Ex-President accepted invite to June 7 event, nothing surprising: RSS
New Delhi, May 29: The RSS said on Tuesday that former President Pranab Mukherjee had accepted its invitation to attend a function at its headquarters in Nagpur on June 7 and the acceptance was not "surprising".
In a statement here, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Narender Kumar said that Mukherjee will be the chief guest at the concluding function of "Tritiya Varsh Varg" or third-year course and address the 'swayamsevaks'.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be the main speaker.
"Those who know the sangh and understand it, it is not surprising for them or nothing new. It is normal for them because the RSS has been inviting prominent persons and those engaged in social service. This time, the RSS invited Dr Pranab Mukherjee and it is his greatness to have accepted the invitation," an RSS statement said.
Mukherjee was associated with the Congress for several decades before he became the President in 2012.
The organisation said that the 25-day "Tritiya Varsh Varg" is held every year at Nagpur in which members from all over the country take part for training.
"This year, it started on May 14 and will conclude on June 7, with 709 swayamsevaks from different parts of the country in attendance."
The statement said that even Mahatma Gandhi visited the RSS camp at Wardha and later stated that he was impressed by the "strict discipline, simplicity and lack of discrimination" in the organisation.
Former President Zakir Husain, socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan and General (later Field Marshal) K. M. Carriappa were other personalities who attended RSS events.
The statement said that independent India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had also invited the RSS to participate in the Republic Day parade in 1963, following its role during the 1962 war with China.
It said that the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had invited the RSS to an all-party meeting during the 1965 war with Pakistan.
"The sangh is working for building an egalitarian society for the past 92 years and it is getting success. Those who agree with this thought and work come to the functions of sangh and cooperate in them," the statement said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
