Go to court or EC if you have proof: Eknath Shinde on Rahul Gandhi's 'vote theft' allegations
Thane (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday targeted the Opposition Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi over his "vote theft" allegations, saying they should approach the court or the Election Commission if they have a proof.
By making such "baseless claims", they have insulted the people of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Shinde told reporters at an event here.
Gandhi on Thursday claimed a "huge criminal fraud" in polls through "collusion" between the BJP and the Election Commission, citing an analysis of voter rolls in a constituency in Karnataka last year.
A day after, he alleged that the Election Commission and the BJP colluded to "steal" the Lok Sabha election from the people, and that there was "vote theft" in at least three states.
Gandhi had also alleged that the Maharashtra assembly poll results (last year) confirmed the Congress's suspicion that the election was 'stolen'.
Asked about such charges, Shinde, without taking any name, criticised the Opposition for making "wild allegations" in public.
"If they have proof, they should go to the court or the Election Commission. By making such baseless claims, they have insulted the citizens of Maharashtra who elected the Mahayuti (comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP), as well as our sisters, brothers, farmers and the people of the state," he said.
Soon after Gandhi levelled the charge asserting that "vote chori"(vote theft) is an "atom bomb on our democracy", the Chief Electoral Officers of Karnataka and Maharashtra had asked the former Congress chief to share names of electors he claimed were "wrong" in the voters' list along with a signed declaration for poll authorities to initiate "necessary proceedings" in the matter.
The Election Commission on Friday accused Gandhi of recycling old allegations of poll irregularities settled by the Supreme Court, and asked the Congress leader to provide a written declaration on his claims about wrongful entries in the voters' list or tender an apology.
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Rupee falls 32 paise to all-time low of 95.20 against US dollar
Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI): The rupee depreciated 32 paise to an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, weighed down by elevated Brent crude oil prices, hovering around USD 122 per barrel, and strong American currency.
Forex traders said the USD/INR pair may see further downside, as rising crude oil prices are likely to sharply impact India's import costs, while concerns over potential wider conflict in West Asia are fuelling investor anxiety.
Meanwhile, the US dollar added to gains after the US FED Reserve kept rates unchanged. Safe-haven demand was also boosted by another diplomatic setback between Washington and Tehran.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.01 against the US dollar, then lost some ground and touched an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a fall of 32 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee depreciated 20 paise to close at an all-time low of 94.88 against the US dollar.
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"The main effect on the rupee has been from the rising oil prices, which touched USD 120 per barrel and looked headed for further upside as the US continues with its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran does not allow any ship/tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.01 per cent higher at 98.96.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 3.16 per cent at USD 121.76 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex tumbled 821.79 points to 76,674.57 in early trade, while the Nifty dived 287.3 points to 23,890.35.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 2,468.42 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue with their sale of Indian Equities and debt (the yield touched 7 per cent on Wednesday) and are also dollar buyers consistently," Bhansali added.
