The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is spread over about 55 acres of land and was founded by Swati Tirunal Rama Varma, the ruler of Travancore.

Amid a debate on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that “Congress wants to snatch women’s Mangalsutra,” the Prime Minister reiterated on Tuesday that he had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people.

Addressing a public meeting here today, PM Modi said that his speech had created panic in the entire Congress and INDIA bloc.

“When I came to Rajasthan the day before yesterday, I had presented some truths before the country in my 90-second speech. This has created panic in the entire Congress and INDI alliance. I had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people. I exposed their vote bank and appeasement politics. After all, why is Congress so afraid of the truth?” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi also asked what would have happened if there was a Congress government at the centre after 2014.

“In 2014, you allowed Modi to serve in Delhi. Then the country made decisions that no one had even imagined. But think about what would have happened even after 2014 and even today if there was a Congress government in Delhi. Had Congress been there, stones would have been pelted at our forces in Jammu and Kashmir even today. Had Congress been there, the enemies would have come from across the border. Had Congress been there, neither One Rank One Pension would have been implemented for our soldiers nor would our ex-servicemen have received Rs 1 lakh crore,” he said.

Further, sharpening his attacks, PM Modi said that the thinking of Congress has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics.

“As soon as the Congress government was formed at the Centre in 2004, its first task was to reduce the reservation for SC/ST in Andhra Pradesh and give reservation to Muslims. This was a pilot project, which Congress wanted to try in the entire country. Between 2004 and 2010, Congress tried to implement Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh four times. But due to legal hurdles and the awareness of the Supreme Court, it could not fulfil its plans,” PM Modi said.

“The Constitution is completely against it. The right of reservation which Baba Saheb gave to Dalits, backward classes and tribals, Congress and INDI Alliance wanted to give it to Muslims based on religion. Amidst these conspiracies of Congress, Modi is today guaranteeing you from an open platform that reservations for Dalits, backward classes and tribals will neither be ended nor will be allowed to be divided in the name of religion. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A portion of an under-construction bridge in Telangana’s Peddapalli district collapsed on Monday night. Two concrete girders, out of five between two pillars about 100 feet apart, collapsed around 9.45 pm after a strong wind blew in the area. Locals apprehend the other three may give way soon too.

“Luckily, a marriage party of 65 people on a bus passed by just one minute earlier and escaped being crushed by the concrete,” Sirikonda Bakka Rao, who was sarpanch of Odedu village – 600 metres away, till his term lapsed two months ago, told NDTV.

The nearly one-kilometre bridge across the Manair river was inaugurated by the then Telangana assembly Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary and local MLA Putta Madhu in 2016 and nearly Rs 49 crore was sanctioned for it.

The work was meant to be completed in a year and was meant to reduce the distance between three towns – Manthani, Parakal and Jammikunta by about 50 km. The bridge was to connect Garmillapallu in Tekumatla mandal in Bhupalpalli to Odededu in Peddapalli.

The contractor had reportedly stopped the work within a year or two as he was under pressure for commissions and the government was not paying out his dues, locals said.

The same contractor had built a bridge in Vemulawada that was washed away during heavy rain in 2021, Mr Rao said.

The villagers had been using the same route, laying a mud road under the bridge, for the last five years.

“The cost of the project was escalated and last year another Rs 11 crore was added to the estimatd cost without even 60 per cent of the work being completed,” said Sandeep Rao, a local.