CEC Rajiv Kumar uses poetry to rebut criticism of EVMs
New Delhi, Mar 16: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar used a verse on Saturday to take a dig at the critics of electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying the poll authority is often at the receiving end of "unfulfilled desires".
"Adhoori hasrato ka iljam har bar hum par lagana thik nahi, wafa khud se nahi hoti, khata EVM ki kehte ho, aur baad mein jab parinam aata hai toh uspe qayam bhi nahi rehte," Kumar said, announcing the seven-phase Lok Sabha election.
The couplet, which Kumar said he thought of on Friday night, means it is not proper to blame the Election Commission for unfulfilled desires when one has not done his or her job properly.
He said this to buttress the point that even ruling parties have lost elections when EVMs were used for polling.
Apparently anticipating a vitriolic poll campaign, the CEC also urged political parties and leaders to refrain from abusing and vilifying their rivals.
He quoted a couplet from Bashir Badr: "Dushmani jam ke karo, lekin yeh gunjaish rahe, jab kabhi hum dost ho jaye toh sharminda na ho."
"You can be sworn enemies, but let there be scope for not being ashamed when you become friends," he said, adding that these days, there are many cases of foes turning friends again.
The CEC also quoted a couplet of Rahim: "Rahiman dhaga prem ka, mat todo chatkay, toote pe phir na jude, jude gaath pari jaaye."
It broadly means that the threads of love, once broken, cannot be healed and even if they are repaired, the creases still remain.
On the prevalence of fake news during elections, Kumar urged the voters not to share such unverified information.
"Jhooth ke bazaar mein raunak to bahut hai, goya bulbule jaisi turant hi fat jati hai ... pakad bhi loge to kya hasil hoga siwaye dhokhe ke," he said.
Loosely translated, the couplet reads that the world of lies is attractive but short-lived, even if you achieve it, what will you get except betrayal?
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Umar Khalid granted interim bail to attend sister’s wedding in Delhi riots conspiracy case
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday, December 11, granted interim bail to former JNU scholar and activist Umar Khalid in the 2020 North-East Delhi riots larger conspiracy case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Khalid sought temporary relief to attend his sister’s wedding.
Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts allowed Khalid interim bail from December 16 to December 29. The court directed him to furnish a personal bond of ₹20,000 along with two sureties of the same amount.
While granting relief, the court imposed several conditions. Khalid has been barred from contacting any witnesses or individuals connected to the case. He must provide his mobile number to the investigating officer and keep it operational throughout the bail period. The court further directed him not to use social media and to remain either at his home or at the specified wedding-related venues. He is permitted to meet only family members, relatives and friends during the interim bail.
Khalid has been ordered to surrender before the Superintendent of the concerned prison on the evening of December 29.
This is not the first time interim bail has been granted to him for family functions. In December 2023, he received a seven-day interim bail for a family wedding, and earlier in 2022 he was granted a week-long bail to attend another sister’s marriage ceremony.
Khalid’s regular bail pleas have seen multiple rejections. The Delhi High Court denied him bail in October 2022, following which he approached the Supreme Court but later withdrew his special leave petition. A second regular bail plea before the trial court was also rejected, prompting another challenge before the High Court. On September 2, 2024, a division bench observed that Khalid’s prima facie role in the alleged conspiracy appeared “grave,” citing purported inflammatory speeches intended to mobilize members of the Muslim community.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on bail pleas filed by Khalid, along with co-accused Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and others.
FIR 59 of 2020, registered by the Delhi Police Special Cell, names several accused including Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal and others, under the Indian Penal Code and UAPA provisions in connection with the alleged conspiracy preceding the 2020 riots.
