Wayanad voters refute Anurag Singh Thakur’s fraud claims
Kozhikode: Several voters in Wayanad rejected BJP leader Anurag Thakur’s allegations of voter list fraud in the constituency. On Wednesday, Thakur held a news conference in Delhi and claimed that 4,246 voters of different religions were registered at the same house in Wayanad, which is represented by Priyanka Gandhi and was earlier represented by Rahul Gandhi. Among those named, two voters from Chaunderi in Kalpetta assembly segment said Thakur’s claims were completely false. He had cited them as examples of people from different religions living in the same house. Thakur had cited the case of Valliyamma (72) daughter of Somasundaram and Mariyam, daughter of Abdul Karim, as examples of voters of multiple religions registered in house number ‘o/ Chaunderi’ under booth 41 of Kalpetta. Both families added that Valliyamma and Mariyam, both elderly people, were living in separate houses. “Chaunderi is the name of our village. We were born and raised here. Many in the village use the place name as their house name. That doesn’t mean we live in one house,” said retired revenue department official K Vadivelu, who is the son-in-law of Valliyamma. Valliyamma’s daughter said that her mother had voted in all elections. “Mariyam is my mother’s childhood friend. She belongs to a different community and lives in another house at Keeripettakunnu. I don’t know how this allegation cropped up,” she said. Mariyam, whose house is located 1km away, rejected Thakur’s allegation. “Valliyamma is living in her house and I have my own,” she said. Also two other voters in Thiruvambady assembly constituency – Shahina and Madhavan V T – who were cited by BJP as examples of voters of multiple religions registered in the house named Vallikattummal in booth 24 rejected the allegation. “There are several families in ward-18 with the house name Vallikattummal. There are around 150 families with the same house name and they belong to all religions. For instance in our ward there is Vilasini, Mary, Shabeer and Gopalan and their house name is Vallikattummal,” said Shahina. Madhavan, who lives 3km away from Shahina’s home, rejected BJP’s allegation. Thakur had alleged that there were 20,438 duplicate voters in Wayanad. To substantiate his allegation, he mentioned Maimoona from Ernad assembly constituency, claiming she was registered as a voter in booths 135, 115, and 152. However, the three women named Maimoona are different individuals living in separate panchayats. Maimoona of booth 115 said that her father’s name was Vellipadan Muhammed and her husband was Mangalan Alavi. ” I voted in the booth at Thamburankunnungal all these years and have not voted anywhere else,” she said. The other two Maimoonas also refuted Thakur’s charges. Kalpetta MLA T Siddique rejected Thakur’s allegations and accused Election Commission (EC) of providing BJP with access to a digital electoral roll. Siddique asked whether EC, which served a notice to Rahul Gandhi over a news conference, would take action against Thakur for making false accusations. Siddique said Thakur has committed a criminal offence Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
PM Narendra Modi breaks Indira Gandhi’s record with 12 consecutive Independence Day speeches
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has overtaken Indira Gandhi’s record for the most consecutive Independence Day speeches from the Red Fort, delivering his 12th in a row on Friday. Only Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, has given more consecutive speeches — 17 between 1947 and 1963. Indira Gandhi, who served two terms between 1966-77 and 1980-84, addressed the nation 16 times in total, with 11 of those being consecutive. Modi, who first spoke from the Red Fort in 2014, had last year broken Manmohan Singh’s record of 11 consecutive addresses. Singh served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014. Other leaders have had shorter runs. Lal Bahadur Shastri spoke twice, Morarji Desai and PV Narasimha Rao each for four years and Atal Bihari Vajpayee for six years during his tenure from 1998 to 2004. In 2023, Modi also set a record for the longest Independence Day speech — 98 minutes. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Internal quota: Congress’ Dalit leaders resolve to amicably settle issue
