All MPs of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) will resign immediately if Parliament is adjourned sine die without an announcement over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, a party leader said on Monday.&nbsp

This decision was taken at a meeting that YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had with the party MPs to discuss the future course of action.&nbsp

YSR Congress Party president Jagan Mohan Reddy said the YSR Congress was ready to work with any party supporting the demand for the Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and told the MPs that all decisions beginning with the announcement of the resignations to tabling the no-confidence motion had been taken with a clear conscience.

According to the reports, it had been decided that the party MPs would quit on April 5 or April 6 after the House had been adjourned sine die.&nbsp

"But there is a distinct possibility that the House may be adjourned sine die even before the end of the month. We will quit after that and our party president, Jagan Mohan Reddy, has given us clear instructions to that effect," said a party leader.

The party has also urged the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs to resign over the issue, saying this would put pressure on the Centre.

This decision was taken at a meeting that YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had with the party MPs to discuss the future course of action

All MPs of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) will resign immediately if Parliament is adjourned sine die without an announcement over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, a party leader said on Monday. This decision was taken at a meeting that YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had with the party MPs to discuss the future course of action. YSR Congress Party president Jagan Mohan Reddy said the YSR Congress was ready to work with any party supporting the demand for the Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and told the MPs that all decisions beginning with the announcement of the resignations to tabling the no-confidence motion had been taken with a clear conscience. According to the reports, it had been decided that the party MPs would quit on April 5 or April 6 after the House had been adjourned sine die. "But there is a distinct possibility that the House may be adjourned sine die even before the end of the month. We will quit after that and our party president, Jagan Mohan Reddy, has given us clear instructions to that effect," said a party leader. The party has also urged the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs to resign over the issue, saying this would put pressure on the Centre.

Special status for Andhra: YSR Congress MPs to quit on last day of session

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Sunday said the BJP is pained that it could not win the just held bypolls to two Assembly seats but maintained his party fought well and lost narrowly.

The opposition Congress retained the two Assembly seats - Kolaras (Shivpuri district) and Mungaoli (Ashoknagar district) - where bypolls were held on February 24, but with a reduced margin.

&quot;We fought to win but a bit was left in our effort,&quot; he told reporters at his residence here when asked to comment on the bypolls&#39; outcome.

&quot;We are pained we could not win the by-elections,&quot; said Chouhan, who along with some senior members of his Cabinet took part in the campaigning.

&quot;All had thought winning the two seats was tough (for the BJP). The Congress had won Kolaras by a margin of around 25,000 votes in 2013. We narrowed this gap to around 8,000 votes in the bypolls,&quot; the chief minister said.

&quot;The Congress won Mungaoli by 22,000 votes in 2013. This time we lost to the Congress by around 2,100 votes.&quot;

The chief minister expressed confidence that his party would win the Assembly polls, slated for later this year, with a comfortable majority.

The BJP is ruling Madhya Pradesh since 2003.&nbsp;

The BJP is ruling Madhya Pradesh since 2003

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Sunday said the BJP is pained that it could not win the just held bypolls to two Assembly seats but maintained his party fought well and lost narrowly. The opposition Congress retained the two Assembly seats - Kolaras (Shivpuri district) and Mungaoli (Ashoknagar district) - where bypolls were held on February 24, but with a reduced margin. "We fought to win but a bit was left in our effort," he told reporters at his residence here when asked to comment on the bypolls' outcome. "We are pained we could not win the by-elections," said Chouhan, who along with some senior members of his Cabinet took part in the campaigning. "All had thought winning the two seats was tough (for the BJP). The Congress had won Kolaras by a margin of around 25,000 votes in 2013. We narrowed this gap to around 8,000 votes in the bypolls," the chief minister said. "The Congress won Mungaoli by 22,000 votes in 2013. This time we lost to the Congress by around 2,100 votes." The chief minister expressed confidence that his party would win the Assembly polls, slated for later this year, with a comfortable majority. The BJP is ruling Madhya Pradesh since 2003.

BJP narrowly lost Assembly bypolls in MP: Shivraj Chouhan

The Congress is leading in both the Madhya Pradesh assembly seats where by-elections were held last week.

In Kolaras constituency, Congress candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav maintained his lead in the first round.&nbsp;

He was ahead by 1,331 votes after the end of the fourth round of counting, as per election official said.

In Mungaoli, Congress&rsquo; Brijendra Singh Yadav was ahead of his rival BJP candidate by 1,332 votes after the fourth round.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the recent reports indicate that Congress has extended lead on Mungaoli seat and is now ahead by 1642 seats, total votes 5244.

In Kolaras bye-election, the contest is between the Congress&#39; Mahendra Singh Yadav and Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s (BJP) Devendra Jain. &nbsp;Whereas, for Mungaoli Assembly seat, Congress candidate Brijendra Singh Yadav and BJP&rsquo;s Baisahab Yadav are in the fray.&nbsp;

Overall, 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli and 22 in Kolaras.

The outcome of the two by-polls, held on 24 February, are being seen as a possible pointer to the mood of people ahead of the assembly elections due later this year in the BJP-ruled state.

Meanwhile, in Odisha, Biju Janta Dal&rsquo;s Rita Sahu won Bijepur seat by a margin of 41,933 votes.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived at the party headquarters and celebrated with the workers after party&#39;s victory.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I would like to express my gratitude to public for showering their blessings on BJD. I am sure we will do very very well in 2019 General Elections as well,&rdquo; says Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on his party&rsquo;s win in Bijepur Assembly Bye-poll.&nbsp;

He even took to Twitter and thanked the people of Odisha for choosing BJD.

