Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and former Chief Minister of Bihar has slammed Nitish Kumar over his remark in the ongoing Assembly session. This came after Nitish Kumar lost his cool and said that his “stupidity” had led his former protege Manjhi to occupy the highest seat of power in the state.

On Thursday, while speaking to the media, Mr Manjhi said that the Bihar Chief Minister had lost his mental balance and underestimated him.

“…I wanted to get up and speak (in the Assembly) but the Chief Minister got up and started saying nonsense. I was surprised if this was the same Nitish Kumar who was there a few days back. It seemed that he was here today in a different form. I think he has some mental weaknesses which is why he is saying this…I think he has lost his mental balance so he is saying this…He had underestimated Jitan Ram Manjhi. He thought that I belonged to Bhuiya-Mushar community and I will do whatever he says…” he said.

Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar, in a fit of rage said that it was his stupidity that that had led to Manjhi to be the Chief Minister of the state.

“..It was my mistake that I made this person CM…My party people started saying after two months that there was some problem, remove him… Then I became (Chief Minister)… He keeps on saying that he was Chief Minister… He became Chief Minister because of my stupidity,” Mr Kumar screamed during the discussion on the Reservation Amendment Bill, causing commotion in the House.

It came after Mr Manjhi who is now with the opposition BJP-led NDA, rose to express doubts over the state government’s caste survey.

However, speaking about the same, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav said that hurling allegations at each other is the nature of the politics.

“It is the nature of politics that people hurl allegations at each other. It was Nitish Kumar who made Jitan Ram Manjhi the Chief Minister of Bihar. On the other hand, BJP wants to divert the attention of people from the Bill that was passed in the Assembly today,” Deputy CM said.

The Delhi government has decided to bear the entire cost of artificial rain for combating hazardous air pollution in the city and directed the chief secretary to present the government’s views before the Supreme Court on Friday, officials said.

If the Centre supports the decision, the Delhi government can arrange for first artificial rain in the city by November 20, they said on Thursday.

“In a significant development, the Delhi government has decided to bear the cost of artificial rain that could be made to happen by November 20 if the Centre extends its support to the Delhi government,” said a senior government functionary.

The Kejriwal government has plans to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding to combat air pollution in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday.

Mr Rai held a meeting with scientists from IIT-Kanpur who explained that cloud seeding can only be attempted when there are clouds or moisture in the atmosphere.

“Experts anticipate that such conditions could develop around November 20-21. We have asked the scientists to prepare a proposal by Thursday that will be submitted to the Supreme Court,” the minister told reporters.

Mr Rai emphasised that obtaining the necessary clearances and permissions for using this technology from both the central and the state governments is a time-sensitive matter.

India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told PTI that inducing artificial rain can only be attempted when there are clouds or moisture available.

Artificial rain through cloud seeding involves dispersing substances into the air to encourage condensation, resulting in precipitation. The most common substances used for cloud seeding include silver iodide, potassium iodide and dry ice (solid carbon dioxide). These agents provide the nuclei around which water vapour can condense, ultimately leading to the formation of rain or snow.

This weather modification technique has been utilised in various parts of the world, primarily in regions experiencing water scarcity or drought conditions.

However, the effectiveness and environmental impact of cloud seeding remain subjects of ongoing research and discussion.

An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 on the Richter Scale hit Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at 6:24 p.m. at a depth of 10 kilometres.

“Earthquake of Magnitude:3.1, Occurred on 09-11-2023, 18:24:03 IST, Lat: 27.34 & Long: 92.18, Depth: 10 Km, Location: West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh”, said the NCS in a post on ‘X’.

Earthquake of Magnitude:3.1, Occurred on 09-11-2023, 18:24:03 IST, Lat: 27.34 & Long: 92.18, Depth: 10 Km ,Location: West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, India for more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/BfYAQh9hPm@Indiametdept @ndmaindia @Dr_Mishra1966 @KirenRijiju pic.twitter.com/KreIuaabYD

— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) November 9, 2023

Earlier, an earthquake of magnitude 3.6 hit North Bengal on Wednesday morning.

The tremors were felt around 10 am in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district.