Dedication of India's youth greatest strength of 'Viksit Bharat': PM Modi in 'Mann ki Baat'
New Delhi (PTI): The dedication of India's youth is the greatest strength of 'Viksit Bharat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday citing recent achievements across diverse sectors ranging from space manufacturing to farming.
In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, the prime minister listed the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram', the Constitution Day celebration at the Central Hall, and the hoisting of 'Dharmadhwaja' atop the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya among the inspirational developments in November.
He also highlighted the inauguration of the world's largest LEAP engine MRO facility in Hyderabad and the induction of INS 'Mahe' into the Indian Navy.
"Just last week, Skyroot's Infinity Campus gave a new boost to India's space ecosystem. This is a reflection of India's new thinking, innovation, and youth power," PM Modi said in the 128th episode of his 'Mann ki Baat’ address.
PM Modi referred to a video on social media of a unique drone competition organised by ISRO.
"In this video, the youth of our country, especially our Gen-Z, were trying to fly drones in conditions similar to Mars," he said, adding that the youth were trying to fly drones solely with the help of cameras and in-built software in the absence of GPS support on Mars.
PM Modi recalled that the young team tasted success after several rounds of failure when the drone crashed.
He said the scientists at ISRO too were disappointed when the Chandrayaan-2 lost contact, but built upon the failure to finally succeed with Chandrayaan-3.
"It was the success of the new confidence built after coming out of failure. I saw that same spark in the eyes of the young people seen in this video," he said.
"Every time I see the dedication of our youth and the spirit of commitment of our scientists, my heart fills up with enthusiasm. This dedication of the youth is one of the greatest strengths of Viksit Bharat," the prime minister said.
The prime minister spoke at length about bee farming initiatives across the country, achievements in the field of sports, India winning the bid for hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030, and his visits to South Africa for the G20 Summit and Bhutan.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