&quot;Humbled by love &amp; trust of the people of #Bijepur for giving @bjd_Odisha a massive victory. BJD lives in the hearts of the people of #Odisha. Our people are peace loving and have rejected the politics of hatred and violence,&quot; he tweeted. 
&nbsp;

Overall, 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli and 22 in Kolaras

The Congress is leading in both the Madhya Pradesh assembly seats where by-elections were held last week. In Kolaras constituency, Congress candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav maintained his lead in the first round. He was ahead by 1,331 votes after the end of the fourth round of counting, as per election official said. In Mungaoli, Congress’ Brijendra Singh Yadav was ahead of his rival BJP candidate by 1,332 votes after the fourth round. Meanwhile, the recent reports indicate that Congress has extended lead on Mungaoli seat and is now ahead by 1642 seats, total votes 5244. In Kolaras bye-election, the contest is between the Congress' Mahendra Singh Yadav and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Devendra Jain. Whereas, for Mungaoli Assembly seat, Congress candidate Brijendra Singh Yadav and BJP’s Baisahab Yadav are in the fray. Overall, 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli and 22 in Kolaras. The outcome of the two by-polls, held on 24 February, are being seen as a possible pointer to the mood of people ahead of the assembly elections due later this year in the BJP-ruled state. Meanwhile, in Odisha, Biju Janta Dal’s Rita Sahu won Bijepur seat by a margin of 41,933 votes. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived at the party headquarters and celebrated with the workers after party's victory. “I would like to express my gratitude to public for showering their blessings on BJD. I am sure we will do very very well in 2019 General Elections as well,” says Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on his party’s win in Bijepur Assembly Bye-poll. He even took to Twitter and thanked the people of Odisha for choosing BJD. "Humbled by love & trust of the people of #Bijepur for giving @bjd_Odisha a massive victory. BJD lives in the hearts of the people of #Odisha. Our people are peace loving and have rejected the politics of hatred and violence," he tweeted.

By-poll results: BJP loses Odisha to Naveen Patnaik, on verge of losing MP to Congress

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said Wednesday that Padmavati -- the fictional queen of Chittor -- would be taught in the state&#39;s schools.&nbsp;

&quot;Rashtramata Maharani Padmavati will be taught in schools from next syllabus,&quot; Chauhan said.&nbsp;

&quot;Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

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Rashtramata Maharani <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> will be taught in schools from next syllabus. Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions: MP CM Shivraj Chouhan <a href="https://t.co/FIcTVxyc7u">pic.twitter.com/FIcTVxyc7u</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/933339541817065473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Chouhan was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmavati-row-now-shivraj-singh-chuahan-bans-the-film-in-madhya-pradesh-24645" target="_blank">the first chief minister to ban the movie</a> in his state on Tuesday.&nbsp;

He was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmavati-row-after-madhya-pradesh-gujarat-bans-the-film-24851" target="_blank">followed by Gujarat</a> today.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also threatened to ban the movie if &quot;objectionable scenes&quot; from it are not removed.&nbsp;

Rajput and Hindu groups have been vociferously protesting against the movie saying it distorts history.&nbsp;

They have been most worried by a reported &quot;dream sequence&quot; in the movie between Deepika Padukone (who plays Padmavati) and Ranveer Singh (who plays Allaudin Khilji).&nbsp;

Khilji, the sultan of Delhi, had invaded and defeated the Rajput kingdom of Chittor in 1303.&nbsp;

Popular legend says Rani Padmavati committed &quot;jauhar&quot; (mass &quot;sati&quot;) to save her honour from Khilji.&nbsp;

Historians however say there is no mention of a queen Padmavati in history.&nbsp;

And that the first mention of her is found in a book of poetry -- Padmavat -- written in 1520 by the sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi.&nbsp;

The historians therefore say Padmavati was not a historical figure but a literary character -- one found only in books.&nbsp;&nbsp;

'Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions,' the Madhya Pradesh chief minister said

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said Wednesday that Padmavati -- the fictional queen of Chittor -- would be taught in the state's schools. "Rashtramata Maharani Padmavati will be taught in schools from next syllabus," Chauhan said. "Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions," he added. Rashtramata Maharani #Padmavati will be taught in schools from next syllabus. Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions: MP CM Shivraj Chouhan pic.twitter.com/FIcTVxyc7u — ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2017 × Chouhan was the first chief minister to ban the movie in his state on Tuesday. He was followed by Gujarat today. Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also threatened to ban the movie if "objectionable scenes" from it are not removed. Rajput and Hindu groups have been vociferously protesting against the movie saying it distorts history. They have been most worried by a reported "dream sequence" in the movie between Deepika Padukone (who plays Padmavati) and Ranveer Singh (who plays Allaudin Khilji). Khilji, the sultan of Delhi, had invaded and defeated the Rajput kingdom of Chittor in 1303. Popular legend says Rani Padmavati committed "jauhar" (mass "sati") to save her honour from Khilji. Historians however say there is no mention of a queen Padmavati in history. And that the first mention of her is found in a book of poetry -- Padmavat -- written in 1520 by the sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi. The historians therefore say Padmavati was not a historical figure but a literary character -- one found only in books.

Padmavati to be taught in MP schools, will not depend on distortions: Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh police have dropped the charge of sedition against the 15 men it arrested for allegedly celebrating Pakistan&#39;s win over India in the finals of the Champions Trophy.&nbsp;

It has now charged them with &quot;doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony&quot; or section 153A.&nbsp;

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to prove the sedition charge. Moreover, none of them has a criminal background. After initial investigation we found Section 153-A is more appropriate instead of Section 124-A,&rsquo;&rsquo; Burhanpur SP RR Parihar told The Indian Express.

