Odisha CM Majhi condoles Achuthanandan's demise
Bhubaneswar, Jul 21 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday expressed grief over the demise of former Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan.
Achuthanandan, one of India's most respected Communist leaders, died at the age of 101.
He passed away at Thiruvananthapuram while undergoing treatment following a cardiac arrest nearly a month ago.
He served as Kerala's Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was elected to the state Assembly seven times.
Taking to X, Majhi said, 'Saddened to hear about the demise of former Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan. Heartfelt condolences to his family and admirers. May Mahaprabhu Jagannath grant him eternal peace. Om Shanti." PTI AAM AAM MNB
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Several feared trapped in caved-in illegal mine in Dhanbad, cops deny
1 2 Dhanbad/Ranchi: At least 12 miners are feared trapped in a caved-in illegal coal mine in Jamunia under Baghmara block, around 40 km from Dhanbad district headquarters, with some feared dead, local villagers and political leaders said on Wednesday. The police, administration and the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), however, said that, so far, they have not found any sign of mine collapse. The alleged incident, however, snowballed into a political brick-batting on Wednesday as both the ruling and coalition parties accused each other over the illegal mining menace in coal belt and the state at large. "Twelve labourers were trapped while some others, who managed to escape, were undergoing treatment in private hospitals. Families of the trapped workers were being offered Rs 10 lakh as compensation. This is a planned racket where labourers are brought from other districts and used for illegal mining. After the mishap, the entry point was filled with mud to conceal the incident," Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Chaudhary claimed. On the other hand, Jamshedpur west MLA Saryu Roy on Tuesday wrote on X, "At a place called Jamunia in Baghmara, Dhanbad, a tunnel used for illegal mining collapsed, resulting in the death of nine workers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy the Dip: Top 5 Dividend Stocks with Growth Potential Seeking Alpha Read More Undo The illegal mining mafia is engaged in disposing of the bodies of the deceased. I have informed #SSP#Dhanbad about this," he wrote on X. Talking to media, he held the local administration accountable for the mishap. Dhanbad deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan told PTI, "We have rushed an NDRF team to the spot suggested but so far, no sign of any such incident has been found." Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar said that he has directed SDPO Baghmara to conduct a probe. Dhanbad senior superintendent of police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar told PTI, "As we received the information, we sent a team to the said location but no trace of any such incident was found. Additionally, no one from any side including family members turned up," he added. "We have also requested BCCL to conduct a technical inquiry. So far, no formal complaint has been lodged from any side," he told TOI. Regional nodal security officer of block- 2 project of BCCL, Rajiv Ranjan, also said there is no information of any such incident in the closed underground mine of block-2 project. Health, food and civil supplies and disaster management department minister and Congress MLA, Irfan Ansari accused the BCCL for patronising illegal mining demanding appropriate compensation. He said, "BCCL needs to be controlled first. They are patronising illegal mining with local mafia by engaging our innocent, poor workers. In case of mishap, they will be called as illegal miners to avoid giving compensation. I urge CM to announce appropriate compensation and take strict action. I will soon take up this matter with him." State Congress hit out at the Centre as BCCL comes under it. "The security of the mines is entirely managed by institutions like CCL and BCCL through CISF which is directly under the Centre and the state govt has no control. Coal companies, for their benefit, leave mines insecurely open after mining instead of closing them permanently, promoting illegal mining. This is a centrally orchestrated murder," said spokesperson Sonal Shanti. BJP hit back demanding a CBI probe. "It's a state sponsored deaths and CBI probe should be instituted for such illegal mining and its related deaths. The state govt and local administration is aware about large scale illegal mining but chooses to remain mum," said BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.
