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Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 17 (IANS) The Kerala CPI(M) on Friday ruled out a CBI probe into the murder of Kannur Youth Congress worker Shuaib.

The development comes two days after Akhash Thillenkary, the prime accused in the case, stated that he committed the crime at the behest of the CPI(M).

Since then, the Congress has been urging the Kerala government for a CBI probe.

Turning down the request, CPI(M) state secretary M.V.Govindan said, "The CBI is not the last word. Moreover the agency is now like a caged parrot, so there is no need for a probe by it," Govindan said.

Notably, Thillenkary had gone public with the alleged role of the CPI(M) in the killing of 31-year-old Shuaib, when he, along with a few others, was waiting in front of a night eatery near Mattanur in Kannur district.

Four persons came in a car and threw bombs to create a scare.

They then slashed the youth with a sword. The incident occurred around 10.45 p.m and despite being rushed to the Kozhikode Medical College hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.

All along, the Congress has been demanding a CBI probe which was intensified after Thillenkary's claim in social media that came as a comment to a local youth CPI(M) leader's post.

Thillenkary wrote that he was instigated by the local party leaders at Edayannur to commit the crime.

While all such leaders have now landed secure jobs in Cooperative institutions, he did not get any consideration, he added.

The party's apathy and lack of support forced him to engage in unethical activities, the comment further read.

He ended the note saying that if he opens his mouth, many in the CPI(M) will be forced to run for cover.

Meanwhile, Thillenkary is absconding after the wife of a personal staff of State Local Self Government Minister M.B.Rajesh approached the police with a complaint stating that his recent social media post about her has led to a lot of mental pressure and wanted the police to act.

For a long time, Thillenkary has been in the news and is known for his closeness to veteran CPI(M) leader P.Jayarajan, the present chairman of the Khadi Board here.

He is upset with the party leadership in Kannur for not coming to his aide.

Accusing the Chief Minister of harbouring the criminals, state Congress president K.Sudhakaran said when it comes to political murders unleashed by the
CPI(M), it has got the full support of leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) BJP chief J.P. Nadda will visit Karnataka's Udupi district on Monday to participate in the district-level booth committee convention and other two programmes.

As per a source, "BJP national president will visit Udupi. He will participate in the district-level booth committee convention at 10 a.m. in Udupi. He will then proceed to participate in a mega vehicle jatha at Byndoor at 2 p.m. and a public meeting at Mullikatte at 2.30 p.m."

"Members from 1,111 booth committees in the district will attend the programme in Udupi, and necessary arrangements for their participation will be made. Welcome preparation will also be done by the members.

"All the workers are instructed to finish off their assigned duties before the programme so that everyone can attend the address by the national president and interact with him," the source added.

In view of the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state, the BJP is organising such meetings to boost the confidence of its party workers.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Feb 17 (IANS) The comments made by Legislative Assembly Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri on Congress Working President, MLA Eshwar Khandre have stirred a controversy with the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community entering the scene and condemning them.

Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha in its statement on Friday said, "It is unfortunate that being a Speaker of the House, Kageri had behaved like a spokesperson of a party in the House. The Mahasabha demands immediate resignation from the Speaker Kageri for his remarks which do not suit the dignity of his position."

"His lighter statements towards Congress MLA Eshwar Khandre are not correct. Such an attack with a premeditated mindset can't be tolerated. When the elections are nearing, the attack on the senior leader can't be tolerated, stated President Shamanuru Shivashankarappa," the President of the Mahasabha.

"If Speaker Kageri respects the constitution, he should immediately submit his resignation. Otherwise, it is presumed that he is the one who sticks to power no matter what. He should mend his ways, otherwise, Mahasabha will organise protests across the state," said Shamanuru.

The comments were made when Eshwar Khandre was leading the attack on the 'finish him off' statement against Opposition leader Siddaramaiah by BJP Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan in the state legislature on Thursday.