ANI reported the sedition charge was dropped on the orders of senior officials.&nbsp;

The charge would, in any case, not have stuck -- the Supreme Court has said a person cannot be charged with sedition if he or she has not incited violence.&nbsp;

The Express reported that most of the men arrested in MP were daily wagers, while a few owned one or two acres of land.&nbsp;

The 15 men have now been charged with 'doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony'

Madhya Pradesh police have dropped the charge of sedition against the 15 men it arrested for allegedly celebrating Pakistan's win over India in the finals of the Champions Trophy. It has now charged them with "doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony" or section 153A. “It’s difficult to prove the sedition charge. Moreover, none of them has a criminal background. After initial investigation we found Section 153-A is more appropriate instead of Section 124-A,’’ Burhanpur SP RR Parihar told The Indian Express. ANI reported the sedition charge was dropped on the orders of senior officials. The charge would, in any case, not have stuck -- the Supreme Court has said a person cannot be charged with sedition if he or she has not incited violence. The Express reported that most of the men arrested in MP were daily wagers, while a few owned one or two acres of land.

MP men who allegedly cheered Pak: Cops drop sedition charge, book them for disturbing communal harmony

An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament.

&quot;The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP&#39;s vehicle was passing through,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

&quot;Three people including the MP were wounded.&quot;

But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed.

&quot;I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle,&quot; said Abdul Manan, a&nbsp;bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack.&nbsp;

The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter&nbsp;when fighting usually ebbs.

The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers.

Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours.

Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed.

(AFP)

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting MP Fakuri Behishti,

An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament. "The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP's vehicle was passing through," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP. "Three people including the MP were wounded." But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed. "I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle," said Abdul Manan, a bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack. The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter when fighting usually ebbs. The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers. Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours. Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed. (AFP)

Blast in Kabul hits Afghan MP's vehicle, three wounded

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured his support&nbsp;in the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and&nbsp;Madhya Pradesh. &quot;I pray for the safety and wellbeing of those in areas affected by floods in parts Uttar&nbsp;Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,&quot; the Prime Minister&#39;s Office tweeted. 
 
Prime&nbsp;Minister Modi said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is closely monitoring the situation, adding the latter&nbsp;has spoken to the Chief Ministers and taken stock of the rescue and relief operations. &quot;Centre assures total&nbsp;support in the rescue and relief operations. I hope the situation in the affected areas normalises at the earliest,&quot;&nbsp;he added.In Bihar, waters from various rivers were reported to be spreading to new areas in Bhojpur, Buxar,&nbsp;Munger, Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts.The low-lying areas of Patna, Vaishali and Saran districts are also&nbsp;reportedly under water. 
 
The flood-affected people have taken shelter in schools in Patna. The movement of&nbsp;trains has been stopped between Chapra and Balia because of submerged railway tracks at many places.The&nbsp;surging water of the Rivers Sone and Punpun has spread to the low lying areas of Jahanabad and Arwal&nbsp;districts.In Uttar Pradesh, the flood situation in the eastern parts is grim. River Ganga is rising in many places,&nbsp;including Allahabad and Varanasi.The army has been kept on standby to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation&nbsp;efforts in Allahabad.Both the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers are rising continuously in the district and the people&nbsp;have been told to vacate their homes and move to safer places.Over 100 villages are facing a critical flood&nbsp;situation in the district. So far, about 10,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps. 
 
The National Disaster&nbsp;Response Force (NDRF) is also engaged in Ballai and Banda districts after receiving information on rising&nbsp;water levels.Besides Allahabad, the water of river Ganga is reportedly rising in Varanasi, Ballia and Mirzapur&nbsp;districts, while the water of the Yamuna are rising trend in Banda, Mathura and Allahabad.After the release of&nbsp;water from the dam, the Betwa River is also on spate in Hamirpur district.Water levels are rising between two&nbsp;to three centimetres per hour.In Rajasthan, incessant rains in the south eastern districts have affected normal&nbsp;life. Several over bridges have been submerged in water, bringing road traffic on these routes to a grinding 
halt. 
 
A maximum of 26 centimetres of rainfall has been recorded at the Jakham Dam in the state&#39;s Pratapgarh&nbsp;district.Places like Nimbaheda, Badi Sadri and Bhadesar have received 22 centimeters of rainfall in the last 24&nbsp;hours.The districts of Chittorgarh, Baran, Dungarpur, Banswara and Jhalawar have also experienced good&nbsp;rainfall. 
 
An alert has been sounded in nearby areas of Chambal river in Karauli following an increase in water&nbsp;levels.In Madhya Pradesh, torrential rains have lashed western parts even as relief works have gained&nbsp;momentum in Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions.Normal life has been affected in Guna, Rajgarh, Shivpuri,&nbsp;Mandsour, Ujjain and other parts of western Madhya Pradesh. 
 