India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Pakistan and Bangladesh agree to visa-free travel for diplomats, officials
Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to an agreement to allow visa-free entry for people with diplomatic and official passports. The decision was announced on Wednesday after a high-level meeting in Dhaka between Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh's Home Minister Jahangir Alam to Pakistan's interior ministry, the two countries reached a mutual understanding to remove visa requirements for diplomatic and official passport significant breakthrough was achieved on the facilitation of visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports, and both countries reached a principled agreement on this matter," the ministry said in a statement. Although no date has been given for when the visa-free system will begin. In the meeting, officials also discussed issues like counterterrorism, internal security, police training, drug control, and efforts to combat human trafficking. A joint committee will be created to manage and coordinate new plans. Pakistan's Interior Secretary Khurram Agha will lead the team from countries agreed to start exchange programs for police academies. A delegation from Bangladesh is expected to visit Pakistan's National Police Academy in Islamabad Home Minister welcomed Naqvi with a guard of honour and described the visit as important for future cooperation. "Your visit is of great significance for strengthening bilateral relations between our two countries," he said, according to the Pakistani START FOR BANGLADESH-PAKISTAN RELATIONSTies between Pakistan and Bangladesh have long been shaped by painful memories of the 1971 war, which led to Bangladesh's independence. For many years, relations remained cold, marked by mistrust and few high-level exchanges. Bangladesh maintained closer ties with India, its wartime ally and strong economic partner, while Pakistan struggled to rebuild the decades, the relationship between Pakistan and Bangladesh has been defined by the scars of the 1971 war — a conflict that led to the birth of Bangladesh. While Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation with India's strong support during the war, ties with Pakistan remained tense and distant. High-level meetings were rare, and mistrust lingered. In the years that followed, Dhaka maintained closer ties with India -- its wartime ally and key economic partner -- while Pakistan struggled to rebuild the the circumstances changed after the fall of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. She later fled to India, and since then, Dhaka's ties with New Delhi have deteriorated due to political tensions and border change has opened the door for a fresh start between Islamabad and Dhaka. The last major Pakistani visit to Bangladesh took place earlier this year when Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka to push for stronger regional ties.- EndsWith inputs from PTI
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Leader of the masses comes home one last time
Kottayam: The final journey of V S Achuthanandan reached his birthplace, Punnapra, Alappuzha, on Wednesday — a return to the land where his political life first took root, where he organized historic struggles for working class communties and where he emerged as one of the leaders of the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. His mortal remains arrived at the Velikkakath House around 12.15 noon, more than 22 hours after leaving the state capital and well past the initially scheduled arrival time of 10pm on Tuesday. Ministers Saji Cherian and P Prasad received the funeral procession upon its arrival. Despite steady rain, thousands of mourners gathered from early morning to pay their final respects to the departed leader. Long queues formed outside the house from 6am as people from across the state waited patiently. The mortal remains were first taken inside for relatives to pay homage before being brought out for public viewing. A Suresh, former personal assistant to V S, recalled how the veteran leader made it a point to visit this house twice every year. "He never missed being here for Onam, when he had the traditional sadhya and for the Punnapra-Vayalar anniversary in Oct," Suresh said. "Once here, V S would transform into a karanavar — the family patriarch. A lot of visitors used to flock in, including neighbours, old friends and relatives. " The house, he added, is more than a family home — it stands as a symbol and memorial of the Punnapra-Vayalar struggle. V S last visited in 2019 before failing health halted his travels. Earlier in the day, the funeral procession entered Alappuzha district after 7am. Along the way, hundreds of people — men, women, and children — lined the roadsides to pay tribute. The route passed through historically significant locations, evoking memories of a glorious past tied to the departed leader. Around 7.15am, it passed by in front of the KPAC headquarters in Kayamkulam — the iconic theatre movement that staged the play Ningal Enne Communist Aakki (You Made Me a Communist), a milestone in Kerala's political history. A large crowd had gathered there, cutting across party lines, to honour the departed leader. In Harippad, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala joined the crowd paying homage. The procession continued through Ambalappuzha, where V S first contested elections, with paddy farmers and fisherfolk gathering in large numbers. It also passed the symbolic Thottappally bridge, a symbol of Kuttanad farmers' struggles that V S championed. Among those who paid their respects at the house were ministers R Bindu, K Krishnankutty, Maharashtra governor P Radhakrishnan, N K Premachandran MP, MLAs M V Govindan, H Salam, M S Arun Kumar, Mathew T Thomas, Mohammed Muhasin, P K Kunjalikutty, CPM general secretary M A Baby, senior CPM leader G Sudhakaran, Muslim League leader Panakad Sadikali Shihab Thangal, writer Benyamin, former MP MM Arif, former MLAs C K Sadasivan and K K Shaju. At 2.40pm, the body was placed in a KSRTC bus for the journey to the CPM district committee office.
