Islamabad,  An FIR was lodged here on Tuesday against five persons, including the security guards of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, for violently assaulting a TV cameraman a day earlier.

Footage on Monday showed Syed Wajid Ali, the cameraman of Samaa TV, lying on the ground outside the parliament building after a security guard allegedly shoved him for coming in Sharif’s way while recording him, reports Dawn news.

Another guard was then seen rushing towards the cameraman and kicking him in the face. 

The guard, as per the footage, then escapes the scene in one of the vehicles of protocol.

The cameraman, who lost consciousness due to the kick, was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). 

According to doctors, Ali had sustained injuries on his lip, where he was administered three stitches, and on his head. 

Sharif, while speaking to the media, described the incident as unfortunate and assured that “every measure will be taken in accordance with the law”, Dawn said.

The former leader regretted the incident but claimed that the assaulted cameraman had first hit his guard with his camera.

“That is no way (to behave),” Sharif said. “(But) the cameraman had hit the guard on his forehead with his equipment.”

Ranchi,  A herd of rampaging elephants have killed five people in the last one week in Jharkhand’s Pakur, Jamtara and Dumka districts, forest officials said on Tuesday.

The fifth person was trampled to death late on Monday in Pakur by the herd that has 22 elephants.

According to forest department officials, Amanuwal Hembrom, 30, a resident of Khhassa village was one of the members in a group that had been trying to chase the elephants away.

A mob on Tuesday blocked the national highway in Pakur demanding action and compensation.

The herd has been rampaging through the Santhal Pargana region. 

They had first entered Jamtara district and trampled three people to death on different days. Later the herd entered Dumka where one person was trampled to death.

The herd also includes baby elephants, who have wrecked havoc — standing crops and houses have been damaged by the herd, a forest official said.

In Jharkhand more than 700 people have been killed by elephant herds since the states creation in 2000.

New Delhi, A day after being convicted and sentenced to life-imprisonment in an 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, Sajjan Kumar on Tuesday resigned from the primary membership of the Congress.

The former Lok Sabha member in a letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi said he was resigning from the party with immediate effect, said party sources. 

Elected thrice to the Lok Sabha from the Outer Delhi constituency, the latest being 2004, Kumar had being sidelined by the party since 2009 when he was denied ticket to contest the general elections following allegations of his involvement in the riots which the High Court on Monday described as “crime against humanity”. 

While Kumar on the day refused to interact with the media, his lawyers said they were in process of approaching the Supreme Court against the conviction by the Delhi High Court. 

Meanwhile, Gandhi who is said to have accepted Kumar’s resignation, refused to comment on the convicted leader. 

Addressing the media in Parliament complex, Gandhi said his press conference was about the Narendra Modi government and farmers loans issue. 

“I have made my position on the riots very clear, this press conference is about the farmers,” replied Gandhi when asked to comment about Kumar. 

Barring Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who welcomed Kumar’s conviction, Congress leaders mostly have refrained from commenting on the issue saying the conviction should not be “politicised”. 

Facing intense attacks from the Centre’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ally Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress also raked up the 2002 Gujarat riots to target the saffron party and Modi who was then the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Several senior Congress leaders that media spoke to said that many legislators in the JD(S) would not agree to the expansion on December 22 due to superstitious beliefs.

While the much awaited Karnataka cabinet expansion was slated to take place on December 22, leaders in the Congress party say that it is likely to be pushed for a later date. Congress insiders say that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will not be attending the Congress legislative party meeting slated to be held on December 22 in Belagavi.

This comes just days after Congress Legislative Party chief and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the date of the expansion.

Several senior Congress leaders that media spoke to said that many legislators in the JD(S) would not agree to the expansion on December 22 due to superstitious beliefs.

“Currently shunya maasa (a month in the hindu lunar calendar, which is considered inauspicious) is prevailing. Most of the legislators in the JD(S) and a few in the Congress are against expanding the cabinet now. They feel it will bring bad luck and lead to the collapse of the coalition,” a senior Congress leader told media.  

According to Hindu mythology, every year, roughly from December 15 to the day before Shankranti, shunya maasa is observed.

While superstition may push the date of any announcement, there is hectic lobbying from within congress and JD(S) to stop any expansion. A top Congress leader told media that Kumaraswamy may fill the six vacancies in the cabinet. He is also likely to change two ministers and induct two others in their place.  

Sources also said that a few Congress leaders in the party were apprehensive of expanding the cabinet ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“There is going to be a lot of lobbying and competition. The party leaders are wary because those who feel neglected may cause more damage to the party during the general election. I have a feeling that they will push it to January 15, later they will say after April,” another Congress leader told media.

“The expansion is likely not going to happen. Most of the MLAs know that. The Congress MLAs are having a lot of trouble regarding allocation of funds for their constituencies. There is a lot of problems being created because of the transfer of bureaucrats. Only constituencies where JD(S) MLAs have been elected are getting grants quickly. This will be the first thing that will be discussed,” a Congress leader said.

On December 6, Siddaramaiah had told the media that the cabinet expansion will take place on December 22 after the CLP meeting. “We have arrived at a decision to expand the cabinet on December 22, after the state legislature’s winter session from December 10 at Belagavi,” Siddaramaiah had said.