(ANI)

Rescue and relief operations have begun in the flood-hit states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and?Madhya Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured his support in the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. "I pray for the safety and wellbeing of those in areas affected by floods in parts Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. Prime Minister Modi said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is closely monitoring the situation, adding the latter has spoken to the Chief Ministers and taken stock of the rescue and relief operations. "Centre assures total support in the rescue and relief operations. I hope the situation in the affected areas normalises at the earliest," he added.In Bihar, waters from various rivers were reported to be spreading to new areas in Bhojpur, Buxar, Munger, Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts.The low-lying areas of Patna, Vaishali and Saran districts are also reportedly under water. The flood-affected people have taken shelter in schools in Patna. The movement of trains has been stopped between Chapra and Balia because of submerged railway tracks at many places.The surging water of the Rivers Sone and Punpun has spread to the low lying areas of Jahanabad and Arwal districts.In Uttar Pradesh, the flood situation in the eastern parts is grim. River Ganga is rising in many places, including Allahabad and Varanasi.The army has been kept on standby to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation efforts in Allahabad.Both the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers are rising continuously in the district and the people have been told to vacate their homes and move to safer places.Over 100 villages are facing a critical flood situation in the district. So far, about 10,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is also engaged in Ballai and Banda districts after receiving information on rising water levels.Besides Allahabad, the water of river Ganga is reportedly rising in Varanasi, Ballia and Mirzapur districts, while the water of the Yamuna are rising trend in Banda, Mathura and Allahabad.After the release of water from the dam, the Betwa River is also on spate in Hamirpur district.Water levels are rising between two to three centimetres per hour.In Rajasthan, incessant rains in the south eastern districts have affected normal life. Several over bridges have been submerged in water, bringing road traffic on these routes to a grinding halt. A maximum of 26 centimetres of rainfall has been recorded at the Jakham Dam in the state's Pratapgarh district.Places like Nimbaheda, Badi Sadri and Bhadesar have received 22 centimeters of rainfall in the last 24 hours.The districts of Chittorgarh, Baran, Dungarpur, Banswara and Jhalawar have also experienced good rainfall. An alert has been sounded in nearby areas of Chambal river in Karauli following an increase in water levels.In Madhya Pradesh, torrential rains have lashed western parts even as relief works have gained momentum in Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions.Normal life has been affected in Guna, Rajgarh, Shivpuri, Mandsour, Ujjain and other parts of western Madhya Pradesh. (ANI)

Indian Prime Minister Modi assures Centre's support to flood-hit regions

Persistent rains inundated several villages and settlements in parts of India, leaving hundreds of people stranded in the deluge. 
 
In Allahabad city of northern Uttar Pradesh state, increased water levels of the Ganga river submerged several settlements on Sunday (August 21), forcing people to stay indoors. 
 
Hundreds of people remained stranded in the affected areas even as rescue officials tried to reach out to them through boats. 
 
Locals rued that local administration arrangements were not enough as they were now hit by food and water scarcity. 
 
&quot;Water levels are increasing rapidly and gradually residents are also getting worried and are not coming out of their houses. Many of the houses are submerged in water. People are stuck and so are animals, among whom many are dying. There are no arrangements here. Nothing much is happening. There are no arrangements. There are just boats ferrying people but there is no food or water here. There is no way to survive,&quot; said a local, Anuradha Tripathy. 
 
In Vadodara district of western Gujarat State, around 150 villages were inundated after officials released seawater from an upstream dam on Sunday. 
 
Officials have been closely monitoring the situation, keeping rescue teams on stand-by for carrying out evacuation operation, if the condition worsens. 
 
&quot;The water outflow from the Kadana dam is around 2.5-3 lakh cusecs. Water will keep receding. But based on the requirement we are still on alert in case a medical emergency surfaces in the Dabka village area, we will evacuate people from there,&quot; said a rescue official, Dharmendra Singh Rathod on Monday (August 22). 
 
State authorities had earlier asked the villagers to evacuate their houses before channeling seawater through the Kadana dam. People, however, refused to leave their houses, farmlands and animals, leaving them stranded. 
 
Flooding, an annual problem during the monsoon season, has been worsened by crumbling civic infrastructure, clogged drains and uncontrolled urban expansion in a country with a fast-growing population of 1.3 billion. 
 
The June-September monsoon has so far delivered at least four per cent higher rainfall than average. 
 
(Reuters)

Hundreds of people left stranded in the deluge are bracing for a food and water crisis

Persistent rains inundated several villages and settlements in parts of India, leaving hundreds of people stranded in the deluge. In Allahabad city of northern Uttar Pradesh state, increased water levels of the Ganga river submerged several settlements on Sunday (August 21), forcing people to stay indoors. Hundreds of people remained stranded in the affected areas even as rescue officials tried to reach out to them through boats. Locals rued that local administration arrangements were not enough as they were now hit by food and water scarcity. "Water levels are increasing rapidly and gradually residents are also getting worried and are not coming out of their houses. Many of the houses are submerged in water. People are stuck and so are animals, among whom many are dying. There are no arrangements here. Nothing much is happening. There are no arrangements. There are just boats ferrying people but there is no food or water here. There is no way to survive," said a local, Anuradha Tripathy. In Vadodara district of western Gujarat State, around 150 villages were inundated after officials released seawater from an upstream dam on Sunday. Officials have been closely monitoring the situation, keeping rescue teams on stand-by for carrying out evacuation operation, if the condition worsens. "The water outflow from the Kadana dam is around 2.5-3 lakh cusecs. Water will keep receding. But based on the requirement we are still on alert in case a medical emergency surfaces in the Dabka village area, we will evacuate people from there," said a rescue official, Dharmendra Singh Rathod on Monday (August 22). State authorities had earlier asked the villagers to evacuate their houses before channeling seawater through the Kadana dam. People, however, refused to leave their houses, farmlands and animals, leaving them stranded. Flooding, an annual problem during the monsoon season, has been worsened by crumbling civic infrastructure, clogged drains and uncontrolled urban expansion in a country with a fast-growing population of 1.3 billion. The June-September monsoon has so far delivered at least four per cent higher rainfall than average. (Reuters)

Incessant rains flood several parts of India

Sasikala Pushpa, member of parliament (MP) in the upper house, who reportedly slapped another MP Trichy Siva at national capital Delhi&#39;s airport on Saturday, was today expelled from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a state political party, by its supremo Jayalalithaa on a day when she claimed she faced threat to her life in India&#39;s southern state of Tamil Nadu. 
 
