BJP intimidating people and asking them to vote in its favour, alleges Gujarat Cong chief
Ahmedabad (PTI): Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil on Wednesday alleged that the BJP was intimidating voters and asking them to either vote in its favour or refrain from voting in the Lok Sabha elections.
The ruling party in the state was misusing the government machinery to pressure the voters, he claimed.
The opposition party also released a phone number for voters to share the evidence, if they have any, against police or administrative officials trying to intimidate or pressure them to vote in favour of the BJP.
"It is a fundamental principle of democracy that the sacred festival of elections should be held neutrally without fear or bias. I have received representations from voters that they are being intimidated or pressured by the police and the administrative officials to vote in favour of the ruling party or refrain from voting," Gohil said in a video message.
He then urged the voters to make a video or audio recording of the criminal act of intimidation on their mobile phones, and if they have access to CCTV footage or stealth camera, they should collect the evidence and send it to WhatsApp number 8200059989 at the Congress party's war room at its state headquarters.
The development comes days after the nomination form of a Congress candidate from Surat, Nilesh Kumbhani, was rejected over discrepancies in proposers' signature, which Gohil claimed happened because the party candidate was intimidated by the BJP.
"The police and government employees are public servants, and your religion is to act neutrally without fear and you are expected to perform your sacred duty as a public servant," he said.
He also urged the voters to collect and save the evidence against officials or ministers or functionaries of the party in power so that they can use them when those who asked them to threaten people back out.
They can use the evidence against them as and when needed, Gohil added.
He also accused the people in power of approaching Congress candidates across the state and using various means to force them to withdraw their candidature.
"But they stood their ground and are worthy of salute," the Congress leader said.
On Sunday, Gohil claimed that the nomination form of the party's Surat Lok Sabha seat candidate Kumbhani was rejected at the behest of the BJP as it has sensed its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Kumbhani's form was rejected and other candidates eventually withdrew their nominations, leading to BJP's Mukesh Dalal winning the election unopposed.
Gohil claimed that Kumbhani was intimidated by the BJP.
"It hatched a conspiracy to get the forms of Congress candidates cancelled by hook or by crook. Kumbhani was their target ever since he filed his nomination form because BJP sensed defeat in Surat seat," he said.
Elections to the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be held on May 7.
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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