After the session proceedings On Wednesday, the leaders met at Home Minister Parameshwara’s residence to iron out differences that have arisen after the Das Commission decided to divide the 17% reservation for SCs amongst five sub-categories. Bengaluru: Ahead of the special Cabinet meeting on Saturday (August 16) to decide on the Nagamohan Das Commission report on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Dalit ministers and MLAs of the ruling Congress on Wednesday decided to amicably resolve the issue After the session proceedings on Wednesday, the leaders met at Home Minister Parameshwara’s residence to iron out differences that have arisen after the Das Commission decided to divide the 17 per cent reservation for SCs amongst five sub-categories. Since the SC (Left) / Madiga community has been allotted 6 per cent, the SC (Right)/ Holeya (5 per cent) and the Bhovi, Banjara, Korma and Korcha/ ‘touchable’ communities (4.5 per cent) are said to be unsatisfied with the proposals. According to sources, everyone has agreed that no community has to suffer. Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa, Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa, Backward Classes Welfare Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi attended the meeting. IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge and RB Thimmapur were not present but are said to have conveyed that they will stand by the majority’s decision. Sujay B M Courtesy : DH Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanherald.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Rahul Gandhi takes EC dig over tea with ‘dead voters’
NEW DELHI: Sharpening his criticism of the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday remarked that he had had the unique experience of having tea with some “dead” voters from Bihar. Rahul and other INDIA bloc netas are all set to embark on a ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ starting Aug 17, to make the “battle against vote chori a mass movement”. Congress said, “Seven voters in Bihar, all very much alive, shared tea with Rahul Gandhi today – even as the Election Commission’s SIR lists them as ‘dead’.” “There have been many interesting experiences in life, but I never got the chance to have tea with ‘dead people’. For this unique experience, thank you Election Commission!” Rahul said on X. Congress said they voters, who belong to RJD MP Tejashwi Yadav’s constituency of Raghopur, were removed from the electoral rolls despite having completed the requisite paperwork. Congress also hit back at BJP for its claim of irregularities on seats contested by some top opposition netas, with Pawan Khera telling PTI the data shared points to the governing party’s collusion with EC and demanding that 2024 Lok Sabha polls be considered “null and void”. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Supriya Sule backs Rahul Gandhi on ‘voter discrepancies’ in poll rolls, seeks discussions in Parliament
Pune: NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Wednesday came out in support of Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s “vote theft” claim and sought a detailed discussion in Parliament over the alleged discrepancies in electoral lists. “Rahul Gandhi has not made some mere allegations, but has brought to the for facts about discrepancies in the voters’ list. Based on this, we are demanding an explanation from the Election Commission of India,” she said. Supriya was among the 300 MPs who took part in the “long march” to the ECI’s office on Aug 11, and they were stopped midway by Delhi police. “We took out the march in a peaceful and democratic manner, but we were stopped. We have been demanding a discussion in Parliament on the issue of voters’ list discrepancies. But it is not happening. There should be discussions on important issues in a healthy democracy. However, when opposition members try to speak in the House, their microphones are being switched off,” Supriya said during a media interaction in Baramati on Wednesday. After Rahul Gandhi’s claim of “vote theft”, NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar said that two people had approached him to ensure victory at 160 seats in the state Assembly polls. Speaking on the issue, Supriya said: “He (Sharad Pawar) has issued a statement, not made any allegations. We, as the Opposition, are only demanding that the entire election process should be transparent. Every person has an equal right to one vote each. But if there are multiple registrations, the ECI should clarify.” The Baramati MP also reacted to the tariffs imposed by the US President on India. “The way the govt had roped in Opposition members to put forward the country’s stand on Operation Sindoor in various countries, why can’t it do the same on the tariff issue?” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Cong launches statewide protest from Jaipur against ‘vote theft’