In a brief statement, Jayalalithaa said that Sasikala, a Rajya Sabha (upper house) MP, was being expelled from all party posts, including primary membership, as she had acted in violation of the party principles and ethics for &quot;bringing disrepute to the party&quot;. 
 
&quot;Her behaviour has brought great disrepute to the party,&quot; the Tamil Nadu chief minister said in Chennai, the state capital.&nbsp; 
 
She asked party supporters not to have any truck henceforth with the Thoothukudi-based MP. 
 
Sasikala finds support in opposition&nbsp; 
 
In the upper house, Sasikala alleged she was being forced to resign from the &#39;constitutional post&#39;. 
 
She first rushed into the &#39;Well of the House&#39; to get permission to make her statement and then broke down several times as she said she faced &quot;life threat&quot; from state government and alluded to her being slapped by a &quot;leader&quot;. 
 
She, however, did not make it clear who slapped her and when. 
 
Outside the upper house, Sasikala claimed her expulsion had no link with the airport incident involving Siva, also a Rajya Sabha MP, and that pressure was being put on her for the last two months to resign. 
 
&quot;They are harassing me.&quot; 
 
She replied in the affirmative when asked whether Jayalalithaa was behind this. 
 
Sasikala also claimed that she was warned of consequences if she does not resign. 
 
Raising the issue in the upper house, she said, &quot;If an MP is being slapped by a leader, where is human dignity?&quot; triggering strong protest from members of her own party. 
 
As she found support in opposition members who wanted the chair to allow her to make her full submission, A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) walked into the well and out of it multiple times demanding that her remarks be expunged. 
 
&quot;I have life threat... I am being compelled to resign from my constitutional post,&quot; she said. &quot;Where is women&#39;s safety in this country? ... I am being harassed. I need protection. In Tamil Nadu, I don&#39;t have safety. There is threat to my life.&quot; 
 
Sasikala said she was thankful to her party leader for sending her to Rajya Sabha but &quot;if a leader can slap an MP, I need protection. I need government&#39;s protection.&quot; 
 
&quot;I want to serve the country (and not resign),&quot; she said. &quot;I am not here in Rajya Sabha for any benefit.&quot; 
 
Deputy chairman P J Kurien said the chairman was custodian of all members of the House and he will protect her too. 
 
He, however, asked her not to mention anyone&#39;s name who cannot come to the house to defend himself or herself. 
 
The aggrieved member can write to the chairman for necessary action, Kurien said. 
 
But the opposition benches broke into protest saying she should be allowed to make her full submission. Women members of Congress party moved to the aisles and vociferously raised the issue of her plight as a fellow member.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

Upper house MP Sasikala was sacked for 'bringing disrepute' to the state political party AIADMK after she alleged 'threat to life'

Sasikala Pushpa, member of parliament (MP) in the upper house, who reportedly slapped another MP Trichy Siva at national capital Delhi's airport on Saturday, was today expelled from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a state political party, by its supremo Jayalalithaa on a day when she claimed she faced threat to her life in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu. In a brief statement, Jayalalithaa said that Sasikala, a Rajya Sabha (upper house) MP, was being expelled from all party posts, including primary membership, as she had acted in violation of the party principles and ethics for "bringing disrepute to the party". "Her behaviour has brought great disrepute to the party," the Tamil Nadu chief minister said in Chennai, the state capital. She asked party supporters not to have any truck henceforth with the Thoothukudi-based MP. Sasikala finds support in opposition In the upper house, Sasikala alleged she was being forced to resign from the 'constitutional post'. She first rushed into the 'Well of the House' to get permission to make her statement and then broke down several times as she said she faced "life threat" from state government and alluded to her being slapped by a "leader". She, however, did not make it clear who slapped her and when. Outside the upper house, Sasikala claimed her expulsion had no link with the airport incident involving Siva, also a Rajya Sabha MP, and that pressure was being put on her for the last two months to resign. "They are harassing me." She replied in the affirmative when asked whether Jayalalithaa was behind this. Sasikala also claimed that she was warned of consequences if she does not resign. Raising the issue in the upper house, she said, "If an MP is being slapped by a leader, where is human dignity?" triggering strong protest from members of her own party. As she found support in opposition members who wanted the chair to allow her to make her full submission, A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) walked into the well and out of it multiple times demanding that her remarks be expunged. "I have life threat... I am being compelled to resign from my constitutional post," she said. "Where is women's safety in this country? ... I am being harassed. I need protection. In Tamil Nadu, I don't have safety. There is threat to my life." Sasikala said she was thankful to her party leader for sending her to Rajya Sabha but "if a leader can slap an MP, I need protection. I need government's protection." "I want to serve the country (and not resign)," she said. "I am not here in Rajya Sabha for any benefit." Deputy chairman P J Kurien said the chairman was custodian of all members of the House and he will protect her too. He, however, asked her not to mention anyone's name who cannot come to the house to defend himself or herself. The aggrieved member can write to the chairman for necessary action, Kurien said. But the opposition benches broke into protest saying she should be allowed to make her full submission. Women members of Congress party moved to the aisles and vociferously raised the issue of her plight as a fellow member. (PTI)

Chief minister in India's Tamil Nadu expels former aide over 'anti-party activities'

<div style="text-align: justify;">The man arrested over the murder of British MP Jo Cox was described by neighbours as a friendly loner who helped them with their gardening, but allegedly had ties to white supremacists and battled mental illness. 
 
