Modi completely failed on national security front: Azad
New Delhi, May 26: Speaking on the work of Narendra Modi government that completed four years on Satutrday, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Prime Minister failed to keep his promise on national security and let down security forces.
"Kashmir is a state which was exploited by Modi most during the elections. In the recent past, ever since things had normalised in Jammu and Kashmir post 1996, highest number of security forces and civilians were killed in the four years of Modi government," Azad said at a press conference.
He was accompanied by several senior Congress leaders.
Attacking Modi on national security, Azad said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had used the issue of national security during the election campaign and exploited the nation in the name of national security.
"National security is an area on which Prime Minister spoke during the election campaign. He highlighted the importance of national security and exploited it to the hilt. And, he got the maximum votes in the name of national security.
"But where is national security today? The national security does not mean only the territorial integrity of the country. The national security means where people are safe and secure, it means where there is freedom of expression and freedom of press. But under Modi's government nobody is safe. Everybody is having sleepless nights," Azad said.
The Congress leader went on to remind the incidents of terrorist attacks on important locations like Pathankot, Uri and Nagrota, where dozens of security forces and civilians were killed.
Congress General Secretary Ashok Gehlot said: "No other Prime Minister has ever lowered down the dignity of the post of PM like Modi."
Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala summed up Modi government's rule by saying, "treachery, trickery, revenge and lies are the four words that define Modi government's four years."
"Modi government spent Rs 4,600 crore on advertisements in the last four years," he added.
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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.
