Four BJP men held for thrashing journalist in Chhattisgarh
Raipur : Raipur police late Saturday arrested four BJP office bearers for allegedly assaulting a journalist inside the party’s office earlier in the evening.
The arrests came after a case was registered against district president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal, a local leader Vijay Vyas, Utkarsh Trivedi and Deena Dongre.
Journalists had staged a protest inside the BJP office demanding the arrest of the four accused.
Journalist Suman Pandey said he had gone to cover a meeting the BJP had called to review their defeat in Raipur city in recent assembly elections. Pandey said many local leaders including Raipur BJP president and others were present.
“I also went to cover the meeting and suddenly there some BJP leaders started manhandling another leader which I started recording on my mobile phone. Subsequently, Utkarash Trivedi and Raipur president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal attacked me and started beating me. They snatched my mobile and deleted the recording and kept me in a room for about 20 minutes,” he said.
Pandey who sustained minor injuries then sat on protest along with other journalists inside the BJP office.
“We have registered a case under section 342, 323, and 504 of Indian Penal Code on the complaint of Suman Pandey and investigation in the case is going on,” said Prafull Kumar Thakur, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Raipur said ahead of the arrest.
Senior BJP leader and party spokesperson Sacchinand Upansane who was also present in the meeting, refuted the allegations and that no one had beaten the journalist.
“It was a review meeting and only allowed for party workers. Even after that the journalist was present in the meeting and was recording on the phone. Some workers objected and told him to delete the recording. He was never beaten. It was minor issue but our district president was booked by police,” said Upasane.
courtesy : hindustantimes.com
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
