12 Cong workers injured in clash with police

Twelve Congress workers were injured on Wednesday after a clash broke out between policemen and protesters who were heading towards the BJP ...

Twelve Congress workers were injured on Wednesday after a clash broke out between policemen and protesters who were heading towards the BJP party office, protesting against their opposition to Sonia Gandhi as PM. Policemen stopped more than 2,000 Congress activists from storming the BJP headquarters and 12 of the workers were injured in the scuffle that followed. Congress workers also burnt effigies of Madhya Pradesh CM Uma Bharati and former Union minister Sushma Swaraj for their remarks against the Congress chief.

Railway staff threaten to tonsure

VADODARA:

At least 101 railway employees, affiliated to the

Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh, have threatened to tonsure their heads in protest against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s rejection of prime ministership. Sangh general secretaries J.G. Mahulkar and Sarif Khan Pathan said members were ‘‘unhappy’’ over Sonia’s decision. ‘‘The railwaymen have high expectations from Gandhi as she is the only leader who can protect the rights of the working class and the interests of farm labourers, Dalits and the poor in the country,’’ he said.

Kalam did not talk citizenship

NEW DELHI:

The Rashtrapati Bhawan denied on Wednesday media reports that President Abdul Kalam had discussed the citizenship issue with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi when she met him on Tuesday. ‘‘It has been reported in a section of the press that President Kalam had discussed the citizenship issue with Sonia Gandhi when she met him yesterday at Rashtrapati Bhawan. This is contrary to facts. It did not figure in the discussions at all,’’ press secretary to the President S.M. Khan said in a statement. Media reports said Sonia’s decision were spurred by clarifications apparently sought by Kalam on the status of her citizenship.

Partymen disrupt media briefing

NEW DELHI:

Story continues below this ad

Hundreds of agitated Congress workers smashed the main gate of the media hall at AICC headquarters on Wednesday as party general secretary Ambika Soni was briefing the press. The party workers, protesting against Sonia Gandhi’s decision, first tried to enter the media room where Soni and S. Jaipal Reddy were talking to reporters. When they were stopped, they threw stones and smashed windows. Soni and Reddy stopped the briefing midway and left the hall through a side door. Earlier in the morning, Congress workers attacked the crew of a private TV channel when a journalist reported that Manmohan Singh could be the next PM.

Sharad Joshi sings Sonia praises

NAGPUR:

The Swatantra Bharat Paksha, an ally of the NDA, on Wednesday said Sonia Gandhi’s denial of the PM’s post was a ‘‘magnanimous gesture’’. Party president and founder of Shetkari Sanghatana, Sharad Joshi, who joined the NDA on the eve of Lok Sabha polls, described as ‘‘ridiculous’’ Sushma Swaraj’s threat to tonsure her head if Sonia became PM. Joshi, who led the movement for a separate Vidarbha, said his party would launch a new movement soon. —(PTI)