Jaipur: In a spirited demonstration Wednesday, Congress workers, including a significant number of women, took to the streets chanting slogans like “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” and “Rahul Gandhi Zindabad.” The march, which started from the party’s state headquarters near Chandpole and concluded at the Shaheed Smarak on MI Road, aimed to support allegations of “vote theft” made by Rahul Gandhi against the Election Commission of India (ECI). Carrying hundreds of national and party flags, banners and placards, the protest saw volunteers actively distributing leaflets explaining its purpose. Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra led the charge, asserting, “Today we began a state-level protest after Gandhi provided evidence of vote manipulation, not just allegations. We will continue demonstrations at district and local levels.” Dotasra accused the ECI of denying data requests related to BJP’s electoral victories in various constituencies, stating, “BJP’s wins in Jaipur Rural, Bhilwara, Rajsamand and in bypolls like Jhunjhunu, Ramgarh and Deoli-Uniara followed a clear pattern — missing names of voters who traditionally support Congress.” The protest saw a large turnout of party workers, bolstered by the presence of senior politicians, including former CM Ashok Gehlot, opposition leader Tikaram Jully and Tonk MLA Sachin Pilot, showcasing unity within the party’s state leadership. The demonstration followed Gandhi’s recent detention during a march in Delhi, which included other opposition leaders. Gehlot remarked, “The protests in Delhi sent a nationwide message about vote theft. This protest is to protect democracy and will continue until the election commission provides the requested data.” Other leaders echoed the sentiment, with Jully asserting that opposition votes were being suppressed. Traffic on MI Road was disrupted for nearly an hour due to the protest but it concluded peacefully at the Shaheed Smarak, with heavy police presence ensuring no major incidents occurred. Dotasra announced plans for similar protests and candle marches across Rajasthan in the coming days. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Karnataka: Rajanna’s sacking threatens ‘pro-Dalit’ stance of Congress, credibility of Siddaramaiah
The sacking of Karnataka cooperation minister K.N. Rajanna, a Scheduled Caste leader, has plunged the Siddaramaiah government into a political crisis The sacking of Karnataka cooperation minister K.N. Rajanna, a Scheduled Caste leader from Tumakuru, on the first day of the monsoon session of the state legislature, has the Siddaramaiah government on the back foot as the BJP claimed that the Congress party is showing its “true anti-Dalit” face. The saffron party dubbed the removal of two Dalit ministers—B Nagendra over allegations of corruption in the Valmiki Corporation scam and now Rajanna for refusing to toe the line of the party on the vote theft charges—as “Dalit victimisation”. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah removing Rajanna, one of his close aides, from the cabinet on Monday, reportedly following orders from the party high command, has raised questions over Siddaramaiah’s own position and the stifling of Dalit voices within the party. While Rajanna’s unceremonious removal from the cabinet is being attributed to his recent comments on the voter fraud that directly challenged LOP in Parliament Rahul Gandhi’s claims and narrative on the “vote theft”, Rajanna’s alleging a “conspiracy” against him for his sacking, has put the government and the party in a tight spot. “When was the voter list made? It was made when we (Congress) were in power. What’s the point of discussing it now? It is true that there have been illegalities and we should be ashamed as they took place right before our eyes. We should have examined when the draft electoral rolls were out. There has been voter fraud in Mahadevapura like duplicate voting, bulk voters in a single address. But it was our responsibility as the party and the government to file objections to the draft rolls,” Rajanna had responded on the voter fraud issue, even as the Congress party had launched a national-level “Vote Chori” campaign, squarely accusing the Election Commission of “colluding” with the ruling BJP at the Centre for the vote. After his sacking, Rajanna told the media that there was a “conspiracy” against him and he would reveal everything at an appropriate time. “There has been a misunderstanding, and I will explain it to Rahul Gandhi and K.C. Venugopal. It is the party’s decision and we cannot question it,” said Rajanna, even as his son and MLC Rajendra turned emotional and rushed to meet the chief minister after the sacking was made official by the governor’s office on Monday evening. BJP trains guns on state govt On Tuesday, LOP in Assembly MLA R. Ashok said, “Rajanna has been punished for speaking the truth and busting Rahul Gandhi’s false narrative.” State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that the Congress constantly tried to silence the Dalit leaders in the party. “In Congress, truth is treated as a threat, especially when it comes from a leader of a marginalised community whose voice they have long tried to silence. The pattern is clear. In the case of ST Welfare Minister Nagendra, funds earmarked for the development of the community were siphoned off to finance Congress’s election expenses. Instead of holding the CM and DCM D.K. Shivakumar accountable, the blame was placed entirely on Nagendra, and the matter was quietly closed,” said Vijayendra. Referring to the Congress leadership stalling the Dalit ministers’ dinner meeting