BJP moves privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi, July 20 : Targeting Congress President Rahul Gandhi for levelling "baseless allegations" against the government on the Rafale deal in his speech during the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the BJP has moved a privilege motion against him.
"While participating in the discussion, he made serious, baseless and wild allegations against the government and particularly against the Prime Minister with regard to Rafale deal," said a statement from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Prahlad Joshi.
Gandhi, during his speech, said the price per plane during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime was Rs 520 crore but when Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to France and due to "some magic powers", the price per plane rose to Rs 1,600 crore.
"He (Gandhi) stated that under pressure from the PM, (Defence Minister) Nirmala Sitharaman told lies to the nation. He further alleged that the PM cheated his own army on dealing with China on Doklam issue," it added.
"...(Rahul Gandhi's) statement was baseless, malicious and amounting to bring disrepute to the PM and the Defence Minister, it was made to mislead the Members and the House," it noted.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
