Amaravati, Aug 9: At least 20 passengers were injured when a private bus in which they were travelling fell off a bridge after a collision with another vehicle in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district on Sunday.

The accident occurred on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway near Pogarur in Pamidi mandal early in the morning.

According to police, a private bus travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru collided with a vehicle on the bridge. Such was the impact of the collision that both the vehicles fell off the bridge.

Twenty passengers sustained grievous injuries. Police rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of locals.

Police personnel pulled out the passengers trapped in the bus and shifted them to government hospitals at Pamidi and Anantapur.

A JCB was pressed into service to pull out some of the injured, including the bus driver. The condition of the bus driver is stated to be critical.

The accident led to a huge traffic jam on the national highway. Motorists faced severe hardship due to the traffic jam.

Additional police personnel rushed to the spot and cleared the traffic jam.

Andhra Pradesh is one of the states known for a high number of road accidents. On average, 22 people are losing their lives in road accidents in the state every day.

The state recorded 9,194 accidents from January to June this year, claiming 4,058 lives.

Last year, road accidents in the state claimed 23 lives every day. Though this number has slightly come down this year, the high number of road fatalities remains a cause of concern.

Police say non-compliance with traffic rules and safety norms and negligent driving are the main causes of accidents.

Statistics show two-wheeler riders account for the highest number of fatalities. In the 9,194 accidents reported so far this year, 3,980 two-wheelers were involved. As many as 1,835 (45.21 per cent) of those who died were two-wheeler riders.

The second-highest fatalities (669) were of pedestrians.

Lucknow, Aug 9: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched the ‘Tiranga Yatra with Youth’ programme in the state under the Centre’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, with a large number of young people participating in the patriotic march.

Several senior BJP leaders and office-bearers, including BJP Uttar Pradesh president and Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and other party leaders, were present at the event.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion of the flag-off, Adityanath welcomed the leaders participating in the programme.

“On the occasion of the flag-off of the Tiranga Yatra, I welcome all present, BJP state president and Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brijesh Pathak…” the Chief Minister said.

“Our youth are a symbol of energy. Our youth have the strength to face every challenge for the country. This youth energy should get the right platform to move forward and prepare themselves to face the challenges of the country and society. They should also receive traditional education. With this vision, the Tiranga Yatra is being launched across the country by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the world’s largest political organisation…” he added.

The Tiranga Yatra saw enthusiastic participation from youth, with the Tricolour unfurled and carried as participants marched to highlight patriotism, national unity and a sense of responsibility towards the country.

BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said the campaign had contributed to a new sense of transformation and national consciousness across the country, with Uttar Pradesh emerging as an example.

“A new transformation has come across the country, and Uttar Pradesh has become an example of it. Several Kartavya Paths have been constructed at various places, and many things have been built in the names of Abdul Kalam and several other personalities,” Sharma said.

He said the Tiranga Yatra helped awaken a feeling of dedication to the nation and recalled the large-scale participation witnessed in the yatras in 2023 and 2024.

“The Tiranga Yatra awakens a sense of dedication towards the country, and crores of people participated in the yatras in 2023 and 2024. The Tiranga Yatra is, in a way, a festival of a new awakening,” Sharma said.

BJP leader Pooja Pal credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with taking the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign to a large scale and promoting a sense of national pride among citizens.

“I would like to thank our country’s Prime Minister, who has organised the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign on such a large scale. For several years, he has continuously worked for the nation, for national pride, and for strengthening it, while giving the people of the country a message about how they can develop a sense of attachment to their nation and how dedicated they can be towards it,” Pal said.

BJP Uttar Pradesh Vice President Neeraj Singh said the Tricolour represented much more than its three colours, describing it as a symbol of the sacrifices, purity and heritage.

“This is not merely a flag of three colours; this celebration of the Tricolour embodies our sacrifices, our purity, and our rich heritage,” Singh said.

He emphasised the role of young people in the programme, saying they would play a key role in achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047.

“Today, our youth are leading this entire event, the youth who will fulfil the resolve of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, and the entire leadership of Honourable Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also participating in this program,” Singh said.

The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign encourages citizens to hoist the national flag at their homes and participate in activities celebrating the Tricolour and national pride during the Independence Day period.

The Tiranga Yatra is among the events organised under the campaign to encourage public participation, particularly among young people, in commemorating India’s Independence Day.

Ranchi, Aug 9: The students’ protest in Jharkhand’s Ranchi entered its 16th day on Sunday with no signs of retreat, as the second round of talks between the protesting students and the state government once again failed to produce any breakthrough or agreement on their key demands.

The students have been staging their protest continuously at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium after alleged irregularities in the 14th Civil Services Preliminary Examination conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) came to light on July 2.

Several student leaders have been observing hunger strikes in support of the ongoing agitation. The protesting students have also accused the government of resorting to “empty promises” by repeatedly holding discussions with their representatives but failing to accept or act upon the demands raised by the students.

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato has been on a hunger strike since August 2, and his health condition has been deteriorating since late Saturday night. Following the deterioration in his health, a team of doctors reached the protest site and administered saline to Mahato. According to the doctors, his blood sugar level had dropped significantly, and the saline was administered as a precautionary measure.

Despite his worsening health condition, Mahato has maintained that he will not withdraw from the agitation or compromise on his demands. He has clearly stated that his hunger strike and the broader student protest will continue until a concrete solution is found to the issues raised by the aspirants.

Speaking to media, Mahato said, “At around 2:30 a.m., they took a blood sample and conducted a test. The blood sugar level was very low. After that, they started administering saline, and since then, the condition has improved slightly.”

Meanwhile, student leader Chandan accused the government and administration of attempting to suppress the ongoing protest and remove the students from the demonstration site.

Speaking to media, he said, “Police officers and the administration were attempting to remove the students from the protest site at night. The students will not back down from their demands and will seek justice. Mahto is unwell; his blood sugar levels dropped last night. However, he has decided to continue with the strike.”

Student leader Prem Nayak, who is also participating in the hunger strike, said that efforts were being made to weaken the movement while the government continued to invite student representatives for talks without addressing their core demands.

Speaking to media, Nayak said, “This is my sixth day on hunger strike. Devendra Babu’s health is also slightly deteriorating… Efforts are being made to weaken the movement, while at the same time, the delegation is being called and offered empty assurances. I just want to make it clear to the government not to waste our time by calling us for talks and not accepting our demands.”

Another student leader, Mahendra Prasad Mandal, said that the protest was being undertaken not only over the current recruitment examinations but also for the future of students who depend on government jobs and fear that irregularities in the recruitment system could undermine their opportunities.

Speaking to media, Mandal said, “I was also a student. After spending my student life, when we could not get jobs because of the corrupt system in Jharkhand, we decided to go on a hunger strike for the sake of future generations. The government is repeatedly calling the delegation team, but it is not openly taking our demands into consideration. Tomorrow is August 10, and there will also be a protest march to the Assembly.”

The students have maintained that their primary demand is the cancellation of the examinations in which they allege that irregularities took place, along with an impartial investigation into the recruitment process and greater transparency in future examinations.

Earlier, during the first round of discussions on Friday, a five-member government delegation and a 10-member student delegation participated in the talks. The students placed each of their demands before the government and sought a clear response on the issues raised during the ongoing agitation.

However, the second round of talks between the Jharkhand government and the protesting students, held on Saturday, once again ended without a breakthrough.

The discussions failed to resolve the differences between the two sides or convince the protesting students to withdraw their agitation.