Loudspeakers used for Azaan disturb people: Eshwarappa
Mangaluru (PTI): Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa on Monday said loudspeakers used for 'Azaan' (muslim call for prayer) disturb people, especially students who study for examinations and patients in hospitals.
He was responding to a query on his comments on Azaan made during the party's Vijay Sankalp Yatra on Sunday at Shantinagar, which has gone viral on social media.
"Will Allah listen only if the prayers are given through loudspeakers," the former minister had asked, speaking at a rally.
"I have not shown disrespect to any religion by my statement," Eshwarappa told reporters here.
He further said leaders of the Muslim community should contemplate the issue and take an appropriate decision.
The former minister also said his party wants only votes of Muslim nationalists in the coming assembly elections.
The BJP had never stated that they do not want the votes of Muslims. "We want the votes of Muslims who are nationalists," he said.
On the corruption charges being levelled against the BJP, Eshwarappa said the Congress is trying to hide their own corrupt deals during the previous government.
About the reception arranged by BJP workers to party MLA Madal Virupakshappa after he received bail in a bribery case, Eshwarappa said he does not approve of such actions by party workers.
"The Congress leaders, who are criticising this, had no qualms when they gave a rousing reception to D K Shivakumar when he got bail," he said.
Eshwarappa expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge victorious in the coming elections. The candidates will be finalised by the party leadership, he added.
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Former CEC SY Quraishi flags concerns over variation in Maharashtra voter turnout data
New Delhi: Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi has expressed concern over the significant variation between the provisional and final voter turnout figures in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The state went to polls on November 20, with the voter turnout recorded at 55% by 5 pm. However, the final turnout, announced the following day, rose to 67%, marking the highest figure in nearly three decades.
In an interview with India Today, Quraishi, who served as CEC from 2010 to 2012, termed the discrepancy "worrying." He explained that voter turnout figures are typically recorded in real-time using Form 17A, where voters' attendance is marked by the presiding officer. At the end of the polling day, Form 17C is completed, documenting the total votes cast, with signatures from candidates' agents.
"The data is generated on the same day. How it changes significantly the next day is something I fail to understand," Quraishi said, urging the Election Commission to address the issue. He warned that such discrepancies could erode public trust in the electoral process, stating, "If doubts spread across the country, it could undermine the entire system."
The opposition had raised similar concerns during the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections, pointing out discrepancies of 5-6% between initial and final turnout figures. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking polling station-wise turnout data to be released within 48 hours of each phase.
However, the Supreme Court declined the plea, citing practical challenges, while the Election Commission argued that such disclosures could lead to logistical complications.
The Election Commission is yet to respond to the concerns raised regarding the Maharashtra election data.
