Akhilesh terms EVMs threat to democracy, bats for ballot papers
Lucknow, May 29: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday questioned the fairness of the electronic voting machines (EVMs), terming them the "biggest threat to democracy".
Addressing the media here, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister referred to the snags in EVMs in the Kairana parliamentary and Noorpur assembly bypolls on Monday and said that after this, people were in no mood to trust the machines.
Reiterating his demand of use of ballot papers in all future elections, Akhilesh Yadav also demanded a repoll in every place where EVMs were used for voting in the Monday's bypoll. He also exhorted all political parties to come together and raise a united voice against the EVMs and seek all future voting through the traditional mechanism of ballot papers.
Akhilesh Yadav also expressed suspicion that the EVMs were tampered and manipulated under a "nefarious design" to defeat opposition candidates.
Slamming the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, he claimed that people were feeling cheated at their "hollow promises". Their work so far in one year has been dismaying, the SP chief said while pointing out several issues like pending arrears of cane growers and farmer distress.
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UP: BJP MLA falls on rail track while flagging off Vande Bharat train
Etawah (UP), Sep 16: BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.
Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.
The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.
Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.
When contacted by PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event."
"Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.
The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.
As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed.
The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.
Talking about the operation date for the Vande Bharat Express, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon.
The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.
Etawah, UP: The flag-off ceremony for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express faced chaos due to heavy rush, and BJP's Etawah Sadar MLA, Sarita Bhadoria, fell in front of the train pic.twitter.com/p10CfbDIF0
— IANS (@ians_india) September 16, 2024
