EC wants maximum voting by differently-abled eligible voters
Agartala, Sep 1: The Election Commission would conduct intensive mapping aiming at getting the maximum number of differently-abled voters to exercise their franchise including in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and later, an official said here on Saturday.
"The Election Commission has asked all the states to conduct exhaustive mapping of differently-abled eligible voters so that maximum number of such voters can cast their votes in future elections...," Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti told the media here.
"Special arrangements, including engagement of volunteers were always made in most of the polling stations for the differently-abled eligible voters.
"Now the election authorities would conduct a study whether any polling station was missing in arranging the special arrangements for them.
"Our target is to make user-friendly special arrangements for each and every otherwise-abled eligible voter in their respective or nearest polling stations," he added.
According to the 2011 census, there are 2.68 crore differently-abled voters, which is 2.21 per cent of total of 121 crore population. Among the disabled population 56 per cent (1.5 crore) are men and 44 per cent (1.18 crore) are women.
"Of the 2.68 crore otherwise-abled persons, around 1.75 crore likely to be eligible voters," a senior official of the Tripura election department told IANS.
In Tripura, the Election Department would collect the number and other details of the state's "differently-abled" population from the Social Welfare Department. The state has approximately 50,000 physically challenged voters.
The Election Commission has directed conducting of a special summary revision of the electoral rolls of all states and Union Territories with January 1, 2019, as qualifying date of age.
"After several months of long summary revision of the voters list, the final publication of the photo-affixed electoral rolls would be done in the first week of January 2019 and on the basis of that rolls, the Lok Sabha elections would be held," Taranikanti said.
On Saturday, with the publication of the draft electoral rolls several months long process for a special summary revision of the electoral rolls has begun.
According to the draft rolls, Tripura currently has 25,73,413 electorates, including 12,68,027 women voters.
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'The Ba**ds of Bollywood’ mirrors my life, damages my reputation: Sameer Wankhede tells Delhi HC
New Delhi: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has submitted his reply to the Delhi High Court in the defamation case he filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The case pertains to the recently released series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede claims has defamed him.
In his statement to the court, Wankhede asserted that the show’s portrayal of a police officer is clearly based on him and has caused serious harm to his public image. He cited four key reasons supporting his claim.
First, he said the character in question bears physical similarities to him, including facial and body features. Second, he noted that the character’s working style and mannerisms closely resemble his own.
Third, Wankhede highlighted that the officer in the show is depicted making a high-profile arrest involving a major film personality, which he said directly mirrors his own involvement in the Aryan Khan drug case.
Fourth, he pointed out that the character frequently uses the phrase “Satyameva Jayate,” a motto he himself had used during media interactions in the course of that investigation. He argued that using the national motto in such a context cannot be dismissed as creative expression or humour.
Wankhede also referred to an interview in which Aryan Khan allegedly admitted that the show was “inspired by some real events.” This, he said, contradicts Red Chillies Entertainment’s claim that The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is purely fictional.
He further alleged that the tone and intent of the series indicate personal and institutional vendetta, aimed at discrediting and defaming him rather than engaging in artistic storytelling.
Wankhede informed the court that the fallout from the show has affected his family, with his wife and sister receiving abusive and vulgar messages online.
Rejecting Red Chillies’ argument that he is a “thin-skinned” officer, Wankhede said that a public servant cannot be expected to tolerate false and damaging portrayals simply because of his position. He emphasized that his legal action seeks to protect the constitutional rights and dignity of both himself and his family.
