Lucknow (PTI): Calling the Bihar Assembly election results "surprising", Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Friday alleged that the "collusion" between the BJP and the Election Commission deprived lakhs of their right to vote, and that malpractice in the name of SIR must be exposed.

Rai made the statement as he addressed a seminar marking the birth anniversary of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the state Congress headquarters.

He claimed that the "collusion" between the BJP and the EC led to the removal of the names of lakhs of voters from the electoral rolls under the pretext of SIR, depriving them of their right to vote. He described it as a "direct attack" on democracy.

He cautioned that Assembly elections are due in Uttar Pradesh and claimed that similar issues could arise.

"We must remain vigilant and expose malpractice in the name of SIR. It is our responsibility to ensure voters' names remain on the rolls, and if needed, we will take to the streets. I will stand with you in this struggle," he told party workers.

Earlier, Rai, former ministers Raj Bahadur and Naseemuddin Siddiqui, and Indian Overseas Congress UP chairman Capt Banshidhar Mishra paid floral tributes to Nehru.

Rai said the country needs the vision and ideals of Nehru "now more than ever before."

According to a party statement, speakers at the event discussed Nehru's life and contributions. Rai said Nehru laid the foundations of modern India by promoting scientific thinking, democratic values, socialism, education and technological advancement.

"India's diversity, harmony and progress are possible only when we uphold equality, the Constitution and democratic principles," he said.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday. 

The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said. 

A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said. 

Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.

Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.

Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.

Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.

Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.

The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.

According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet. 

"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.