Police confirmed a 52-year-old was in custody over Thursday&#39;s attack in the Yorkshire village of Birstall. He was named by British media as Thomas Mair&nbsp;and he had lived in social housing nearby for the past 40 years. 
 
&quot;He is just a quiet bloke who keeps to himself,&quot; neighbour Kathleen Cooke, 62, was quoted as saying in several newspapers. 
 
Another neighbour, David Pickles, 62, was quoted as saying he was &quot;a bit of a loner, but I could not say he was unfriendly&quot;, adding that he was &quot;a man of few words&quot;. 
 
The description seems at odds with the frenzied nature of the attack on Cox, who eyewitnesses said was shot three times, and then stabbed as she lay bleeding on the pavement. 
 
Mair&#39;s brother Scott, 50, told The Sun tabloid that he was &quot;struggling to believe what has happened&quot;. 
 
&quot;My brother is not a violent man and is not that political. We don&#39;t even know who he votes for. I am visibly shaken at this news,&quot; he said. 
 
He confirmed that his brother had mental health problems, and the suspect himself spoke about these in an interview with a local newspaper in 2010. 
 
But evidence has also emerged of Mair&#39;s links to white nationalist movements in the United States and South Africa. 
 
The Southern Poverty Law Centre, a US civil rights group, said it had found records suggesting Mair was &quot;a dedicated supporter of the National Alliance (NA), the once premier neo-Nazi organisation in the United States, for decades&quot;. 
 
It said that he had spent more than $620 (550 euros) on reading material from the National Alliance, a group which called for the creation of an all-white homeland and eradication of the Jewish people. 
 
The Daily Telegraph newspaper also reported that Mair was a subscriber to S. A. Patriot, a South African magazine published by the pro-apartheid group the White Rhino Club. 
 
A 2006 blog posting attributed to the group, which describes the magazine&#39;s editorial stance as being against multiculturalism, named him as one of its earliest subscribers. 
 
- &#39;Socially isolated&#39; - 
Mair&#39;s half-brother Duane St Louis, 41, expressed his disbelief at suggestions of his far-right leanings. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s never expressed any views about Britain, or politics or racist tendencies. I&#39;m mixed race and I&#39;m his half-brother, we got on well,&quot; he was widely quoted as saying. 
 
In 2010, Mair spoke to the local Huddersfield Examiner newspaper about his mental health issues. 
 
The report said he volunteered at Oakwell Hall country park, a stately home and gardens nearby, after being a patient at a day centre for adults with mental illness. 
 
&quot;I can honestly say it (the work) has done me more good than all the psychotherapy and medication in the world,&quot; Mair was reported as saying. 
 
&quot;Many people who suffer from mental illness are socially isolated and disconnected from society, feelings of worthlessness are also common, mainly caused by long-term unemployment.&quot; 
 
Neighbours said that Mair had never had a full-time job, and lived in the council house that he had once shared with his grandmother, who died about 20 years ago. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s lived there longer than me and I&#39;ve lived here since 1975. I still can&#39;t believe it. He&#39;s the last guy I would have thought of,&quot; Pickles was quoted as saying by the Press Association news agency. 
 
Mair&#39;s brother Scott expressed his condolences to Cox&#39;s family, while Mair&#39;s mother Mary, 69, was also struggling to make sense of what happened. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t understand it, I just don&#39;t understand it,&quot; she was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying. 
(AFP)</div>

Neighbours describe the 52-year-old suspect, named by the British media as Thomas Mair, as socially isolated

The man arrested over the murder of British MP Jo Cox was described by neighbours as a friendly loner who helped them with their gardening, but allegedly had ties to white supremacists and battled mental illness. Police confirmed a 52-year-old was in custody over Thursday's attack in the Yorkshire village of Birstall. He was named by British media as Thomas Mair and he had lived in social housing nearby for the past 40 years. "He is just a quiet bloke who keeps to himself," neighbour Kathleen Cooke, 62, was quoted as saying in several newspapers. Another neighbour, David Pickles, 62, was quoted as saying he was "a bit of a loner, but I could not say he was unfriendly", adding that he was "a man of few words". The description seems at odds with the frenzied nature of the attack on Cox, who eyewitnesses said was shot three times, and then stabbed as she lay bleeding on the pavement. Mair's brother Scott, 50, told The Sun tabloid that he was "struggling to believe what has happened". "My brother is not a violent man and is not that political. We don't even know who he votes for. I am visibly shaken at this news," he said. He confirmed that his brother had mental health problems, and the suspect himself spoke about these in an interview with a local newspaper in 2010. But evidence has also emerged of Mair's links to white nationalist movements in the United States and South Africa. The Southern Poverty Law Centre, a US civil rights group, said it had found records suggesting Mair was "a dedicated supporter of the National Alliance (NA), the once premier neo-Nazi organisation in the United States, for decades". It said that he had spent more than $620 (550 euros) on reading material from the National Alliance, a group which called for the creation of an all-white homeland and eradication of the Jewish people. The Daily Telegraph newspaper also reported that Mair was a subscriber to S. A. Patriot, a South African magazine published by the pro-apartheid group the White Rhino Club. A 2006 blog posting attributed to the group, which describes the magazine's editorial stance as being against multiculturalism, named him as one of its earliest subscribers. - 'Socially isolated' - Mair's half-brother Duane St Louis, 41, expressed his disbelief at suggestions of his far-right leanings. "He's never expressed any views about Britain, or politics or racist tendencies. I'm mixed race and I'm his half-brother, we got on well," he was widely quoted as saying. In 2010, Mair spoke to the local Huddersfield Examiner newspaper about his mental health issues. The report said he volunteered at Oakwell Hall country park, a stately home and gardens nearby, after being a patient at a day centre for adults with mental illness. "I can honestly say it (the work) has done me more good than all the psychotherapy and medication in the world," Mair was reported as saying. "Many people who suffer from mental illness are socially isolated and disconnected from society, feelings of worthlessness are also common, mainly caused by long-term unemployment." Neighbours said that Mair had never had a full-time job, and lived in the council house that he had once shared with his grandmother, who died about 20 years ago. "He's lived there longer than me and I've lived here since 1975. I still can't believe it. He's the last guy I would have thought of," Pickles was quoted as saying by the Press Association news agency. Mair's brother Scott expressed his condolences to Cox's family, while Mair's mother Mary, 69, was also struggling to make sense of what happened. "I don't understand it, I just don't understand it," she was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying. (AFP)

