MUDA scam: Cong to stage state-wide protests on Aug 19 against Guv's sanction to prosecute CM
Bengalru: The Congress in Karnataka will stage a state-wide protests against the permission given by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his alleged role in the MUDA alternative site 'scam'.
Gehlot on Saturday granted sanction for the prosecution of Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam’ based on the complaints by three activists, T J Abraham, Pradeep S P and Snehamayi Krishna.
They had alleged that Siddaramaiah misused his position to get alternative sites to his wife Parvathi in the posh localities of Mysuru by creating fake documents.
The chief minister has refuted the allegation and vouched to fight it out legally.
In a post on 'X', Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, called upon his party leaders and workers to take out a kilometre long march to the Taluk and district level offices and submit memoranda addressed to the President of India Droupadi Murmu against the Governor's move.
"You all know that the BJP and the JD(S) are hatching a big conspiracy against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. It's our duty to fight against it," he said.
Shivakumar said the Congress will fight against the conspiracy that aims to "finish off Siddaramaiah".
"We need to fight against the misuse of the office of the Governor, which granted permission to prosecute the Chief Minister," he said.
The Congress state president called upon the party leaders and workers to participate in the protest in large numbers.
The Congress party and the state Cabinet on Saturday backed the chief minister and turned down the opposition's demand for his resignation.
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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.
