New Delhi: A video of a woman allegedly being paraded and assaulted by a large mob in Bihar’s Nalanda district went viral on social media on Tuesday, triggering sharp political reaction. The opposition hit out at the ruling NDA coalition over the “collapsed” law and order situation in the state, calling it “the beginning of Manipur-like brutality”.The incident, which took place in Noor Sarai area a few days ago, came to light after a purported video surfaced online.Leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly Mohd. Tejashwi Yadav Condemning the incident, it was described as a “shameful incident in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s home district”.“It was an attempt at gang rape. The people who molested the woman tore her clothes. This incident presents a horrifying picture of the broken law and order situation in Bihar,” he alleged.RJD also took a dig at the JDU government on social media and posted, “Nitish Kumar’s so-called ‘good governance’ is at its peak!” Bihar Congress stepped up its attack, drawing comparisons with the incident in Manipur where two women were paraded naked by a mob, and said the Nalanda case reflected a similar pattern of brutality.“Even before BJP became the Chief Minister, Manipur-like brutality has started from Nitish Kumar’s home district in Bihar!” The party said.The Congress party also expressed similar concerns, stating that “the woman was treated extremely disgustingly. The thugs tore the woman’s clothes in public and made a video of it, which they later made viral.” “This incident is a stain on the society. Those responsible should be given strictest punishment.” This incident shows that ‘Jungle Raj’ is completely prevalent in Bihar and women are not safe.Stepping up its attack, the party accused the ruling coalition of protecting criminals. It said, “The BJP-JDU government is giving protection to criminals and now the same criminals are roaming freely on the streets and carrying out such atrocities.”Police said the woman lodged a complaint on March 26, following which two accused, Ashok Yadav and Matlu Mahato, residents of Ajaypur village, were arrested. He said that efforts are on to nab the other people seen in the video.

New Delhi: Many parts of the country may not be hotter than normal due to ‘below normal’ maximum (day) temperatures during the April-June summer season, but the heat wave is likely to extend by two to eight days over most parts of east, north-east and coastal peninsular India. imd Said on Tuesday.Releasing the seasonal outlook for the three-month period, IMD chief Mrityunjay Mohapatra said, “Below normal heat days are expected over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, coastal Tamil Nadu and northern parts of Karnataka during April to June.”The forecast map released by the Meteorological Department also shows additional heat wave days in Delhi-NCR, but this phenomenon is likely to be limited to May-June as April may see above normal rainfall due to the prevalent and projected western disturbance over many parts of India including the northwest.A heatwave is considered when the maximum temperature at a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for plains and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more for hilly areas. Many parts of the plains experience heat waves lasting usually three to five days during the April–June period.However, temperatures may drop below normal during the day in most parts of the country, but nights are likely to be warm. “During the season (April-June), most parts of the country are likely to have above normal minimum (night) temperatures, except some areas of Maharashtra and Telangana, where below normal minimum temperatures are likely,” Mohapatra said.Although the IMD chief preferred not to say anything about the monsoon season at this time, the latest forecasts from the Monsoon Mission Climate Forecast System (MMCFS) suggest that El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions are most likely to continue during April to June.“Subsequently, the probability of development of El Nino conditions gradually increases – an indication that its adverse impact on rainfall may occur in the later part of the monsoon season during August-September,” the IMD said. The IMD is expected to release its first phase forecast on this year’s monsoon rainfall around mid-April.IMD data shows that around 45 people died due to extreme weather events across several states in March. Maximum 32 deaths occurred due to lightning in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Kerala.Speaking about March, Mohapatra said eight western disturbances (WDs) affected India during the month, whereas normally it is 5-6.Six WDs affected northwest India during 11–31 March, causing light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and hail over northwest and adjoining central parts of the country.Large-scale cyclonic activity occurred over many parts of the country mainly during the second half of the month and led to a drop in maximum temperatures over most parts of India.