Addressing MLA Eshwar Khandre, the Speaker stated, "You have to sit. I have not stood up so far. If you are asked to sit, you should sit. Mr. Eshwar Khandre, you are acting too much. Your behaviour will not bring respect to this House. You are the Working President. Watch your words. What jokes are you trying to crack in the Assembly? Who elected you? We will tell the people who elected you that, if you are elected again it is going to be a disrespect for the system. Sit down Mr. Khandre. Is this the respect you give for seniors? Is this the way to behave in this House?"

--IANS
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Tumakuru (Karnataka), Feb 16 (IANS) With Assembly elections nearing in Karnataka, the race for the post of Chief Minister has intensified in the Congress which is confident of coming to power after the polls.

Even as there is a straight fight between Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah for the top post, other leaders are also fancying their chances.

G. Parameshwara, senior Dalit leader of the Congress who had missed out on becoming the Chief Minister when Siddaramaiah was picked for the job after the 2013 Assembly elections, said on Thursday that he is very much in the race for the top post.

Parameshwara had suffered a humiliating defeat at his home turf Koratagere in the 2013 Assembly polls, paving the way for Siddaramaiah. Many party insiders had said that it was Siddaramaiah who had orchestrated Parameshewar's defeat at the hands of P.R. Sudhakara Lalin of the JD(S) to make clear his way for the CM's post.

"There are 10 aspirants for the post of Chief Minister after Congress wins the upcoming Assembly elections. I am one of them," Parameshwara told mediapersons here.

"In our party, Chief Ministers are not picked on the basis of caste. There is no concept like Dalit Chief Minister in the party. Whoever is efficient will get the job. Everyone has a desire to become the Chief Minister," he said.

Earlier, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi had said that both Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara are indispensable leaders for the party, adding that the MLAs will elect the Chief Minister after the elections.

The Congress has claimed that as per an internal survey, the party will achieve comfortable majority in the upcoming Assembly elections. The party is also attacking the BJP for 'having no CM face' when compared to the Congress.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Feb 16 (IANS) Karnataka Minister for Higher Education, IT, BT, Science and Technology Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Thursday sought to end the controversy surrounding his "finish him off" statement directed towards Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, by expressing regret.

Speaking to reporters, Narayan said that the statement was purely circumstantial. "Calling PM Modi a butcher. Addressing Karnataka CM in singulars is part of the culture of Siddaramaiah. I have uttered those words with the intention of giving a call to people to defeat the Congress party in elections. If I have caused pain to him, I regret it," he said.

Further, the Minister stated that his statement was made in the view of elections. The leaders of Congress party are glorifying Tipu Sultan. "The fight is ideological and political against the Congress. I am very much aware that we are not in the times of war," he said.

He further said, "Equating elections to a war.. it is said that we should win. I don't have personal enmity against Siddaramaiah. If he is pained by this, I regret it. One should note that my statement is twisted. I have not done anything to break society on the line of religion," he said.

The circumstantial statement in local dialect has been twisted by Siddaramaiah and used according to his convenience, he said.

Minister Ashwath Narayan had issued the controversial statement during a public programme in Satanur of Mandya district. "Siddaramaiah will come to the place of Tipu Sultan (erstwhile ruler of Mysuru). Do you want Veer Savarkar or Tipu Sultan? You have to decide.

"You know what Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda (soldiers who fought Tipu Sultan) did to Tipu Sultan. Likewise he (Siddaramaiah) should be finished off." The statement had stirred a controversy in the state.

Siddaramaiah had demanded that Minister Ashwath Narayan should immediately be dropped from the cabinet. "He had given a statement like a mentally-retarded person. If he is not sacked and arrested, it is as good as the BJP party agreeing that Minister Ashwath Narayan is indeed a mentally-retarded person," he attacked.

Former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy also slammed the BJP. "The finish him off statement shows the culture of Minister Ashwath Narayan. BJP's ideology is different and thoughts are different," he said.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, Feb 16 (IANS) Four women workers were killed and four others were injured in a collision between an auto-rickshaw and a bus in Telangana's Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on Thursday.

The accident occurred near Dandumlakpur industrial area at Choutuppal, about 50 km from Hyderabad.