The leaders will also decide who will be named as the chairpersons of 30 state-run boards and corporations.

The cash-strapped Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is in a fix. Several of its buses are old and in need of serious repairs. But the transport agency’s laxity in repairing faulty brakes in buses may have once again resulted in the death of two teenage boys in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Two pre-university college students were killed on Tuesday morning after being hit by a BMTC bus on Mysuru Road. The incident occurred at 8 am in the morning when Chandrakanta (16) and Yadu Kumar SY (15), students of BBMP Kasturba PU College, KB Nagar on Mysuru Road were waiting near the KSRTC Satellite bus stand trying to cross the road.

A BMTC bus travelling from Mysuru Road to Kempegowda Bus Stand in Majestic rammed into two boys after a reported brake failure. The incident took place close to Gopalan Mall on Mysuru Road.

Chandrakanth was a first year pre-university student while Yadu Kumar was a second year pre-university student and both were pursuing commerce. While Chandrakanth worked part- time at the Gopalan wall, his mother works as a domestic help. Yadu Kumar meanwhile delivered newspapers in the morning before attending college.

“They were standing on the footpath waiting to cross the road when the bus lost control and hit them,” said a police official at Byatarayanapura. Police officials at the station are investigating the case and an FIR will be registered after a preliminary probe, police said.

Students of BBMP Kasturba College staged a protest on Mysuru Road along with the families of the victims demanding that action should be taken on those who caused the accident.

Speaking to media, BMTC PRO Deepak said that the transport agency was looking into the incident. He said that the bus in question had travelled close to 5 lakh km.

“A week ago, the bus driver had entered in the drivers’ log book that the bus’s brakes need to be replaced. BMTC always tell the drivers that they do not have money for repairs. The brakes were just cleaned and not changed. When he complained that it was risky, he was asked to drive slowly,” said Nagaraj, a BMTC driver, who is also a member of the All India Trade Union Congress.

Sources in the BMTC say that 40% of the buses have travelled 4 to 6 lakh kilometers and are in dire need of repairs and spare parts.

“This year, the government gave the BMTC Rs 100 crore. This money was used to pay off the gratuity of employees who retired two to three years ago. Still, many retired personnel need to be paid their gratuity and insurance money. We had asked for a Rs 3,000 crore grant from the government. There is no money to buy spare parts, let alone get buses repaired,” a senior BMTC official said.   

The bodies of the students were shifted to Victoria Hospital. BBMP Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun has announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs for both families of victims.

ccording to a study by Underwriters Laboratories and World Resources Institute, from 2010 to 2017— a total of 306 fatal accidents had occurred involving BMTC buses. But majority of the accidents (91%) had occurred while passengers were getting on and off the bus.

Mumbai, In a huge embarrassment, a prominent Maharashtra farmer leader has demanded that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) must replace Prime Minster Narendra Modi with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wishes to win the 2019 general elections.

The demand has come from a state-government panel, Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM) Chairman Kishore Tiwari, on a day when Modi was in Maharashtra to attend a series of events, including laying foundation stones for Metro Rails in Thane and Pune.

In his letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Suresh Joshi, Tiwari said the BJP’s defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was the direct outcome of “arrogant leaders” who implemented devastating decisions like demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), fuel prices hike and other anti-people measures.

“Leaders who pursue an extremist and dictatorial attitude in the party and government are dangerous for the society and the country… This has been witnessed before and if history is not to be repeated, hand over the reins to Gadkari for the 2019 polls,” Tiwari said.

On December 11, the VNSSM chief, who is accorded a Ministerial status, had categorically asked the BJP to “get rid of both Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah” for their anti-farmers and anti-people policies, which led to the party’s stunning defeats in the just concluded elections.

Accusing Modi and Shah of upturning the good works done by the former BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Tiwari said they (Modi-Shah) seem to be interested “only in grandiose Bullet Trains and Metro Rail projects”.

In his letters to the RSS top brass, Tiwari said that considering the “dictatorial approach” of Modi and Shah, which has unleashed fear in the country, it was imperative to have an acceptable and gentle leader like Gadkari, who can take along all viewpoints and friendly parties, evolve consensus and remove fear among people.

He said the 61-year-old Gadkari, a staunch BJP-RSS activist since decades, was “adequately qualified” for the top post since he has also headed the BJP as National President, besides ministerial capacities in Maharashtra and now at the Centre.

 (11:22) 

Kolkata,  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said her government is equally considerate towards all minorities and the state never denies shelter to anyone.

On the issue of migration, she said: “Today is International Migrants Day. It is our humanitarian obligation to give refuge to migrants.

“In Bangla we will take care of anyone who seeks shelter in our state, to the best of our abilities.”

She added that her government does not differentiate between people in their hour of need. 

“Today is Minority Rights Day. We are all equal and united. Unity in diversity is our strength,” Banerjee tweeted.

Highlighting her Trinamool Congress’ contribution towards the minorities, she said: “You will be happy to know that in Bangla, we have distributed scholarships to over 1.7 crore minority students, the highest in the country.”