Cong's Prithviraj Chavan seeks 100 pc VVPAT verification; claims EC has something to hide
Pune, Dec 1: Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday batted for 100 per cent counting of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.
Chavan alleged the Election Commission of India had something to hide though he did not elaborate.
The VVPAT is a vote verification mechanism that enables voters to see whether their votes have been recorded correctly by way of a slip that is briefly visible after the EVM button is pressed.
Chavan lost from Karad South to BJP's Atul Suresh Bhosale by a margin of 39355 votes in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, results of which were announced on November 23.
He was in the city to meet nonagenarian social activist Baba Adhav. who ended his protest on Saturday here against EVM "irregularities" and alleged money power in politics.
"I am here to extend support to Baba Adhav. The results of the assembly elections are unexpected. Six months back, we got success in Lok Sabha polls (with Maha Vikas Aghadi winning 30 out of 48 seats). There was nothing as such due to which results would be so different in the assembly polls. We (MVA) had expected a change in the state," Chavan told reporters.
"Many persons have demanded that polls be conducted through ballot papers. I demand that each and every VVPAT slip must be counted. We have scheduled a meeting with the Election Commission of India (on this issue following Maharashtra polls)," he added.
"I don't know what the ECI will discuss with us on this issue but I will demand to count every receipt. I think there's something the Election Commission wants to hide," he said.
"If democracy has to be saved, then there is a strong need for change. I would like to thank Baba Adhav for his protest," the former Union minister said.
Adhav had started his protest on Thursday at Pune's Phule Wada, the residence of iconic social reformer Jyotiba Phule.
In April this year, the Supreme Court had rejected pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using electronic voting machines (EVMs) with VVPAT.
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'Still have freedom of speech': HC says no to plea against wife's cancer cure claim of Navjot Sidhu
New Delhi (PTI): Observing there still was freedom of speech in the country, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's claims that certain remedies helped his wife in her battle against stage 4 cancer.
A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the former cricketer had only voiced his opinion and the petitioner was also free to counter the claims.
"He is just voicing his opinion. Counter his claims by holding a press conference. Counter free speech by free speech and not by curtailing his free speech under the fear of legal action or contempt. We still have freedom of speech in this country," the bench said.
The bench went on to underline, "You can't say freedom of speech be curtailed. You counter his claim. This is not our domain. If you don't agree with this gentleman's views, don't listen to him. There are a lot of books which you may feel are bad, don't read them. Who is asking you to read them? Free speech is not meant to be curtailed by bringing them to court and putting them under the fear of contempt withdrawn."
As the court made it clear that a writ petition couldn't be entertained, the petitioner sought to withdraw it.
"We can't entertain a writ petition on this. Thousands of people claim they have a cure for something but that does not mean you will seek action against them."
At a press conference in Amritsar on November 21, Sidhu stated that his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu had been declared cancer-free, emphasising the role of dietary and lifestyle changes in her recovery.
He then said his wife's diet included things like lemon water, raw turmeric, apple cider vinegar, neem leaves, basil, pumpkin, pomegranate, amla, beetroot and walnuts which made her healthy.
After oncologists questioned his claim that a strict diet helped his wife defeat stage 4 cancer, Sidhu clarified on November 25 that the diet plan was implemented in consultation with doctors and should be considered "facilitation in the treatment".
During the hearing, the petitioner said he was against Sidhu's claim on 100 per cent cure of cancer questioning if tulsi and ashwagandha fully could defeat stage 4 cancer.
Sidhu's video circulated on various social media platforms and news channels, and as a celebrity he had influence over many, it was claimed.
The petitioner therefore urged the court to restrain circulation of the videos saying misinformation was being peddled.
The court, however, said if Sidhu's wife, who was a doctor herself, felt better by following a particular diet, it was good.
Justice Gedela remarked if the petitioner was really concerned about public interest, he should go and file a petition against the manufacture of cigarettes and alcohol.
On November 23, Dr C S Pramesh, director of Tata Memorial Hospital, which specialises in cancer treatment, posted a video of Sidhu's press conference on X and said, "Parts of the video imply that starving cancer by avoiding dairy products and sugar, and consuming haldi (turmeric) and neem, helped cure her 'incurable' cancer".
He added, "Please don’t believe or be fooled by these statements, regardless of who they come from. These are unscientific and baseless recommendations. It was surgery and chemotherapy, which are evidence-based treatments, that made her cancer-free, not haldi, neem, or other such remedies".