organised by Home Minister G. Parameshwara recently, Vijayendra accused the Congress high command of “dictating” what the SC/ST ministers could do or not do. “Even when SC/ST MLAs and ministers gather informally for a meal, the high command dictates that such meetings cannot happen without their physical presence, as though leaders from these communities cannot meet independently. This is the true face of Congress—anti-Dalit, anti-ST, anti-democratic and anti-truth,” mocked the BJP leader. The BJP further said Siddaramaiah, who claims to champion the ‘Ahinda’ (minorities, dalit and backward classes) stands exposed. “This has exposed the hollow claims of Siddaramaiah as he has never defended the Ahinda when targeted. Instead, he bows to the diktats of the Delhi High Command to safeguard his own position as the chief minister,” alleged Vijayendra. Interestingly, Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad, an OBC leader and a vocal critic of Siddaramaiah, said, “When you are in politics, one has to face conspiracies, especially if you are from the SC, ST or OBC communities. This is a lesson for Rajanna. But I am sure he will not remain mum. I have known him since his Youth Congress days.” BJP leader from Valmiki (ST) community B. Sriramulu said Rajanna was dropped from the cabinet for his “straight forward” and “harsh” words. “The CM dropping him from the cabinet, yielding to pressure from some invisible hands, is an insult to the Valmiki community,” he said. In June 2024, Nagendra was forced to resign from the cabinet after the Valmiki Corporation scam—misappropriation (diversion) of Rs 187 crore allegedly to fund the Telangana assembly polls—was exposed. Nagendra was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in July under money laundering charges and released on bail in October. The BJP has claimed that Nagendra was made the fall guy though the alleged scam was about the diversion of funds for elections. The opposition parties had demanded the chief minister, who is the finance minister, to resign. Following the Stadium stampede incident that claimed 11 lives, the BJP had strongly condemned the suspension of then Bengaluru police commissioner B. Dayananda (also belonging to ST community), and accused the Siddaramaiah government of making the top cops the political “scapegoats”, even as the citizens, retired cops, and Dalit organisations expressed their dismay over the suspension of an efficient and upright officer. Congress: A divided house The removal of both Nagendra and Rajanna from the cabinet, against Siddaramaiah’s will, has exposed the widening rift between the warring factions in the ruling party. The Shivakumar faction seems to have an upper hand. The high command not only stopped the various events organised by Siddaramaiah loyalists meant to bolster the image of the CM, but also stalled the implementation of the old caste survey (Kantharaj Commission report)
Akhilesh snubs EC for SIR in Bihar
Ranchi: Former UP CM and national president of Samajwadi Party (SP), Akhilesh Yadav, on Tuesday hit out at the Election Commission again over the timing of the special intensive revision (SIR), which has led to an impasse both inside Parliament and outside on the streets. On Rahul Gandhi’s alleged exposé over the voters’ list last week and the EC asking him to submit the claims under an affidavit, Yadav said, “The affidavit which EC is asking Rahul Gandhi today, we (Samajwadi Party) had already done so before the poll panel two years ago on the deletion of voters but till date there has been no action.” “BJP is now resorting to vote theft, wants to snatch the right to vote from the people through the EC,” he claimed while talking to reporters outside the Ranchi airport before heading to Nemra to pay tributes to JMM founder Shibu Soren, who died on August 4. Several VVIPs and VIPs have been visiting Nemra to pay their tributes to the ‘Dishom Guru’. Notably, chief minister Hemant Soren and his entire family are currently camping at their ancestral house in Nemra for the shradha rituals, which will take place on August 16. Yadav, who is also an MP, further said, “BJP’s tactics have been to conspire and plot when they don’t have answers to credible and basic questions. Ahead of the Bihar assembly election, when it realised that they are on a sticky wicket, it is now conspiring to manipulate votes,” he claimed. The SP president added, “SIR could have been brought in a year ago, but the reason it was introduced now ahead of the Bihar polls is to rob lakhs of people of their voting rights as part of its conspiracy.” In Nemra, Yadav met Hemant, wife Kalpana, late Shibu’s wife Roopi and other family members to offer his condolences. Taking to X after the meeting, Yadav wrote: “The life of Guruji (Shibu Soren) was full of struggle. He struggled for the rights of his people, tribal brothers and sisters, and issues of the community throughout his life. He saw political ups and downs for jal, jungle, jameen, but he did not get disappointed. He left behind a political lineage to his son Hemant Soren. We need to take it forward.” Meanwhile, Nemra is gearing up for the mega congregation of political leaders during the shradha rituals. The nondescript village is fast witnessing basic infrastructural developments as the administration has laid a PCC road leading to the hamlet, besides constructing around four helipads for ease of landing of the VVIPs. The administration has also installed a mobile phone tower among other facilities. Administrative sources said once again, Nemra is set to witness a sea of crowds on August 16, and various teams have been formed to ensure proper law and order, and other requirements. