New Delhi/Chandigarh, Oct 21: A video of the ruling BJP candidate from Assandh purportedly making controversial remarks about EVMs emerged on the social media on the eve of Haryana Assembly polls, following which the Election Commission issued him a show cause notice and appointed a special observer to the constituency to take "corrective action".

In the clip, BJP candidate and sitting MLA Bakshish Singh Virk purportedly says that no matter which button is pressed on the electronic voting machine, the vote would go to the BJP, but he dubbed it as a fake video and alleged that it was a conspiracy by his opponents to defame him and his party.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today took a pot-shot at the BJP over one of its candidates in Haryana declaring that no matter what button is pressed on Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)s, every vote will go to the ruling party. The "most honest man in the BJP", Rahul Gandhi tweeted on MLA Bakshish Singh Virk, who has been served notice by the Election Commission for his controversial comment.

An EC statement on Sunday said former deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi is being sent to Assandh Constituency in Karnal "in light of the video circulating on social media.''

"Zutshi has been requested to proceed immediately to the constituency to take necessary corrective action and ensure free, fair and peaceful election," the Commission said.

After the video circulated on social media, the Election Commission took cognizance and issued a show cause notice to Virk, Haryana's Joint Chief Electoral Officer Dr Inder Jeet said over phone.

In the video, Virk also purportedly tells a small gathering of his supporters, We will come to know who has voted for whom, there should be no misconception about this....

Virk, however, claimed that he never said anything about EVMs .

"A fake video has been made viral. Some mediaperson has done this act and twisted the entire thing. I respect the Election Commission and have faith in EVMs. I never said anything about the voting machines.

"There is no truth in the allegations which are being levelled. It is a conspiracy to defame me and my party," he said.

Hitting out at the BJP, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja said the saffron party knows that it will be rejected by the people and that is why it's MLA was making such remarks.

Congress leader Shamsher Gogi and JJP demanded that the EC should cancel Virk's candidature.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday. 

The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said. 

A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said. 

Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.

Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.

Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.

Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.

Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.

The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.

According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet. 

"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.