Traitors who supported British during freedom struggle today lecturing on patriotism: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 15: Taking a veiled dig at the BJP, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar on Thursday said the traitors who had joined hands with the British during the freedom struggle are today lecturing others about patriotism.
Speaking at the 78th Independence Day celebration at the state Congress office here, he said, “We need to protect the country from these wolves in sheep’s clothing. It is important that we need to educate the younger generation about Congress’s role in the freedom struggle. More than 6.5 lakh Congressmen sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle. Today’s Congressmen must be proud of their legacy.
“Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder) had written a letter to the British to suppress the Quit India Movement. His followers are today questioning Congress’s contribution to the nation. It was the Congress which built the national assets which the BJP is selling today. What is BJP’s contribution to the country? They are the ones who joined hands with the British,” he said.
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Alleging that narratives are being peddled that Nehru and others did not contribute anything to the independence struggle, Shivakumar said, "It is important that we fight this and unite the country.
“It was the Congressmen who sacrificed so much for the nation. But the people who were subservient to the British then are today wearing the patriotic mask and destroying the country," he said.
The 1837 Amara Sullia Rebellion in Karnataka was the first freedom struggle in the country, the DCM said, adding that many leaders from Karnataka had contributed to the freedom struggle.
The government has formed a committee to chalk out the modalities to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Belagavi session of the Indian National Congress held in 1924, which was the only Congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi, he said.
"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has rightly said that real freedom is achieved when people get freedom from hunger, poverty, shackles, darkness and unemployment," Shivakumar further said, adding that the Congress government's five guarantees have become a case study for many countries around the world for its unique way of providing social justice."
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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.
