the devastation caused by the cyclone Fani. No one listens to us.""We want at least assurance from the government on when we will get the electricity. Until full assessment and restoration work is completed, we demand that the administration provide us with water tankers," said the villager.Protesters alleged that the authorities engaged in carrying out restoration and relief work ignored their area since it is inhabited by the lower-middle class people.Nivedita, another protester, said: "There is electricity supply to the streetlights of the area. Power supply to apartments has also been restored but nobody came to ...

Nuns step up in the fight against prostitution

Girls freed from the clutches of human traffickers worldwide are given shelter by nuns from the Talitha Kum network, which is marking its 10th anniversary with support from Pope Francis. "We have sisters who go into the streets, but also to refugee camps, schools, tea plantations, (and) prisons," the international network's coordinator, Sister Gabriella Bottani told AFP. "We can identify situations, do prevention work, offer help," she said. Efforts to help those trapped in prostitution are regularly lauded by the 82-year old pope. The Argentine choose an anti-trafficking Italian nun to write the Way of Cross meditations this Easter, with seasoned campaigner Eugenia Bonetti slamming public "indifference" as the main reason girls are still on the street. On Friday, Francis opened an exhibition at the Vatican of photographs by Lisa Kristine of the US, portraying nuns working with victims. Trafficking in women is "an octopus with many tentacles," said Sister Yvonne Clemence Bambara, who .

Scuffle among Congmen during oppn protest against Intermediate

In an embarrassment to Congress, a scuffle took place between a local party functionary and former party MP V Hanumantha Rao at a protest here against the intermediate results fiasco, attended by leaders and activists of opposition parties. Video footage of the incident showed Rao and Nagesh Mudiraj, a state Congress general secretary, involved in a heated argument, followed by a scuffle. Rao and the others fell to the ground in the melee. TDP Telangana unit president L Ramana and other party workers tried to separate the duo. The occasion was the protest organised by opposition parties here against the alleged goof-up in Intermediate exam results that has led to widespread protests in the state. AICC incharge of Congress affairs in Telangana R C Khuntia, TDP's Ramana and leaders of CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) were present on the occasion. The Congress, in a release, said its disciplinary committee has taken serious note of the incident and felt that Nagesh ...

Mentally challenged boy nibbles dead father's limbs

A 12-year-old mentally challenged boy is suspected to have nibbled the limbs of his father, who had allegedly committed suicide at their home in Jharkhand's Palamau district, a police officer said Saturday. The police broke open the door of their house at Danbdar village Saturday on being informed by neighbours of foul smell emnating from it and found the 45-year-old Suresh Mochi's body hanging from the ceiling, Superintendent of Police Inderjit Mahata said here. Mochi had used his gamchha to allegedly commit suicide three days ago, he said adding the man before taking the step had tied the boy to a cot with a rope. The police found cuts in the limbs of the body and suspect that the boy had nibbled them. The boy has been admitted to a hospital, he said. Mochi's wife lives with the couple's son and daughter-in-law, who live separately. Their other son works in Punjab, Mahata said.

Mamata government failed to fulfil 70% promises: BJP

Terming the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal as "non-performing and bankrupt", BJP vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe on Saturday accused it of not fulfilling nearly 70 per cent of the promises made in the party's election manifesto before the 2016 state assembly polls.

Rift in SP-BSP due to "non-transfer" of vote bank: Yogi Adityanath

Ahead of the sixth phase of elections on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed that a rift is apparent in the alliance between SP and BSP with leaders of both parties accusing each other of failing to transfer their respective vote banks to other's account."Their relationship has started soaring now itself with Bua (Mayawati) saying that Babua (Yadav) is not able to get the vote transferred for her, while 'Babua' is also saying that 'Bua's' share of vote is not getting transferred. He (Yadav is wondering whether 'Bua' sold her vote or what !" said Yogi Adityanath."This fight is going to further escalate after May 23 when a BJP government will be formed at the centre. They will openly accuse each other," said Adityanath.He requested people not to vote on caste-lines and rather exercise their franchise in the name of development work done by Narendra Modi led government."While giving schemes and its benefits, Prime Minister Modi has never seen anybody's caste. He .

Telangana: Two Cong leaders get into scuffle during exam result protest

A scuffle broke out between Congress leaders V Hanumantha Rao and Nagesh Mudhiraj during a protest held here on Saturday by opposition parties, against the alleged goof-up of the state government in the intermediate results of Telangana state board.Video footage of the incident shows that as Rao begins to speak, he is interrupted by Mudhiraj who comes up on the stage. Rao is seen shoving the latter off the stage after some jostling between the two leaders. Mudhiraj then again tries to get back on the stage and both leaders are seen furiously shoving each other even as people around them attempt to separate them.The cause of their fight has not yet surfaced.Both leaders were pacified by police present at the incident site.Earlier on May 6, Opposition parties in Telangana had criticised Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS government in the state over the alleged goof-up in the intermediate exam results and had called to stage a protest on May 11 along with affected students and ..

