Cannot provide security to everyone: Goa BJP's women chief
Panaji, June 2: Commenting on the increasing number of rape cases and the gang rape of a 20-year-old girl by three tourists on a beach in Goa last month, BJP's state women wing President Sulakshana Sawant on Saturday said the government cannot provide security to every individual.
"We need to change the mentality of the people. We cannot provide security to every individual. But an individual can act as a protector of the other," Sawant said.
The rape of a 20-year-old woman at South Goa's Betalbatim beach on May 25 by three tourists has triggered a debate about the safety of women in the coastal state, which attracts more than six lakh tourists every year.
Sawant said more rape cases are being registered now because more women were coming forward to report such crimes.
"Only few rape cases were reported earlier, but now many women are coming forward and reporting cases as they believe something might change it," she said.
Sawant added that the women's wing of the BJP in the state will request the Tourism Department to install CCTVs on beach stretches which are aloof in order to prevent untoward incidents.
"We will tell the Tourism Department to install CCTVs at the beaches which are aloof and prone to crimes. But when something happens, one has to be proactive to act against it," Sawant said.
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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.
