Rahul appeals to people of Delhi's Uttam Nagar to maintain peace; accuses BJP of fanning violence
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the people of Uttam Nagar do not want any bloodshed as they have already paid a heavy price for violence and urged the people of Delhi not to fall for any provocation as the country's strength lies in its unity and brotherhood.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi alleged that the BJP and its ecosystem want bloodshed to continue and seize every opportunity of fanning violence and spreading hatred in society.
"The people of Uttam Nagar have paid a heavy price for the violence - on one side, a young man, Tarun, lost his life, and on the other, an entire family is facing persecution. They don't want any more bloodshed.
"Bloodshed is what only the BJP and its ecosystem desires, which seizes every opportunity to fan violence and hatred," the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
"They want the country to remain entangled in Hindu-Muslim tension, so that people cannot ask why the prime minister is being forced to hand over the country's defense, energy security, food security, and strategic sovereignty to America - and that's why, in broad daylight, riot-like conditions are once again being created in the nation's capital," he claimed.
"An appeal to the residents of Delhi: Do not fall for any provocation - the strength of the country lies in our unity, brotherhood, and love. Jodo, jodo, Bharat Jodo..." the Congress leader said in his post.
Tension and violence has gripped Uttam Nagar in north Delhi, after 26-year-old Tarun was killed on March 4, following a clash between his family and their neighbours in the JJ Colony area after a girl from Tarun's family threw a balloon, splashing a woman from the neighbour's family during Holi celebrations.
Some Hindu outfits later staged a protest against the killing and torched two vehicles of the accused family members. The police have stepped up security and made heavy deployment in the affected areas to avoid any more violent incident ahead of the Eid celebrations.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
