National News
Cong-BJP spar over reservation to backward classes in MP
A political face-off between the BJP and the Congress has erupted in Madhya Pradesh over the issue of reservation for backward classes in the state.
Both the parties entered into a verbal spate after organisations representing the backward classes felicitated the former Chief Minister and state Congress chief Kamal Nath, giving him the credit for the 27 per cent reservation to the backward classes.
Addressing the felicitation ceremony, Kamal Nath said: “Reservation was your (backward classes) right and I gave it to you. As soon as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru took over as the Prime Minister, he decided to end the Zamindari system and with the abolishment of the Zamindari, the backward classes were benefitted the most.”
He further said that today, there is 52 per cent backward class population in the state, and most of them are facing unemployment. “I believe that 70 per cent of the jobs should be given to local people, even I had taken a decision in this regard.”
“Our government lasted for 15 months, of which two-and-a-half months were passed in elections. Despite this, the loans of 27 lakh farmers were waived off, out of them the highest number of beneficiaries were from backward classes,” Kamal Nath added.
“You all know the history of BJP. Prime Minister Prime Modi talks a lot but never talks about the interest of backward classes. They talk about partition, temples, associating politics with religion, but we talk about connecting hearts, connecting relationships,” the Congress leader asserted.
Rajya Sabha MP and state president of Madhya Pradesh Backward Classes Organisation Rajmani Patel thanked Kamal Nath for “giving” 27 per cent reservation to the backward classes and said that the entire backward class society of the state would always lend its support to Kamal Nath and Congress. “By forming the government again in 2023, the people of the state will be freed from the fear, hunger and corruption prevailing under the BJP government.”
In retaliation, the BJP attacked the Congress and Kamal Nath. State President of the party’s Backward Class Morcha Bhagat Singh Kushwaha has condemned Kamal Nath for “felicitating himself by the so-called backward class organisations”.
He said, the political history of Congress is witness to the fact that it has always been conspiring to topple Dalit, backward and tribal leaders.
Kushwaha further claimed the Congress government led by Kamal Nath had attacked the backward classes’ interests the most. “For its electoral gains, the Kamal Nath government created a gimmick of 27 per cent reservation and disruptions in the process of panchayat elections to snatch the political rights of the backward classes.”
Despite doing “all” this, Kamal Nath is “shamelessly pretending” to respect the people of the same backward class whereas he should have apologised to the people for his “anti-backward class antics”, Kushwaha asserted.
National News
Four injured as vehicle overturns in J&K Doda

Jammu, Oct 13: At least four people were injured in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, officials said on Tuesday.
Officials said the four people, including two women, were injured after a vehicle they were travelling in overturned near Shenai in the Bhalla area of the district.
Union Minister of State (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, said on X, “Just now spoke to DC Doda Sh Krishan Lal after learning about an unfortunate road accident involving a mini-bus, on way from Doda to Bhaderwah.”
“The injured passengers have been shifted to hospital for medical aid, and their condition is reported to be stable. Thankfully, no casualty reported. All necessary assistance being provided. My office is in touch with the district administration,” the Minister said.
The injured were identified as Ashiq Hussain (35), son of Ghulam Rasool, a resident of Gotha in Bhaderwah; Mohd Javed (48), son of Talib Hussain; his wife, Rubina Begum (46), both residents of Brassu in Bhalla; and Insha (35), wife of Rashid Ahmed, a resident of Bhaderwah.
Meanwhile, police have taken cognisance of the incident, and further details are being verified.
Road accidents in the hilly districts of Jammu and Kashmir (such as Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, and parts of Budgam) are caused by a combination of challenging geography, extreme weather, and human or infrastructural factors.
Treacherous terrain and poor road geometry, narrow carriageways, sharp bends, steep gradients, and limited sight distances make manoeuvring difficult on mountain highways and link roads.
A lack of essential safety infrastructure, such as crash barriers, parapet walls, and proper road signage, frequently turns minor slips into fatal plunges into deep gorges.
Monsoon rains, melting snow, and heavy fog trigger frequent landslides, rockfalls, and road-surface erosion, drastically reducing grip and visibility. July and monsoon months experience a notable spike in crashes as wet roads and mudslides compromise vehicle control.
Drivers often exceed safe speeds relative to the winding, unpredictable nature of hill roads. Overtaking on blind curves and ignoring lane discipline are major contributors to head-on collisions and vehicles skidding off-road.
Passenger vehicles and goods carriers are frequently overloaded beyond capacity, making navigation on steep slopes dangerous.
Commercial operators sometimes bypass strict permit or maintenance checks on link roads.
Limited police or traffic regulation presence on remote rural and hill link roads allows unsafe driving behaviours to go unchecked. Delayed road repairs and poor drainage systems further accelerate the deterioration of mountain paths.
Crime
Explosives, weapons recovered near Sri Ganganagar Border in Rajasthan; two arrested

