New Delhi, Aug 23: A day after Union Minister of State and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary hit back at Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘chavanni’ remark, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday accused the SP chief of “insulting” the Jat community.

While addressing a recent event, Yadav said: “I don’t know from where all people came to form an alliance with us (SP). We had increased their value from ‘chavanni’ (25 paise) to one full rupee, yet they left us and went away.”

His remark was seen as mocking the RLD President.

Taking to X on Saturday, Jayant Chaudhary responded, saying: “In the battle of politics, if you had to use some cheap words, you could have at least said them taking my name, It wouldn’t have been an issue.”

“Targeting the Jat community and saying we taught ABCD ? I’ve seen this arrogance up close and I believe such behavior only brings downfall!” he remarked.

Speaking to media, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said if Akhilesh Yadav is calling Jayant Chaudhary ‘chavanni’ without taking his name, it means that he is calling the same “to the entire Jat community”.

“Chaudhary Charan Singh (Jayant’s grandfather) was a top leader, not only of the Jat community, but also among the farmer leaders. Calling his grandson ‘chavanni’ is an insult to the entire community,” he added.

Referring to Jayant Chaudhary, Sharma said: “He was born in a such a family whose blood carries nationalism and patriotism.”

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said the reason why Akhilesh Yadav is “concerned” about Jayant Chaudhary is because the SP chief is “feeling very isolated and troubled”.

“He (Akhilesh) knows that the Congress Party is a liability and that whatever number of seats they are given, they will lose all of them. In such a situation, he is trying to keep his options open by reaching out to Om Prakash Rajbhar at times and Jayant Chaudhary at others,” he told media.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap added to the criticism, saying, “Akhilesh Yadav’s ego is at its peak now. He is insulting RLD leaders and Chaudhary Charan Singh ji. He is also insulting the Jat community.”

“Since RLD is a trusted ally of the NDA, all alliance partners are standing with the party,” he asserted

In a warning to the SP chief, Kashyap said: “You’ll (Akhilesh) have to bear the consequences of insulting RLD.”

Bengaluru, Aug 23: An incident in which a man was hacked to death in full public view at a traffic signal near the Madiwala underpass came to light on Sunday, raising fresh concerns over the safety of residents in Bengaluru.

The victim, identified as Suhail, a resident of Mangammanapalya and a medical shop owner, was attacked by a group of assailants as he was on his way from Madiwala towards Koramangala on Saturday night.

The incident occurred late at night when Suhail had stopped his motorcycle amid a traffic jam on the main road. Four men who arrived on two motorcycles allegedly attacked him with swords before fleeing the spot. Suhail suffered severe blood loss and died at the scene.

Police suspect that the murder could be an act of revenge linked to an earlier murder case in Bandepalya.

On January 13, a man named Shabbir was murdered in Bandepalya, and Suhail’s brothers Kaleem, Nazir and another brother were allegedly involved in that case. Investigators suspect that Suhail may have been targeted in retaliation, despite having no connection with the Shabbir murder case.

Police sources said Suhail had no criminal background and was not an accused in the earlier case. His murder is therefore suspected to have been driven by hostility towards his brothers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Mohammad Sujeetha, CCB DCP Haribabu and Joint Commissioner of Police Ramesh Banoth visited the crime scene and inspected the spot.

Following the murder, Suhail’s younger brother Nazir reportedly arrived at the scene and vowed revenge. He said Suhail was not merely his elder brother but was like a father to him, and warned that he would not spare those responsible for his killing.

Police suspect that the assailants had been planning the murder for several days and had been closely monitoring Suhail’s movements. According to preliminary information, the attackers allegedly followed him and executed a pre-planned attack while he was travelling on his motorcycle.

After the murder, the assailants reportedly abandoned the weapons at the scene and escaped.

Three special teams have been formed to track down the suspects. Police have seized the CCTV DVR from the area and are examining footage to identify the attackers and trace their movements before and after the crime.

Investigators are also trying to establish why Suhail, who lived in Mangammanapalya and operated a medical shop in Bommanahalli, travelled towards Madiwala. Police are examining who last contacted him before he left the medical shop and other details surrounding his movements.

The brazen murder in a busy public area has triggered concerns over safety in the city, particularly as the attackers allegedly assaulted the victim in front of members of the public before fleeing the scene. Police are continuing their investigation to establish the exact motive and identify all those involved.

When asked whether any accused have been arrested in connection with the case, DCP South East Mohammad Sujeetha declined to comment. Further investigation is on.

Hyderabad, Aug 23: A town planning officer has been suspended after a 7-storey under-construction building collapsed in Hyderabad Madhapur, killing two people and injuring some others.

The building collapsed on Saturday. Cyberabad Municipal Commissioner G. Srijana issued orders on Sunday suspending Madhapur Town Planning Officer Santosh Kumar.

The Commissioner cracked the whip as the official failed to stop illegal construction, resulting in the loss of lives. Further action will be taken against the town planning officer following a detailed inquiry.

She directed the town planning department to immediately take steps to identify unauthorised constructions and take action.

Officials have been directed to demolish structures constructed without permission or violating the rules, endangering public safety.

An under-construction building collapsed in Anjaiah Nagar on Saturday afternoon, killing two people and injuring some others.

The victims were identified by police as Mahabat and Umesh, both from Madhya Pradesh. They had come to the site for tile-related work and were inside the building when it collapsed.

Rescue teams from police, fire services, Disaster Response Force and Cyberabad Municipal Corporation continued clearing debris for the second day on Sunday.

Officials are continuing to assess the structural damage to neighbouring buildings.

Meanwhile, Cyberabad police have registered a criminal case against building owners Farheen Siddiqi and Sajid.

On a complaint by the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC), a case has been registered at Raidurgam Police Station of Cyberabad Police Commissionerate.

The accused allegedly took up construction of the 7-storey building on 48 square yards without permission from CMC. They owned only 38 square yards and allegedly encroached 10 square yards of an adjoining drain to construct the building.

In another development, Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has reportedly identified 10 unauthorised constructions in the same area and initiated steps to demolish them.

HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath said on Saturday that many buildings in Anjaiah Nagar have been constructed without permission.

Locals said that all the buildings constructed by builder Sajid were like this. The HYDRAA Commissioner said that in a few days, all these buildings will be inspected and appropriate action taken.