Akhilesh says bid to delete minority votes; seeks intervention of SC
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged a conspiracy to delete names of voters in Uttar Pradesh by misusing Form 7 and urged the Supreme Court to take immediate cognisance of the issue, saying “no other institution inspires confidence now”.
In a post on X, Yadav accused the BJP and its allies of “behaving like criminals” and claimed that booth level officers (BLOs) were being harassed, pressured and threatened to cut votes of the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) society, particularly minorities, on the basis of forged documents.
He also shared a video of a man claiming to be a BLO, who narrated his alleged harassment.
Form 7 is the form used by voters to either object to someone's inclusion in the electoral roll or request deletion of a name already listed.
Calling for urgent action, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister demanded an immediate halt to the alleged misuse of Form 7 and protection of every voter’s constitutional right to vote.
He sought registration of FIRs against those forcing BLOs, fast-track hearings, a ban on the use of Form 7 until a “valid mechanism” is put in place, cancellation of all Form 7 submissions made so far, and an immediate stop to claim-objection activities.
Yadav further demanded a judicial probe to identify “anti-national forces” allegedly active behind what he termed as a conspiracy to delete citizens’ votes.
He appealed to “honest journalists and officials” to come forward and join the fight against such forces.
Addressing "PDA Prahraris", made by the party to protect interest of the PDA community, Yadav urged them to remain vigilant in protecting every valid vote, collect evidence of alleged irregularities and prepare FIRs, asserting that the ruling party’s actions stem from “desperation over an impending defeat”.
In a separate post, Yadav described ‘PDA’ as a unifying idea born out of shared suffering, saying, “Those who are oppressed are PDA.”
He said the PDA society was now united and confident enough to seek its own government to usher in “social justice”, equal respect and opportunities, and shared prosperity.
Claiming that “negative politics” based on division had run its course, Yadav said people across communities troubled by alleged excesses and corruption under the BJP rule were increasingly aligning with what he called a “positive, progressive and harmonious PDA”, adding that “PDA is the new name of hope.”
PDA is a term coined by Yadav during the 2022 assembly polls for backwards, Dalits and minorities.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
