In an event held at the Highland Islamic Forum (HIF) Auditorium in the city, the Highland Islamic Forum (HIF) unveiled a new book titled 'Big B,' a tribute to the late SM Basheer.
Subtitled 'A Bond Beyond Brotherhood,' the book is centered around the inspirational thoughts and life of Late SM Basheer.
Addressing the gathering at the book launch, NA Muneer, Ex-Chairman of the Kuwait Kerala Muslim Association (KKMA), shared memories of his association with SM Basheer. Muneer spoke about the charismatic personality and powerful aura that SM Basheer possessed, leaving a lasting impact on everyone who met him.
Recalling his memories, Muneer emphasized that even a year after SM Basheer's passing, he continues to remember and honor the late leader. He praised SM Basheer's instrumental role in organizing significant events at KKMA and acknowledged his invaluable contributions to the organization while serving as its chief.
Fatah Tayyil, Ex-President of KKMA, also paid tribute to SM Basheer, acknowledging his substantial contributions to the KKMA.
SM Rasheed, Chairman of Bearys Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI), spoke about SM Basheer's profound influence on people's lives and commended his contributions to the BCCI.
Other speakers, including Mohammed Ali Uchchil and Rizwan Pandeshwar, shared their views on the life and impact of SM Basheer during the event.
The book 'Big B' was released by AK Niyaz, MD of AK Group of Companies, along with HIF India President Adil Parvez, and other guests present at the event. Hussain Shafi, the author of the book, was felicitated by HIF for his contributions. HIF also presented a documentary-style short video introducing SM Basheer and showcasing his life.
Prominent figures such as SM Basha, MD of SM Group of Companies, SM Farooq, KK Abdullah, officials, and executive members of KKMA and BCCI graced the occasion.
The event, hosted by AK Shaaz, concluded with supplications led by Moulana Tayyub, Khateeb Ehsan Masjid.
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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.