Curfew relaxed in Shillong, CM says stone-pelters were funded
Shillong, June 3 : Curfew was relaxed for seven hours on Sunday in violence-hit areas here but Internet services remained restricted even as Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said police had found that some people were funding stone-pelters.
Meanwhile, Sikh leaders denied reports that a gurdwara here was attacked or damaged.
"There were no reports of any violence during the curfew relaxation from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The situation is under control and more security reinforcement have been deployed while the Army is on standby," East Khasi Hills district Deputy Commissioner Peter S. Dkhar told IANS.
He said that suspension of Internet on mobiles would continue besides prohibiting the sale of petrol and diesel in jerry cans, bottles and any other containers to public.
He also appealed to the people not to trust false reports propagated in social media like attacks on a gurdwara in the city.
Meanwhile, Conrad Sangma told the press that police have "found out that there are certain people who are funding this agitation.
"We have found evidence of expensive alcohol being given to them, we have found evidence of money being given to them," he said after reviewing the situation with Home Minister James Sangma, Director General of Police Swaraj Bir Singh and other officials.
"There are individuals who confessed they have been given money to take part in this agitation and they have come there because they have been given money.. I must tell that we are on the job of finding out where the money is coming from, who are those individuals who are distributing money," the Chief Minister added.
Asserting that stern action would be taken against those funding the troubles, he said that they had got "some names and we have got records of that and we are going to move forward in that line also..."
Asked if some politicians were involved in funding, he said: "We do not want to take any name. I am not here to politicize this issue. This is a very sensitive issue and the individuals who are there will be aware of it and we are investigating into more details."
Meanwhile, a Sikh delegation led by Delhi legislator Manjinder Singh Sirsa met the Chief Minister and expressed satisfaction that "Sikhs are safe" in Meghalaya.
"The problems are on since past two decades. An amicable solution will be found on the issue which will be a win-win situation for both sides. It will ensure that nobody lives under fear and terror. There were reports going around in the country that the situation is terrible.
"However, after what we witnessed at ground zero I want to say that it is tense but under control. The situation is under control because the Chief Minister, the administration and police have acted firmly and decisively," Sirsa said.
Sikh community leader Gurjeet Singh denied media reports that a gurudwara was torched or desecrated.
"Everything is peaceful in the locality and it is not a fact that the gurdwara has been attacked or our people living in hunger or on the streets," Singh told IANS.
Indefinite curfew was imposed in areas under Lumdiengjri Police Station and Cantonment Beat House from 4 a.m on Friday in view of the breakdown of law and order in Motphran, Mawkhar and adjoining areas following Thursday's clash.
The clash erupted after a skirmish between some women and a driver of Shillong Public Transport Service bus at Them Meteor, which led to an assault of three persons. The violence continued even after the parties involved in the skirmish reached a compromise.
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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.