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Youth Congress activists stop express train at Aurangabad to protest against police action on Rahul Gandhi
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A group of local activists from the student wing of Congress briefly detained the Nagarsol-Narasapur Express train at Aurangabad railway station on Tuesday afternoon. The action was taken in protest against police measures targeting Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. The express arrived at Aurangabad railway station at around 2.10pm for a scheduled five-minute halt, during which approximately 35 activists from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) entered the station. While security forces attempted to prevent them from reaching the rail line, around eight NSUI activists climbed onto the train, shouting slogans against Centre. The police present at the scene quickly intervened and detained the activists, who were then taken to the railway police chowkey. Railway police registered an offence against eight NSUI activists, including district president Mohit Jadhav, under relevant sections of the Railways Act, 1989. All of them were released later after being served a notice under section 35(3) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Aurangabad station master Sunil Birare said the NSUI agitation did not impact the movement of trains. “The Nagarsol-Narasapur Express train had a scheduled departure from Aurangabad at 2.15 pm and left the station with a delay of only a minute. Movement of other trains was unaffected,” he said. Jadhav said the NSUI would intensify its agitation in support of Rahul Gandhi and the ‘Vote Chori’ agitation launched by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. “It is high time that we raise our voices against BJP govt in Centre to save democracy. Ours was a peaceful agitation to draw public attention to attempts to rig every poll,” he said. When contacted, Congress district president Kiran Patil Dongaonkar said he was unaware of the NSUI agitation at Aurangabad railway station. “The local unit of Congress held a protest on Monday to oppose the police detention of Rahul Gandhi. A section of NSUI activists were perhaps not present for Monday’s agitation and, therefore, held a separate protest at the railway station on Tuesday,” he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
2024 mandate stolen from Congress: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday told Congress that the “2024 mandate” was stolen from it, as the party finalised a three-stage campaign over two months to intensify its protest against “vote chori”, starting with a nationwide torchlight march on the eve of Independence Day. At a meeting of Congress office bearers chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul is said to have remarked that the Lok Sabha election results would have gone in favour of Congress but the party was robbed of it. He is said to have mentioned that Congress lost over 40 seats owing to voter list manipulation like his “expose” on the Mahadevapura assembly constituency in Bangalore Central LS seat. Sources said Congress was doing voter list analyses in many more seats. Rahul alluded to the possibility of more revelations, when he urged patience and told reporters, “picture abhi baaki hai”. “There is not just one seat (where there is ‘vote chori’) but a number of seats. This is being done at a national level and systematically. EC knows it and we know it too,” Rahul said. Congress will take out a “mashaal ma-rch” at every district headquarters on the night of Aug 14 targeting BJP over “manipulation of voters lists”. It will then hold rallies in all state capitals between Aug 22-Sept 7. From Sept 15-Oct 15, the party will run a massive signature campaign to “save the right to vote” and to “serve as a referendum against BJP’s destruction of democracy”. All three programmes will be titled “vote chor, gaddi chhod”. The meeting included Rahul, KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Sachin Pilot, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kumari Selja, Jitendra Singh, Randeep Surjewala, Avinash Pande, K Raju and Bhupesh Baghel, among others. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.