Jaipur, Oct 13: Security agencies have recovered a consignment of suspected explosives and weapons from the Rawla Mandi area of Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, near the Pakistan border.
Two youths from Punjab have been arrested in connection with the case, while a search operation is underway in the surrounding areas.
According to preliminary information, the consignment was allegedly dropped by a drone from across the Pakistan border on Monday night.
The recovered material reportedly includes RDX, two pistols, four magazines, around 650 cartridges, four pairs of batteries and two remote-control devices.
The exact nature and quantity of the seized material are yet to be officially confirmed.
The operation was conducted by teams from the Border Security Force (BSF), the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and Rawla police following an intelligence input about suspicious packets being dropped near Chak 4 KNM W Tail, under Gram Panchayat 12 KND in the Rawla area.
According to officials, the ANTF had received information that three packets had been dropped by a suspected Pakistani drone in a field near a canal at around 10 p.m. on Monday. Initially, the packets were suspected to contain narcotics. Acting on the input, security personnel searched the area and recovered the suspicious packets. The contents reportedly included weapons and explosive material. Two youths were apprehended during the operation.
Preliminary information suggests that one is from Jalandhar and the other from the Firozpur area of Punjab. Their alleged roles and links to the consignment are being investigated.
ANTF Inspector General Vikas Kumar said a large quantity of ammunition and suspected explosives had been dropped in Rajasthan using drones. He said security agencies were investigating who had sent the consignment and what its intended purpose was.
The entire matter was under investigation, and further details would emerge as the probe progressed. The IG confirmed that two accused had been arrested in connection with the case.
Following the recovery, security agencies have tightened surveillance in the border region. Search operations are underway in agricultural fields, along canal banks and in nearby areas to determine whether any additional packets or suspicious material were dropped.
Investigators are also questioning the arrested youths to establish their alleged connections, identify those behind the consignment and determine where the weapons and explosives were intended to be delivered.
A specialised team has reportedly been called from Jaipur to examine the seized material and establish its precise composition and quantity. Security agencies are continuing their investigation, and further details are awaited.
Crime
Delhi Police file 4 FIRs over INDIA bloc march to SC; detain Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das from Jantar Mantar

New Delhi, Oct 13: Delhi Police have registered four FIRs in connection with the INDIA bloc’s protest march to the Supreme Court, police sources said on Tuesday. The cases were registered at the Connaught Place, Tilak Marg, Mandir Marg, and Barakhamba police stations.
These FIRs have been filed for violation of Section 163 of the BNSS.
Two FIRs have been filed at the Tilak Marg police station, one at the Mandir Marg police station, and one at the Barakhamba police station, according to Delhi Police sources.
In another development, the police detained several protesters, including CJP’s Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, from Jantar Mantar. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted a video of a flash protest at Jantar Mantar where CJP volunteers were seen climbing an iron gate and a police barricade to reach Jantar Mantar to protest.
In the video of the protest, CJP leader Ranka and Das alongwith a few volunteers can be seen jumping a gate with flags in their hands and entering the area to stage a protest. The group raised slogans as they were chased by the police who were stationed there. The protesters had a little run in with cops who tried to stop them while they raised Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Inquilab Zindabaad slogans. The protesters were later detained and taken away.
The march on Monday witnessed a gathering of INDIA bloc leaders, activists and civil society members in central Delhi protesting against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. A delegation of the leaders subsequently approached the Supreme Court with a joint petition challenging the SIR process.
The march came a day after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined a request to meet Opposition leaders over the issue, citing that the matter was sub judice.
Meanwhile, the Congress party claimed on its social media handles that 2.5 lakh people had participated in the protest. The ‘March for Democracy’, which began at the Constitution Club around 1.30 p.m., continued for more than four hours and proceeded largely unhindered by police barricades.
The march also witnessed several lighter moments, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge donning a Batman mask.
Despite a proposal by the INDIA bloc leaders that only the national flag should be displayed during the march, Congress flags dominated the gathering. Flags belonging to Left student organisations were also visible.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has invited the INDIA bloc leaders, civil society members and student organisations for a high tea at his residence at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. A press conference is also scheduled ahead of the meeting, a day after the Opposition’s march to the Supreme Court over the SIR of electoral rolls.
Meanwhile, a security review of three newly designated protest sites has been completed, sources said. The decision was based on real-time inputs received by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ control room. Security deployment strategies are being assessed and revised daily, they added.
A majority of the protesters were Congress supporters who had travelled from different parts of the country to participate in the demonstration.
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