At least 17 people were injured, one of them critically, when an elephant lost his cool during a temple festival in Kerala’s Malappuram district late last night.

Hundreds had gathered at the Puthiyangadi festival at Tirur. Visuals show at least five elephants adorned with golden plates at the festival as people in the crowd tried to film them. Suddenly, one of them becomes agitated and charges into the crowd as the mahout struggles to control it. This elephant, named Pakkathu Sreekuttan, is then seen lifting a man and swinging him in the air before flinging him away.

The condition of the man is critical, according to reports, and he is being treated at a hospital in Kotakkal. Visuals captured the panic in the crowd as people struggled to run to safety. Most injuries were the result of the stampede-like situation due to the panic.

Some men were seen trying to restrain the elephant with chains. It took nearly two hours to bring the elephant under control.

Sharmistha Mukherjee has slammed the Congress for not welcoming a memorial dedicated to her father, Pranab Mukherjee, calling it an insult to the Constitution.

The opposition is referring to One Nation, One Election (ONOP) as anti-democratic because they believe it undermines the principles of democracy and could lead to a concentration of power. One of the concerns is that voters may get confused between Lok Sabha and Assembly candidates, with 39% of respondents in a survey sharing this concern.Key Concerns of the Opposition:- Concentration of Power: ONOP could lead to a situation where one party dominates both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, reducing the representation of opposition voices.- Loss of Regional Identity: Simultaneous elections might lead to a focus on national issues, overshadowing regional concerns and identities.- Undermining Federalism: ONOP could be seen as an attack on India’s federal structure, where states have a significant degree of autonomy.The opposition argues that these concerns are valid and that ONOP could have far-reaching implications for India’s democratic fabric. Anand Narasimhan | n18oc_india News18 Mobile App – https://onelink.to/desc-youtube