Documents 'leaked to BJP': Congress demands probe
New Delhi, Sep 4 : Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP of acting as "police" and demanded an independent probe into how even before the documents, allegedly obtained from the activists by the Pune police, were produced before the court, fell into BJP's hands.
On the other hand, BJP accused the Congress of patronizing and funding the maoists, saying the now-defunct National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Sonia Gandhi during the previous UPA regime, was the body for "supporting naxalism".
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: "It is strange: all norms, cannons, traditions of governance have absolutely collapsed under the NDA-BJP government."
"It seems that the BJP has become the police in this country. How have papers allegedly available with an investigating agency, even before being produced before the court of law, landed with the BJP?" he asked.
"This is very serious and we demand that this should be investigated. There has to be an independent, court-monitored investigation," he added.
BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra told the media that Congress mainstreamed maoism during its tenure and suggested that the party should rename itself as "Indian National Congress (Maoist)" or the "Congress Party of Maoists".
"National security is an issue of paramount importance and to play with it only for political opportunism is something which the Congress has always been doing. In this trail, we have another letter written to comrade Surendra by comrade Prakash on September 25 which contained a phone number of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh," Patra said.
Besides the telephone number, there's also a reference in the letter which said "Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund for further agitations whenever such opportunity arises. In this regard you can contact at our friend the number..."
Patra claimed that the mobile number mentioned was of Rahul Gandhi's guru Digvijaya Singh. "He has not yet denied that this was not his number," he said.
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Nagaland bypoll: Over 59 pc voter turnout recorded in Koridang seat till 1 pm
Kohima (PTI): More than 59 per cent of 22,382 electors exercised their franchise in Nagaland's Koridang assembly bypoll till 1 pm on Thursday, officials said.
The voting that commenced at 7 am across all 30 polling stations has so far been peaceful, they said.
The polling will continue till 4 pm.
"The voter turnout was 59.52 per cent till 1 pm. Polling has been peaceful," an Election Commission official said.
Security has been tightened across the constituency following violence on April 5 and 6, in which one person died, and several vehicles were damaged.
The byelection was necessitated by the demise of sitting BJP MLA Imkong L. Imchen in November last year.
A total of 22,382 electors, including 11,071 women, are eligible to decide the fate of six candidates in the fray.
The BJP, which is part of the ruling People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), has fielded the deceased MLA's son Daochier I. Imchen, while the Congress has nominated T. Chalukumba Ao for the seat. The NPP candidate is I Abenjang, and the Independents are Imchatoba Imchen, Imtiwapang, and Toshikaba.
All the candidates have exercised their franchise in the respective polling stations in the first hour of polling, the officials said.
Of the 30 polling stations, 13 have been categorised as vulnerable and 17 as critical, prompting deployment of additional security personnel and intensified surveillance. Two polling stations have been designated as all-women booths.
Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
