'108' service ambulance arrives late at accident spot in MP; driver, staffer garlanded in protest
Barwani (PTI): A '108' service ambulance arrived late at a road accident site in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district on Tuesday, but instead of venting their ire, local residents garlanded its driver, emergency medical technician with flowers and presented them coconuts, eyewitnesses said.
This unique protest took place in Anjad town, about 20 kilometers from the district headquarters, and a senior health department official later admitted a dozen out of the 38 ambulances operating under 108 emergency response helpline in Barwani are out of service.
The eyewitnesses said the ambulance of 108 service reached about an hour after the accident to pick up people injured in a collision between two motorcycles.
Local resident Girish Chauhan informed five people were injured in the collision between two motorcycles on Barwani Road.
He said two seriously injured people were taken to the district hospital in private vehicles, while the 108 service ambulance arrived late to pick up the other three persons.
Chauhan said, "We garlanded the ambulance driver and EMT (emergency medical technician) with flowers and presented them coconuts for the delay. The 108 ambulance service in Anjad has been out of order for nearly two months. Perhaps our protest will improve the situation."
Kamlesh Chauhan, Barwani district manager of the 108 service, said Anjad's ambulances have been deployed for two days for the 'Panchakroshi Yatra', a popular pilgrimage which attracts lakhs of Lord Shiva devotees.
He said an ambulance was sent to Anjad from the district headquarters after receiving information about the accident.
Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Surekha Jamre said, "Twelve of the 38 (108 ambulances) in the district are out of service. People involved in managing them have been fined for negligence. Further fines will be imposed on those found negligent in providing services."
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
