Governor’s order gives justice to BJP fight against MUDA scam, says Karnataka Assembly LOP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka called the Saturday morning order by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s permitting the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the CM’s alleged involvement in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam an act of justice for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Opposition party, with the JD(S), had been protesting against the CM and also undertaken a week-long rally in Mysuru. The ally parties, who are accusing the CM and his wife Parvathi of having been allotted site by MUDA illegally, are demanding that he face interrogation and also resign for the ‘deceit’. Their ‘padayatra’ in Mysuru, however, failed to attract a large number of people and was considered by analysts as a failure.
Addressing reporters in the city on Saturday morning, Ashoka clarified that the BJP was fighting against corruption and not a person. Unveiling the truth is the primary focus of the party, he said. As more than 86,000 people have applied for sites under the MUDA, the BJP is also demanding prevention of any delay in the investigation into this case, he added.
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The LOP said that CM Siddaramaiah had failed to give a clear, acceptable explanation on MUDA granting him the sites. Instead of handling the facing the investigation of a major scam like this, he is attempting to escape facing the law, which has only intensified the suspicion regarding his involvement in the case, Ashoka added.
The BJP senior leader opined that opposition by Congress leaders to the Governor’s order would yield no results in Siddaramaiah’s favour. He urged the CM to resign from his post, submit himself to a CBI investigation and return all the sites he was allotted by MUDA to prevent further clash and ensure justice to people who were deprived of land.
He recollected former CM BS Yediyurappa facing a similar order issued by then Governor. Ashoka asked sharply if the Congress members would agree if the BJP accused the former Governor of having done so on being asked by then Congress leaders. Further, stating that Yediyurappa had respected the order of the Governor and had resigned from the post of CM to face investigation, Ashoka asked Siddaramaiah too to do so. A protest against the Governor would be an insult to the Constitution, he stated.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
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.
