National

UDF Workers Demonstrate at Wayanad Collectorate Over Neglect in Landslide Rehabilitation Efforts

Published

1 year ago

March 1, 2025

On Friday, members of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) gathered at the Wayanad Collectorate in Kalpetta to protest against the perceived neglect by the central and state governments regarding the rehabilitation of survivors from the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides, which severely affected Wayanad last year.

The UDF activists surrounded the collectorate, voicing allegations of significant failures in the rehabilitation process. They obstructed all three entrances, effectively preventing staff from entering or fulfilling their duties.

A confrontation broke out when some employees tried to enter the building amidst the protest. Congress leader T Siddique, MLA, directed criticism at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, stating that despite his visit to Wayanad with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he has not returned since then. “We will not allow anyone to undermine our protest,” he declared.

The protesters are primarily demanding the allocation of at least ten cents of land to each family and a more efficient rehabilitation process. The demonstration was kicked off by E. T. Muhammed Basheer, MP, while Sunny Joseph, MLA, shared his discontent over the government’s lack of action.

“After seven months, the government has yet to complete what could have been achieved in seven weeks. They haven’t identified any land nor determined how much will be allocated to each family,” he stated. Joseph noted that multiple entities, including the Karnataka government, Congress, IUML, and Youth Congress, have expressed willingness to help build homes, and that approximately Rs 750 crore has been donated to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). However, he lamented, “Despite these collective efforts, rehabilitation is moving at a painfully slow pace.”

Previously, the UDF held a continuous protest in front of the Wayanad Collectorate, starting at 3 PM on Thursday and concluding at 7 AM on Friday. This was subsequently escalated when they laid siege to the collectorate, leading to their eventual arrest and removal by police.

National

Pickup Vehicle Crashes Into Divider, Two Killed Including Child

Published

2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A tragic road accident took place in Uttar Pradesh when a pickup vehicle lost control and crashed into a road divider.

The driver and a three-year-old girl died on the spot due to the impact of the crash. Nine passengers who were travelling in the vehicle sustained injuries. They were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

Reports said the victims were travelling to their native village to celebrate the Holi festival. A video showing the horrifying scene of the accident has gone viral on social media.

Preliminary reports suggest that overspeeding may have led to the accident. Police have started an investigation into the incident.

National

Five from Karnataka Killed in Car–Container Collision in Andhra Pradesh

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Namma Kudla

Andhra Pradesh: Five people from Karnataka were killed on the spot after the car they were travelling in rammed into a container truck from behind in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district on Tuesday.

The accident occurred near Gangavaram in Palamaneru while the victims were on their way to Tirupati temple from Bengaluru. According to police, the car crashed into the rear of a container vehicle with great force, leaving the vehicle completely mangled.

The deceased have been identified as Mohandas (71), Nagaraj (61), Kusuma (61), Jayanti (59), and Pooja (33). All of them were residents of Rajajinagar in Bengaluru.

Preliminary reports suggest that the impact of the collision was so severe that all five occupants died at the scene. Police have registered a case at the Palamaneru police station and further investigation is underway.

More details are awaited.

National

Woman Kills Ex-Lover Over Blackmail in Ballia

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A married woman allegedly killed her former lover in Ballia after he blackmailed her with private videos, police said.

According to police, the victim was identified as Pankaj Gupta, a resident of Azamgarh. He was reportedly in a relationship with the woman from a nearby village.

Police said the woman wanted to end the relationship. However, Gupta allegedly began blackmailing her using obscene videos and harassed her repeatedly.

Unable to bear the threats, the woman informed her brother and sister-in-law. The trio allegedly planned the murder during a wedding function on February 5.

On February 7, they allegedly called Gupta to the village on a pretext. He was strangled to death, police said. The accused then poured acid on his face to hide his identity and tried to destroy evidence.

An unidentified body with a disfigured face was found on February 10. The crime was later solved during the investigation.

Police have arrested three accused, including the woman, and sent them to judicial custody. Efforts are on to arrest other suspects involved in the case.