Bhopal hosts cricket tournament of Sanskrit-speaking Vedic pandits; prize includes Ayodhya trip
Bhopal, Jan 6: Vedic pandits clad in dhoti-kurta and with religious marks on the forehead are facing off on a cricket pitch in Bhopal as part of an annual tournament aimed at promoting Sanskrit.
The winners of the event, organised to mark the birth anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who introduced the practice of transcendental meditation to the West, this year will get to visit Ayodhya, where the consecration of the Ram temple will be held on January 22, said an organiser.
The four-day tournament began at Ankur ground in the Madhya Pradesh capital on Friday, with players and umpires communicating in fluent Sanskrit.
Even the commentators narrated hits, misses and catches on the field in the ancient language.
The organisation founded by the spiritual leader, who was born on January 12, runs Vedic schools and seminaries in some parts of the country.
According to Maharishi Maitri Match Committee member Ankur Pandey, the winners will be sent to Ayodhya after January 22. They will also receive a prize of Rs 21,000, while the runners-up will get Rs 11,000, he said.
Pandey said a dozen teams, including four from Bhopal, are participating in the fourth edition of the cricket tournament.
Another organiser said the event aims at promoting Sanskrit and sportsmanship among the Vedic family. Prizes apart, players are being honoured with Vedic books and a 100-year 'panchang' (almanac), he added.
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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.
