BJP questioned EVMs first: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, May 22: As the debate over EVMs hotted up, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah Wednesday said it was BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao who has authored a book questioning about electronic voting machines 10 years ago and party veteran L K Advani had written the preface of it.
In a tweet in Kannada, Siddaramaiah wrote, "BJP was the first to raise doubts about the EVMs. The spokesperson of that party had even written a book. Supporting the doubt, L K Advani had written the preface of the book. What's the reason behind BJP's change in stand in the last 10 years?"
The book 'Democracy at risk due to EVMs' was written by Rao, a psephologist-turned politician, after 2009 elections.
A poster Siddaramaiah tweeted says, "Concerns about EVMs are legitimate when raised by BJP!"
His tweet came in the backdrop of six posers by BJP national president Amit Shah to the opposition parties led by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for raising doubts about the sanctity of EVMs.
In his tweets, Shah condemned those questioning the EVMs saying that opposing EVMs is an insult to the voters. By questioning the EVMs the 22 parties shaken with the possible loss were tarnishing the image of the country, he said.
Shah also questioned the political parties why did they assume power who were elected through EVMs and were now questioning its authenticity.
As many as 21 political parties Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission asking it to first count the five VVPATs and tally with the EVMs before proceeding with the counting process for the Lok Sabha polls.
However, the EC turned down their plea.
ಇವಿಎಂ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮೊದಲು ಅನುಮಾನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದು ಬಿಜೆಪಿ. ಆ ಪಕ್ಷದ ವಕ್ತಾರ ಜಿವಿಎಲ್ ನರಸಿಂಹರಾವ್ ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನೇ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದರು. ಆ ಅನುಮಾನವನ್ನು ಬೆಂಬಲಿಸಿ ಎಲ್.ಕೆ.ಅಡ್ವಾಣಿ ಪುಸ್ತಕಕ್ಕೆ ಮುನ್ನುಡಿ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದರು. 'ಇವಿಎಂ' ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಈ ಹತ್ತು ವರ್ಷಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ಬದಲಾದ ನಿಲುವಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣವೇನು? pic.twitter.com/nJVcHHdGt5
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 22, 2019
Lot of doubts about EVMs
Former CM Siddaramaiah has said that he had a lot of doubts about EVMs.
BJP men tamper EVM machines. There is a lot of doubts about this. EVMs cannot be tampered in the by-elections, but only in the general election. The votes, which come in our favor in by-elections, go missing in general elections. Why? Siddaramaiah asked.
Sidaramaiah, who expressed anger over the statement of Roshan Baig, said, "It is the thirst of power which is making Roshan Baig give such statements.
He was aspiring for a ministerial berth and even he did not get the Lok Sabha ticket. Therefore, he is giving such statements, he said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