Tunisia: 65 killed after their boat capsized in Mediterranean Sea

At least 65 people were killed after a boat carrying them capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tunisia, said the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).However, so far only four bodies have been recovered and the search operations are underway, Al Jazeera reported.UNHCR in a statement on Friday said, 16 people were rescued from the sinking boat. Reportedly, the boat carrying 70 refugees and migrants set sail from Libya."This is a tragic and terrible reminder of the risks still faced by those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean," said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR's special envoy for the Mediterranean.UNHCR considers the Mediterranean sea as the "world's deadliest sea crossing", citing that one in every 14 people died on the route from Libya to Europe last year.A UN report said, on an average six refugees and migrants died every day while crossing the sea in 2018.

Telangana Congress leaders publicly clash over chair

In a huge embarrassment to the Congress at an opposition protest meet here on Saturday, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao clashed with another leader publicly and collapsed during a fight over a chair.

EC not strict against leaders using derogatory language for women: Mayawati

Continuing bitter criticism of the Congress party, BSP supremo Mayawati on Saturday alleged that the party's government in Rajasthan attempted to suppress the case of gang-rape with a Dalit woman in Alwar till elections in the state. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also lashed out at the Election Commission stating that they are not taking appropriate action against politicians using derogatory language against women."The Election Commission is not taking appropriate and strict action against the big and small leaders of some political parties, who are using filthy, derogatory and abusive language against women," said Mayawati told ANI.She added that the Supreme Court should take suo-moto cognizance of such matters and give strict punishment to leaders who cross the limit so as to set an example for the future.Accusing the Rajasthan government the gang rape of Dalit girl for political gains, she said, " The Congress government suppressed the matter of gang rape for their ...

Huge backlash for Kim for her prison reform movement

American reality star Kim Kardashian is the target of huge backlash from people involved in the prison reform movement who think she is getting too much credit for her '90-day Freedom Campaign' to free inmates with mild offences.Kim along with her two attorneys, Brittany K. Barnett and MiAngel Cody of The Decarceration Collective, launched a 90-day Freedom campaign aimed at releasing inmates with non-violent offences like low-level drug offence.Under the campaign, Kim was able to free 17 inmates, as TMZ reported.People from the prison reform movement are now coming up with comments against the star and her attorneys for receiving too much media coverage for being a star.Brittany K. Barnett, in a live chat with TMZ, talked about how people are dedicating their time to free non-offensive inmates. She puts the blame on media which is overlooking Kim's efforts.Barnett said people believe that Kim is getting the coverage just because she is star while her true efforts are not being ...

BJP alleges irregularities in power sector, seeks answers from Delhi govt

Alleging irregularities in the city's electricity sector, Delhi BJP leader Vijender Gupta has sought answers on 10 points from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government.Gupta accused the Aam Aadmi Party of not fulfilling "even one promise" made in its last Assembly election manifesto pertaining to the power sector.In a press release, Gupta accused AAP of increasing tariff on power, levying additional charges on customers, purchasing electricity on high rates and not bringing power distribution companies under RTI ambit."The Delhi government has enhanced the fixed charges on electricity Bills by a huge six times, in a span of just one year from 2018, from Rs 20 to Rs 125 per connection, which has severely impacted the low and middle-class customers," the press statement said.It said, "In 2002, Delhi government and DISCOMS established the "Pension Trust Fund" for the purpose of disbursing Pension to the employee. However, the current government has disbanded that fund and started ...

Dozens feared dead as boat capsizes off Tunisia

At least 65 migrants are thought to have died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean off the coast of Tunisia.

Teen girl commits suicide after mother's scolding

A 17-year-old girl hanged herself to death on Friday after being scolded by her mother, a police officer said. A suicide note has also been recovered.

SC reserves order on Assam detentions centres issue

The Supreme Court on Friday reserved its order on a plea seeking release of foreigners who have been detained indefinitely at detention centres in Assam.

Turkey police detain 17 at banned student gay pride march

Turkish police on Friday fired tear gas and detained 17 students who defied a ban on a university gay pride march in Ankara, human rights group Amnesty International said. The annual event in its ninth year hosted by the Middle East Technical University (ODTU) LGBTI group was banned by the rectorate on Monday. Amnesty said on Twitter 17 people were detained, citing a group of students speaking in a university conference hall after the police intervention. They were detained after police officers would "not allow students to read their statement and used tear gas" to disperse them, the group added. In one video shared by the ODTU LGBT+ group on Twitter, officers can be seen using heavy-handed force against a protester. An Ankara court ended a ban, in force since November 2017, on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) events earlier this year. The Ankara governor issued the ban initially citing concerns over public order and fears such events would "provoke ...