EC lacks courage to show counting day CCTV footage of Mumbai North West seat: Aaditya Thackeray
Mumbai, Jun 16: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said the Election Commission of India lacks courage to release the CCTV footage related to Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat with regard to allegations that the winning candidate's kin used a mobile phone in the counting centre on June 4.
A media report said Mangesh Pandilkar, brother in law of Ravindra Waikar, who won from seat by just 48 votes, had used a mobile phone to "unlock" an EVM when the votes were being counted, allegations which returning officer Vandana Suryavanshi and Mumbai police rubbished during the day.
Pandilkar and a polling official Dinesh Gurav have been booked by Vanrai police under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for flouting the EC ban on mobile phones inside counting centres.
"We have always had suspicions about this regime tampering with EVMs. Even Elon Musk has expressed his views, claiming everything can be hacked. Despite several requests, the Election Commission does not have the courage to release the CCTV footage of the counting day that would support our claims," Thackeray claimed.
"Once a fraudster always a fraudster," he said referring to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Expressing concern over alleged lack of transparency in the functioning of the ECI, Thackeray claimed the BJP would have won just 40 Lok Sabha seats and not 240 if polling was held using ballot papers instead of EVMs.
Addressing a press conference, returning officer Suryavanshi said CCTV footage can only be released on the orders of a competent court.
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25 lakh properties in Bengaluru brought under e-Khata system: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said that the state government has brought over 25 lakh properties under the e-Khata system in Bengaluru.
e-Khata is an electronic property certificate that maintains ownership information in an online database.
The e-Khata initiative aimed to ensure accuracy, transparency and universal coverage for property owners, he said.
Addressing a press conference here, Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru in-charge Minister, said over 25 lakh properties are being brought under the e-Khata system. Of them more than 7,000 applications have been processed, and additional outreach measures being planned for those yet to obtain their e-Khata.
"Twenty five lakh e-Khatas is a great number which has created history," he said.
The Deputy CM said the government is ensuring that every e-Khata will have its GPS, the shape of the property, and the measurement with every photo and document.
He explained that the government is integrating Aadhaar details, digital documentation, GPS mapping and property sketches to create a robust database.
"We want to see that every record is filled right. They (officials) are asking for documentation, stamp, digital documents. We wanted to connect every Aadhaar card and have it online," Shivakumar said.
To facilitate access, the Deputy CM announced the opening of more than 50 centres across Bengaluru, many of them in government schools, where citizens can apply for or rectify their e-Khata records.
"All of them will be working this Saturday. This 'Khata Mela' will be done. It is 'Nanna Khata, Nanna Swathu'," he said.
Applicants whose documents require verification will be given an acknowledgement and asked to return after 15 days, during which officials will conduct site inspections, he said.
Shivakumar said the government has also taken steps to identify and reclaim properties recorded as roads in revenue documents, asserting that such lands belong to the government.
"We have decided through the law that all the roads in the revenue records have been taken out. Those properties belong to the government itself," he said.
He noted that the initiative has received recognition from the Union government. "The Government of India has awarded us. It said that it is the model for the entire country," he said, while thanking officials involved in the project.
The Deputy CM said the government expects around 10 lakh additional households to benefit from the drive and assured that even those who have not downloaded their documents will receive printed copies free of cost at their residences.
"We will see that all the 25 lakh people will get their e-Khata to their home free of cost," Shivakumar said.
On apartment properties, he said all flats that have obtained occupancy certificates have been cleared.
"All the 37,460 flats (who have applied for e-Khata) have been issued an occupancy certificate. We have cleared all of them," the Deputy CM said.