British MP murder suspect 'friendly loner', was battling mental illness

Britain has been left deeply shocked after&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;member of&nbsp;Parliament&nbsp;Jo Cox was murdered on the streets of her constituency. She died after she was shot at least two times and stabbed in West Yorkshire.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The 41-year-old politician was kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in&nbsp;Birstall, near Leeds,&nbsp;an eyewitness said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A second witness reported three shots&nbsp;including one &quot;round the head area&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
She was married with two young daughters aged three and five. Her husband, Brendan Cox, said in a statement that his wife &quot;believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He also urged people to &quot;fight against the hatred that killed her&quot;. &quot;Hate doesn&#39;t have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A fifty-two-year-old man has been arrested over the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy&nbsp;Mair. He was described by&nbsp;neighbours&nbsp;as&nbsp;a loner who never had a full-time job and had suffered mental illness in the past.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
British Prime Minister&nbsp;David Cameron paid tribute to the&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;politician saying, &nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q0wbnxAVRDw" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp; 
Labour&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Jeremy&nbsp;Corbyn&nbsp;said the country will be &quot;in shock at the horrific murder&quot; and said that&nbsp;Ms&nbsp;Cox was a &quot;much loved colleague&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The EU referendum Remain and Leave campaigns suspended their activities for Thursday and Friday as a result of the attack&nbsp;and David Cameron cancelled a pro-EU rally in Gibraltar.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Incredibly sad to hear shocking news about Jo Cox. All my thoughts with Brendan and their children
&mdash; George Osborne (@George_Osborne) <a href="https://twitter.com/George_Osborne/status/743478309338636288">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Extremely sad news of the murder of Jo Cox MP, killed whilst serving her constituents, thinking of all who knew her
&mdash; Chloe Smith (@NorwichChloe) <a href="https://twitter.com/NorwichChloe/status/743487945802399745">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hoping, praying and thinking of Jo, Brendan and the children. GB
&mdash; Gordon &amp; Sarah Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeGSBrown/status/743441830713384960">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Absolutely devastated at Jo Cox death, a beautiful person, a wonderful caring and decent person, R.I.P. friend <a href="https://t.co/LdKMlYOM0c">pic.twitter.com/LdKMlYOM0c</a>
&mdash; Angela Rayner MP (@AngelaRayner) <a href="https://twitter.com/AngelaRayner/status/743485648854728704">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Absolutely devastating news that the wonderful, beautiful &amp; brilliant <a href="https://twitter.com/Jo_Cox1">@Jo_Cox1</a> has died. All my thoughts are with Brendan &amp; her children
&mdash; Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucyMPowell/status/743477884531138560">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Please pray for our friend Jo Cox and her lovely staff and wonderful family x
&mdash; Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) <a href="https://twitter.com/wesstreeting/status/743437508743172096">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

She was shot, stabbed, kicked, and left lying bleeding on a pavement

Britain has been left deeply shocked after Labour member of Parliament Jo Cox was murdered on the streets of her constituency. She died after she was shot at least two times and stabbed in West Yorkshire. The 41-year-old politician was kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in Birstall, near Leeds, an eyewitness said. A second witness reported three shots including one "round the head area". She was married with two young daughters aged three and five. Her husband, Brendan Cox, said in a statement that his wife "believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life". He also urged people to "fight against the hatred that killed her". "Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous." A fifty-two-year-old man has been arrested over the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy Mair. He was described by neighbours as a loner who never had a full-time job and had suffered mental illness in the past. Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting. British Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the Labour politician saying, "We've lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country will be "in shock at the horrific murder" and said that Ms Cox was a "much loved colleague". The EU referendum Remain and Leave campaigns suspended their activities for Thursday and Friday as a result of the attack and David Cameron cancelled a pro-EU rally in Gibraltar. Incredibly sad to hear shocking news about Jo Cox. All my thoughts with Brendan and their children — George Osborne (@George_Osborne) June 16, 2016 Extremely sad news of the murder of Jo Cox MP, killed whilst serving her constituents, thinking of all who knew her — Chloe Smith (@NorwichChloe) June 16, 2016 Hoping, praying and thinking of Jo, Brendan and the children. GB — Gordon & Sarah Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) June 16, 2016 Absolutely devastated at Jo Cox death, a beautiful person, a wonderful caring and decent person, R.I.P. friend pic.twitter.com/LdKMlYOM0c — Angela Rayner MP (@AngelaRayner) June 16, 2016 Absolutely devastating news that the wonderful, beautiful & brilliant @Jo_Cox1 has died. All my thoughts are with Brendan & her children — Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) June 16, 2016 Please pray for our friend Jo Cox and her lovely staff and wonderful family x — Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) June 16, 2016

Kingdom united in grief after death of anti-Brexit MP Jo Cox

Tearful residents laid flowers to their local MP, Jo Cox, on Thursday in the normally quiet Yorkshire village where the 41-year-old mother of two was gunned down, as armed police patrolled the area. 
 
