Top stories on 4 September in a capsule
Kolkata Bridge Collapse Update: CM Mamata orders police probe
In an update to the Majherhat bridge that has collapsed in West Bengal’ South Kolkata on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that relief and rescue operations are in full swing, and all of the investigation will only be done by the police. The Chief Minister who is currently on a trip to Darejeeling has cut short her trip, and is on the way back to Kolkata. The 30-year-old bridge fell over a railway line, leading to at least 20 people and several vehicles being trapped. While some news agencies claimed 5 people were, State minister said Firhad Hakim, who visited the site said several people have been rescued but talked of no deaths as of now.
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The BJP on Tuesday went on a rampage to accuse rival Congress party of being accomplices to the alleged ‘Maoists sympathizers’ who were arrested in a high tension drama by the Pune police last week. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi of embracing Naxalism and establishing the National Advisory Council (NAC) to support Naxals. “OCngress should change its name to "Indian National Congress-Maoist" or the "Congress Party of Maoists,” he said. Patra also accused senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh of being guilty as his contact number was mentioned in a letter used by Maoists to communicate.
Tamil Nadu research scholar Sophia Lois, who hit the headlines on Monday when she raised slogans against the BJP in front of a party MLA and got into a physical tussle with her, was out on bail on Tuesday. 28-year-old Sophia had screamed “down with Modi, BJP-RSS fascist government!” at Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan while on a flight, and was detained upon arrival in Tuticorin airport. Following Sophia’s bail, Soundararajan addressed a press conference on Tuesday where she alleged that an extremist organization is backing the student. Meanwhile, political leaders from actor turned politician Kamal Hassan to DMK chief MK stalin have extended their support to Sophia.
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Congress, Sonia 'embraced Naxalism', supported Naxals: BJP
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Tamil Nadu research student who sloganeered against BJP gets bail
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Need to encourage social media among soldiers: Army chief general
Emphasizing the impotence of social media in the lives of the Indian army, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday said, one cannot keep smartphones an the online media culture away from the soldiers. Addressing a gathering of senior army officials in a seminar titled, 'Social Media and the Armed Forces', General Rawat said, “Our adversary will use social media for psychological warfare and deception. We must leverage it to our advantage,” adding it to his defense that he has been asked to discourage social media among his men. He also emphasized the emergence of modern warfare and Artifical Intelligence, which will only be accessible through online means.
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Taliban announces death of Haqqani network chief, Jalaluddin
The Taliban on Tuesday announced the death of its Afghanistan based terror group Haqqani network founder, Jalaluddin Haqqani after a long series of illness, who had been a staunch rival of the American security forces. 79-year-old Haqqani passed away "after a long battle with illness," adding he had been "ill and bed-ridden for the past several years,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid was quoted by media agencies. Citing Haqqani’s death as a minor win for the surety forces, Afghan Defence Minister Mohammad Radmanish since he had been keeping unwell for a very long time. “His death will be more of an ideological loss, rather than a physical one,” Radmanish added.
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