Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sonia Gandhi sit next to each other at Parliament event
New Delhi (PTI): Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress three years ago, on Tuesday was seen having an animated chat with former president of the party Sonia Gandhi and sitting next to her at a function held in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building.
Gandhi was sitting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party's Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the front row when Scindia stopped by and spoke to them.
He then sat next to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.
After some time, Scindia moved to sit near Gandhi as Kharge and Chowdhury left their seats to share the dais with Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi at the event.
Scindia had quit the Congress along with 22 MLAs, leading to fall of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh in 2020.
Members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha both had assembled in the Central Hall to participate in the event organised to commemorate the rich legacy of Parliament.
Dhankhar, Modi, Birla, Kharge, Chowdhury and Goyal addressed parliamentarians at the event.
In her address, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, who has served as minister for women and child development in the past, said she is proud to be part of the moment when the government will be giving women "an equal share in the future of India".
"I am as surprised as you are, seeing me here," she said in her opening remarks at the event.
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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.