According to police, an auto-rickshaw in which the women workers were travelling collided head-on with a private bus.

The women from a nearby village were going to the industrial area for daily work. Three of them died on the spot while four others sustained injuries.

The injured were shifted to a hospital in Hyderabad.

The deceased were identified as V. Anasuya (55), D. Nagalaxmi (28), D. Srisiha (30) and C. Dhanlaxmi (35).

Police registered a case and took up further investigation.

In another accident in Rangareddy district, one person was killed in a collision between a tractor and a car. Police said the tractor driver was killed in the collision at Moinabad. Those travelling in car sustained minor injuries.

--IANS
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Moradabad (UP), Feb 16 (IANS) In a shocking incident, a chartered accountant was shot dead by unidentified miscreants outside his office here on Thursday.

SSP Moradabad, Hemraj Meena said, "We received the information about a man being shot twice. He was declared dead as soon as he was brought to the hospital. The investigation is underway to find how the incident happened."

"He was shot twice in his head and we are taking to the family members to find more details on the case," he added.

The deceased has been identified as Shwetabh Tiwari.

Further details are awaited.

--IANS
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Patna, Feb 16 (IANS) Three youths were killed and two others injured after their SUV fell into a water pit in Bihar's Khagaria district.

While Annu Kumar, Santosh Pandey and Dipak Pathak succumbed due to their injuries, two others are battling for their lives in a Begusarai hospital.

The youths, who had gone to Khagaria for a marriage, were on their way back when the incident took place in Panhas locality of Begusarai.

According to police, the SUV was being driven at a very high speed which led to the driver losing his control over it.

All five occupants managed to escape from the pit. The local residents helped them by admitting them in the Sadar hospital in Khagaria.

As the condition of the three was critical, the doctors referred them to a hospital in Begusarai where they succumbed to their multiple injuries.

--IANS
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Jaipur, Feb 16 (IANS) The Jaipur Commissionerate Police has brought gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to the city from Chandigarh in connection with the recent G-Club firing incident here.

Jaipur police arrested Lawrence on the basis of a production warrant from Chandigarh, Punjab and brought him to Jaipur under tight police security on Wednesday night.

He will now be questioned at the Jawahar Circle police station. More than 100 jawans have been deployed in and around the police station premises.

Gangster Bishnoi will be taken on remand after being presented in the court through VC on Thursday. Along with the case of Lawrence demanding extortion from the G-club owner and firing 17 rounds for not paying, inquiries will also be made against him in other cases of demanding extortion from the businessmen.

The Jaipur Commissionerate Police had reached Punjab on Wednesday morning to arrest the gangster in the case.

Lawrence was arrested from Punjab Jail with a production warrant after which he was made to sit in an armored vehicle from Chandigarh along with seven commandos.

Four vehicles of police personnel from Punjab also accompanied the armoured vehicle.

The Jaipur Commissionerate Police returned to Jaipur with him around 7.30 p.m on Wednesday night. Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi will be questioned at Jawahar Circle police station.

--IANS
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Chennai, Feb 16 (IANS) A 1500-strong contingent of police will provide security during the visit of President Droupadi Murmu in Tamil Nadu's Madurai on Friday and Coimbatore on February 19.

The Special Protection Group (SPG) of the President has already conducted one round of inspection at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai and at the Isha Yoga centre in Coimbatore.

President Murmu will arrive at the Madurai airport on February 18 and will visit the temple on the same day. She will offer her prayers at the temple.

The President will leave for Coimbatore on the same day from Madurai airport and will attend the Maha Shivaratri celebrations at the Isha Yoga centre in Coimbatore. The SPG has conducted a thorough inspection at the Coimbatore airport and at the Isha Yoga centre ahead of the visit of President Murmu.

During the President's temple visit, police will cordon off the premises, and devotees will not be allowed to enter.

Madurai City police commissioner Narendranath Nair will be in-charge of the security of the President at Madurai, while in Coimbatore city police commissioner V. Balakrishnan will take charge.

The central intelligence agencies have also given inputs to the Union home ministry regarding the visit of the President.

--IANS
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