As Britain struggled to comprehend a murder that has cast a shadow over next week&#39;s EU vote, investigators sealed off the home of the suspect -- named in the media as Thomas Mair -- and carried out a forensic search of his garden. 
 
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Cox&#39;s Labour Party, was expected in Birstall later on Friday after paying tribute to Cox at a vigil outside Parliament on Thursday. 
 
&quot;She grew up in this community, she lived for this community, she served this community, and in the end she gave her life for this community,&quot; Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Huddersfield, told residents. 
 
Dozens of floral tributes could be seen at the foot of a statue in Birstall, a large village in a district of around 16,000 inhabitants. 
 
&quot;My heart breaks for your children. So many of your constituents are proud to have called you their MP. Our whole country is hurting right now,&quot; read one handwritten note left with the flowers. 
 
&quot;Jo, what a vile and tragic day,&quot; read another. 
 
Hichem Ben Abdallah, an eyewitness to the shooting who had campaigned in the last election alongside Cox, told AFP he was still in shock at the killing, the first murder of a serving British MP since the Irish Republican Army killed Ian Gow with a car bomb in 1990. 
 
&quot;She stood for peace and transparency, fighting corruption, wanted justice for all. I think her flame will carry on,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I hope we learn lessons from this,&quot; he added. 
 
Cox, a former charity worker who was only elected to Parliament last year, was best known for her campaigning in favour of refugee rights and for Britain staying in the European Union (EU). 
 
She grew up in the area and made an impassioned maiden speech in parliament about the ethnic diversity of her local community, which saw an influx of migrants from Ireland and the Indian subcontinent when it was a hub for the English textile industry. 
 
Sitting outside a local sports and social club, Stephen Lees said of the attack: &quot;It&#39;s atrocious. It&#39;s not something you expect around here. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not sunk in properly yet.&quot; 
 
In London, mourners laid flowers on the roof of the house boat where Cox lived with her husband and two young children, next to Tower Bridge. 
 
Anne Wainwright, who lived alongside, told mourners: &quot;We have lost a dear, dear friend in the most tragic and outrageous circumstances.&quot; 
 
&quot;We pay tribute to our amazing, wonderful and spirited member of this community -- a beacon of hope who believed in love, friendship and values that we all so much need at this time. 
 
&quot;The community will continue to be inspired by her relentless energy and her commitment to all that is good.&quot;&nbsp; 
(AFP)

'Jo, what a vile and tragic day,' was one of the messages left for Jo cox at the foot of a statue in Birstall where she was killed

Tearful residents laid flowers to their local MP, Jo Cox, on Thursday in the normally quiet Yorkshire village where the 41-year-old mother of two was gunned down, as armed police patrolled the area. As Britain struggled to comprehend a murder that has cast a shadow over next week's EU vote, investigators sealed off the home of the suspect -- named in the media as Thomas Mair -- and carried out a forensic search of his garden. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Cox's Labour Party, was expected in Birstall later on Friday after paying tribute to Cox at a vigil outside Parliament on Thursday. "She grew up in this community, she lived for this community, she served this community, and in the end she gave her life for this community," Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Huddersfield, told residents. Dozens of floral tributes could be seen at the foot of a statue in Birstall, a large village in a district of around 16,000 inhabitants. "My heart breaks for your children. So many of your constituents are proud to have called you their MP. Our whole country is hurting right now," read one handwritten note left with the flowers. "Jo, what a vile and tragic day," read another. Hichem Ben Abdallah, an eyewitness to the shooting who had campaigned in the last election alongside Cox, told AFP he was still in shock at the killing, the first murder of a serving British MP since the Irish Republican Army killed Ian Gow with a car bomb in 1990. "She stood for peace and transparency, fighting corruption, wanted justice for all. I think her flame will carry on," he said. "I hope we learn lessons from this," he added. Cox, a former charity worker who was only elected to Parliament last year, was best known for her campaigning in favour of refugee rights and for Britain staying in the European Union (EU). She grew up in the area and made an impassioned maiden speech in parliament about the ethnic diversity of her local community, which saw an influx of migrants from Ireland and the Indian subcontinent when it was a hub for the English textile industry. Sitting outside a local sports and social club, Stephen Lees said of the attack: "It's atrocious. It's not something you expect around here. "It's not sunk in properly yet." In London, mourners laid flowers on the roof of the house boat where Cox lived with her husband and two young children, next to Tower Bridge. Anne Wainwright, who lived alongside, told mourners: "We have lost a dear, dear friend in the most tragic and outrageous circumstances." "We pay tribute to our amazing, wonderful and spirited member of this community -- a beacon of hope who believed in love, friendship and values that we all so much need at this time. "The community will continue to be inspired by her relentless energy and her commitment to all that is good." (AFP)

English village in shock after British MP's murder

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