'Rule of thieves' in Punjab: Cong leader Navjot Sidhu
Chandigarh, Jan 21: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday attacked the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab, saying there is a "rule of thieves" in the state.
Sidhu at a rally in Moga district also dared Chief Minister Mann to a debate on issues related to Punjab such as the state's debt.
This was his fourth "Jittega Punjab, Jittegi Congress" rally. He has held two rallies in Bathinda and one in Hoshiarpur.
Earlier, many Congress leaders had sought action against Sidhu for holding individual rallies without consulting the Congress' Punjab unit leadership.
Congress' Moga in-charge Malvika Sood, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Punjab assembly polls from the Moga seat, had also asked party workers not to attend the rally.
Targeting the Mann government, Sidhu said "'Choran da tantar' (a rule of thieves) is going on in Punjab" and dared the chief minister for the debate.
"If Sidhu loses (in the debate), he will quit politics permanently," Sidhu said at the rally organised by Congress' former Moga district president Maheshinder Singh.
"Do you have the courage? Sidhu says you are a 'chor' (thief) and your ministers are thieves," he said as he attacked the Punjab government over several issues, including the debt of the state and the law and order situation.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress issued a show cause notice to Maheshinder Singh and his son for not informing the local leadership about rally and submit a reply within two days, failing which they will face disciplinary action.
The notice was issued after Sood lodged a complaint against them for not informing local leaders about the rally and not holding discussions with her.
Raising issues related to law and order, Sidhu also asked is anybody feeling safe in Punjab. "People want peace in the state. Businessmen are moving out to other states," he said.
"Who will repay the debt? A debt of Rs 70,000 crore has been raised. You are running the state with a debt of Rs 90 crore per day. Have some shame," Sidhu said. Punjab's per capita income was just Rs 1.80 lakh as against the country's average per capita income of Rs 6.95 lakh, he claimed.
A few days ago, Mann had taken a swipe at Sidhu for targeting the AAP government over the state debt issue and also dubbed him as a "fugitive", saying he ran away from discharging duty when he was offered the charge of power minister.
"He (Sidhu) has studied in big schools. Please bring complete data. Little knowledge is too dangerous," Mann had told Sidhu, asking him to verify his facts before giving any statement.
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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.
