Tension between BJP, JD-U ‘a drama’: Lalu Prasad

Terming reports of the growing rift between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) “nautanki (drama)”, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Sunday dared the BJP to snap ties and contest the coming Bihar polls on its own.“Both of them are playing a drama. They will go together,” Lalu Prasad said at a press conference here, claiming that the BJP-JD(U) alliance was an outcome of their “Laluphobia” over a decade ago.“The BJP should snap ties with JD-U and withdraw support from Nitish Kumar government to prove that it has self-respect,” he said.He also said it was time Nitish Kumar should sever ties with BJP. “No more drama over advertisements featuring him and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi… he realised the danger of Modi and BJP after running the government for four and half years with the BJP,” Lalu Prasad said.Referring to Nitish Kumar’s decision to return the Rs.5 crore aid given by the Gujarat government during Kosi floods in 2008, Lalu Prasad said that it was wrong. “The assistance provided by Gujarat government during floods in 2008 was not the personal money of Narendra Modi but that of people of Gujarat,” he said.The RJD chief also said he wanted to know from the Bihar government about the huge amount of relief materials sent by Gujarat government.“Two trains full of relief materials were sent by Gujarat government. Were they distributed among flood victims or not?” he asked, demanding Nitish Kumar make public all details of relief assistance provided by various state governments, public agencies and others.The rift between JD-U and the BJP widened Sunday, with Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi boycotting a joint march in rural Patna and the chief minister quickly hitting back by cancelling a similar event here later in the day.The Sushil Modi-Nitish Kumar face-off came even as top leaders of the two parties flexed their muscles over differences that seem to threaten their alliance ahead of assembly elections in October this year.Sushil Modi stayed away from the Sunday morning ‘Vishwas Yatra’ (Confidence March) at Paliganj in rural Patna, a day after the chief minister returned the Rs.5 crore aid money given by the Gujarat government during the Bihar floods in 2008.Nitish Kumar has justified his decision, saying the Gujarat government and Narendra Modi erred by talking about their aid to Bihar. “What they did was against the principles of our culture,” he said.
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Minor married to 45-year-old man in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, June 20 : In the third incident of its kind in four days, a 16-year-old girl was forcibly married to a 45-year-old man here Sunday. After the wedding, the girl managed to contact the police and lodged a complaint.Kamakshi, in her complaint at Panjagutta police station, claimed that she was married against her wish. She also told the police that she was a minor. Her parents, however, claimed that she was 19-years-old and was earlier married to a man from Vijayawada. She got divorced a few months ago, they said. The girl's father, M. Prasad, told reporters that the second marriage took place with her consent and with the hope that she would live happily. Police said they had sent the girl for medical examination to determine her age. "Any action will be taken after determining her age," Sub-inspector of Police Ravi Kumar said. This is the third incident of its kind in Andhra Pradesh in the last four days. Police arrested a 58-year-old man in Rajahmundry town June 17 after he married a 14-year-old girl. On Saturday, a 57-year-old man, a native of Rajasthan, was arrested in Rajendernagar near Hyderabad for allegedly marrying a minor.
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Infant murdered in Hyderabad, parents suspected

Hyderabad, June 20: A one-and-half-month-old infant was allegedly murdered at her house here Sunday. Police suspect the involvement of her parents.The girl's mother Sujata told police that three people barged into her house in Raghuvendra Society in Kukatpally area early Sunday and killed her child by drowning her in a bucket full of water. The woman claimed that she was tied by the attackers before they killed the child. They caused no harm to her elder daughter, who is two years old. Sujata said her husband was away when the incident took place. However, contradictory statements given to the police by Sujata and her husband created doubt. Police said they had not yet found any proof of attackers forcing their way into the house and committing the crime. The parents were being questioned with the police suspecting that they killed the infant as they were reportedly depressed over the birth of a second girl child.
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