900 Kumbh visitors still missing, claims Akhilesh Yadav, seeks status on 'jobs' for bike riders
Lucknow, Mar 17 (PTI): Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has claimed that around 900 people who went missing at Maha Kumbh were yet to be found and challenged the state government to give a status on the matter to their families.
He also took a dig Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, saying that he wonders whether the government had any plans to give jobs to "four lakh youths" who were roped in to ferry the pilgrims to the Maha Kumbh on their motorcycles, as claimed by the CM.
"Our Chief Minister is an amazing man. He says four lakh youths having bikes were employed. And what commercial way have you adopted to allow business from bikes...It means that youths will get jobs after 144 years," Yadav said in Mahoba on Sunday.
The Maha Kumbh held this year was said to be a rare event occurring after 144 years due to celestial alignment.
Adityanath had earlier claimed that around four lakh civil service aspirants recovered the cost of a new motorcycle from the earnings of the ferrying business.
Yadav said there were still posters of more than 900 missing at hospitals, police stations, and public places, as he predicted a defeat of the BJP on the back of the downtrodden and marginalised.
"BJP will get worst defeat in future … They (BJP) could not understand the defeat they got in the Lok Sabha polls. Now PDA (Picchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) have started uniting," he said.
In a statement on Monday also, Yadav accused the BJP of creating a rift in society.
He alleged that the party ended the reservation of Anglo-Indians, brought black laws to trouble the farmers, troubled every citizen with demonetisation and created problems for small shopkeepers, traders and businessmen with GST.
"They played the politics of hate based on religion and caste and now they are doing the politics of Waqf," he said.
"PDA is the name of unity of 90 per cent of people. PDA is the shield of the Constitution and reservation. BJP is constantly conspiring against PDA. The PDA community understands the conspiracies of the BJP. It will once again teach a lesson to BJP in the coming elections," Yadav said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
