Civic polls: Kerala Minister accuses former DGP of 'violation' of election code
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Tuesday accused former DGP and BJP candidate in the civic polls R Sreelekha of violating the election code by sharing a survey result favouring the NDA on her social media handle.
He alleged that it was a grave violation of the election code of conduct.
It was also "an insult to democracy" for someone who once held a top law-enforcement position to openly challenge the rule of law, he alleged.
In a statement, the senior CPI(M) leader said Sreelekha, the former DGP who is contesting as a BJP candidate from Shasthamangalam ward, had shared on her Facebook a survey result favouring the NDA ahead of the local body poll.
Sivankutty described the action as a blatant breach of election guidelines.
"It is astonishing that a person who spent an entire career enforcing the law would stoop to such conduct for political gain," he said.
The minister further said the attempt to circulate unauthorised surveys was aimed at misleading and influencing voters, reflecting a fear of electoral defeat.
According to the minister, those worried about the continuation of development initiatives in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation are resorting to "fake figures and illegal surveys."
He urged the public to recognise attempts by individuals--who should protect democratic values--to undermine them instead.
Sivankutty also wanted the State Election Commission to take immediate and stringent action against those violating the model code of conduct.
The voting in the first phase of the local body polls are progressing in seven southern districts of Kerala on Tuesday.
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Stalin accuses Centre of trying to use women's quota as 'weapon,' slams EPS over delimitation
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview.
"Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added.
Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami over the delimitation issue.
Recalling efforts made by the DMK to raise the issue of population-based delimitation, he said an all-party meeting and a meeting of CMs under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee seeking fair delimitation were convened. It sought to freeze delimitation for 25 years and stick to it based on the 1971 Census population.
"We urged the union government that states which successfully implemented population control programmes must not be punished," he added.
The party came up with "Tamil Nadu poradum, Tamil Nadu vellum" (Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win) and this is DMK's stand, he said.
"However, Palaniswami, who is seeking votes for the entry of the BJP through the backdoor, has till date been mute over delimitation, and this is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu."