People fall in love with beautiful places and engineering marvels all the time, and so did I. The Sigandur Bridge – which was inaugurated in mid-July last year and went viral on social platforms – instantly captivated me. Soon, I decided that I would cycle there to catch a glimpse of the engineering marvel across the Sharavathi river. Now, this meant a journey of 375 km from Bengaluru! My winter plan almost failed, but I managed it by the beginning of March.The 2.5 km long Sigandur Bridge, officially known as the Sharavathi Backwaters Bridge, is a landmark infrastructure project in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka. Spanning the vast backwaters of the Sharavathi river, this bridge connects Sagar to Sigandur in Shivamogga and further to Kollur in Udupi. I set out at dawn on March 5, planning to cover 250 km on the first day and the remaining 125 km the next day. After being dropped off at Tumakuru Road, on the long Bengaluru-Honnavar highway, I was the only one on my bike.Breakfast stop was at Tumkuru. As the day progressed, the sun became worse – especially around noon. Despite carrying a camelback (bag filled with water) and electrolytes, frequent refills became necessary. Beyond Gubbi, the entire BH Road reveals itself as an endless bypass stretch – no trees, no shade – just flyovers, concrete and retaining walls. I cycled through the playlist: from Rajkumar and SPB to Amitabh Bachchan, and pedaled through the heat, well slathered in sunscreen.By the time I reached Tiptur, I was exhausted. After lunch at Arasikere, it helped to take a short rest at a roadside field, before starting again. Kadur and Birur passed smoothly, but Tarikere slowed me down due to road work and chaotic traffic, wasting my precious 30 minutes. I wanted to ride as little as possible in the dark, but it was still 9.30 pm when I reached my stop for the night at Bhadravati.The next morning started early. After Shivamogga, the road changed – rows of trees provided much-needed respite. The ride under the green canopy, accompanied by light music and joyful waves of school children, became one of the most memorable parts of the trip. To enjoy the beauty of the countryside, I opted to reach Sigundur by evening instead of afternoon and slowed down my pace. Luckily for me, most of the Shivamogga-Sigandur route was downhill, the rest was downhill terrain.At the Heggodu stopover, I took a brief tour of the famous theater institute, Neenasam. After having lunch at a nearby hotel, I tried to take some rest in the cool comfort of the ATM, but its air conditioning was not working. Soon, I found myself taking a short nap under the shade of coconut trees.The last 30 km via Genasinkuni brought me to the Sigandur bridge by 5 pm. Families wandered around, taking pictures, but I was drawn to the vast expanse of the 2.5 km structure. Walking back and forth across it, glowing golden with the sweet evening sunlight, felt like a reward in itself.Nearby, the defunct launch – once used to carry devotees and vehicles to the Sigandur Chowdeshwari temple – is a reminder of how the bridge has transformed connectivity. After capturing a video of the ride, I headed towards the temple, refreshed, and completed a serene darshan.As soon as I came out, curious onlookers asked where I came from. “Bengaluru,” I replied – and that was enough to draw a smile, a selfie and a few words of appreciation from the ‘pedal traveller’.At Sagar, I negotiated transportation with a private bus operator – who charged more for the bike than my ticket. After some conversation we reached an equal position. By the time I reached Peenya the next morning, the sun was rising.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

New Delhi: Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma On Tuesday accused Congress of indulging in “disgusting politics” by involving the singer’s issue. Zubeen GargIt said in its election manifesto on the death of the late singer that the party had committed “an unpardonable crime” by invoking the late singer’s name for votes.Speaking on the sidelines of the BJP’s manifesto release event here, Sarma said Zubeen Garg was very much loved by the people of Assam and using his name in the election campaign was “unfortunate and sad”.He said, “The Congress has committed an unpardonable crime by including Zubeen’s name and his death in its election manifesto. If the Congress wants to pay a true tribute to Zubeen, they can appoint a lawyer… They can bring in Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who can argue the case for free in the fast-track court.”The comments come after Congress in its manifesto released by party president Mallikarjun Kharge promised to give justice to the singer within 100 days of coming to power.Sarma said the issue was already being heard in the court and claimed that the Congress was unaware that a fast-track court had been constituted and daily hearings had already begun.He said, “No one has done such disgusting politics by bringing up Zubeen’s name to seek votes…people will punish the party severely in the elections.”The Chief Minister said the government cannot decide the outcome of the case and can only facilitate the legal process by setting up courts and appointing prosecution lawyers.He said, “I want justice to be given in less than three months, maybe within a month. I believe that the way the proceedings are going on, it will not take even 100 days to give justice and I hope that within a month we will get good news.”The Gauhati High Court had appointed a special fast-track sessions court on March 16, and the state government later provided logistical support for its functioning.Zubeen Garg, 52, died on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he had gone to attend the fourth North East India Festival (NEIF).After his death, the Assam government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the CID wing of Assam Police to investigate the case. The SIT later filed a charge sheet before a local court in Guwahati, naming seven accused, all of whom have been arrested and are currently in judicial custody.Sarma also attacked the Congress leadership and alleged that Kharge had insulted both Bhupen Hazarika and Zubin Garg, also referring to comments allegedly made by Kharge’s son.“Kharge’s son has insulted the youth of Assam by saying that there are no talented people to work in the semiconductor industry in the state… Will people believe that they can give justice to Zubeen Garg? Sarma said.The Chief Minister further alleged that a video circulated on social media showed people from a consultancy firm appointed by the Congress discussing how the issue of Zubeen Garg’s death should be raised at various levels to secure votes.“If I become chief minister again, I will ensure that all the members of this company are arrested for their involvement in such dirty politics and conspiracy. I will not spare anyone doing politics in the name of Zubeen.Sarma said he did not want to politicize the singer’s name and would visit his memorial again only after taking oath as the chief minister.“Zubeen himself had said ‘rajneeti nokoriba, bandhu’ (don’t get involved in politics, friends), but that’s all Congress is doing…let the singer rest in peace,” he said.He also questioned why Congress leaders visit the singer’s memorial with cameras.