Maharashtra bypolls: Palghar EVMs sent in private car to strongroom
Palghar (Maharashtra), May 29 : After polling ended in the Palghar Lok Sabha bye-elections on Monday night, a polling officer in Maharashtra broke protocol and transported the confidential VVPAT-EVMs by his private car to the strongroom, early on Tuesday.
Confirming the incident, Palghar Collector Prashant Narnaware said that a report has been received from the election Zonal Office and a detailed investigation has been ordered through by the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) of the area.
According to available information, the concerned official, apparently tired of waiting for the bus, called for his own private car from home. It is not clear whether he was accompanied by any security personnel on this venture.
The Collector concurred that it was indeed "a serious lapse" since, after the voting in any elections, "the EVM-VVPATs are considered sacrosanct" and cannot be moved around anywhere in such an unauthorized manner.
"As per the guidelines, after voting is completed, a special bus is sent to pick up all the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail-Electronic Voting Machines from all the polling centres.
"Each bus has a specific route by which it travels, picks up the machines and takes them to the ARO office. In this case, the laid down procedures were not followed by the concerned officer," Narnaware told IANS.
The officer, whose name has not yet been made known, was the polling officer at Chinchani polling station in Dahanu sub-district.
He loaded a couple of EVM-VVPATs on the rear seat and drove off to the ARO's office early on Tuesday to deposit them in the strongroom before the counting process is undertaken on May 31.
When the shocking development came to light, whips were cracked and a police complaint is set to be lodged against the officer and others.
The high-stakes bye-elections to the Palghar Lok Sabha, along with Bhandara-Gondiya, were held on Monday, amidst widespread incidents of malfunctioning EVM-VVPATs and allegations of foul play by all opposition parties and ruling ally Shiv Sena.
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Sambit Patra's remarks on Lord Jagannath draw flak, says it was 'slip of tongue'
New Delhi, May 20: The Congress, BJD and AAP on Monday accused BJP leader and its Puri candidate Sambit Patra of insulting Lord Jagannath and hurting the sentiments of devotees with his remarks, which Patra said were a "slip of the tongue".
The Congress shared a video of Patra speaking in Odiya and slammed his remarks that "Mahaprabhu Lord Shri Jagannath is a devotee of Narendra Modi", demanding that Prime Minister Modi apologise for the same. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik also condemned Patra's comments and asked the "BJP to keep the Lord above any political discourse".
Amid uproar over his words, Patra took to X and said he spoke to multiple media channels after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Puri where he mentioned that "Modi ji is an ardent Bhakt of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu .. by mistake during one of the bytes I pronounced just the opposite (sic)".
"I know you too know and understand this... Sir let’s not make an issue out of a nonexistent issue... we all have “slip of the tongue sometimes”," Patra said in response to a post by Patnaik.
But the opposition parties latched on to the remarks, denouncing them as an "insult" to Lord Jagannath.
"BJP leader Sambit Patra saying that Mahaprabhu Lord Shri Jagannath is a devotee of Narendra Modi. This is a grave insult to Mahaprabhu. This statement has hurt the faith of crores of devotees," the Congress said on its X handle.
"Sambit Patra, who is immersed in Modi Bhakti, should not have committed this sin. Narendra Modi should apologise for this disgusting statement," the party said.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said it reinforces "our charge that a BJP, drunk with power, will not even spare our Gods, let alone India’s people".
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also said in a post on X in Hindi, "When the prime minister starts considering himself as an emperor and his courtiers start considering him as God, then it is clear that the downfall of the 'Lanka of sin' is near."
"Who gave a handful of BJP people the right to hurt the sentiments of crores of people? This ego is becoming the cause of their destruction," Gandhi said.
BJD leader and Odisha CM Patnaik in a post on X said, "Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of Universe. Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world."
"The Lord is the greatest Symbol of Odia Asmita. Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is totally condemnable.
"I strongly denounce the statement made by the BJP Puri Lok Sabha candidate and I appeal to the BJP to keep the Lord above any political discourse. By this, you have deeply hurt Odia Asmita and this will be remembered and condemned by the people of Odisha for a very long time," Patnaik said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the remarks by Patra reflect the "arrogance" of BJP leaders.
"They have started thinking that they are above God. This is the height of arrogance. Calling God bhakt of Modi ji is an insult to God."
Congress in-charge for Odisha, Ajoy Kumar also said in a post, "The country and Odisha will not tolerate this insult of Lord Jagannath ji!."
"Will the media ask any question to Sambit Patra? Where are those journalists with the 7 pm agenda? Where have those Hindutva organisations gone," he asked.
जब प्रधानमंत्री खुद को शहंशाह और दरबारी उन्हें भगवान समझने लगें तो मतलब साफ है कि पाप की लंका का पतन नज़दीक है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 20, 2024
करोड़ों लोगों की आस्था को चोट पहुंचाने का अधिकार मुट्ठी भर भाजपा के लोगों को आखिर किसने दिया?
यह अहंकार ही उनके विनाश का कारण बन रहा है।
Naveen Ji Namaskar!
— Sambit Patra (Modi Ka Parivar) (@sambitswaraj) May 20, 2024
I gave number of bytes today to multiple media channels after the massive success of Shri Narendra Modiji’s Road Show in Puri today, everywhere I mentioned that Modi ji is an ardent “Bhakt” of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu ..by mistake during one of the bytes I… https://t.co/6Q1Kuj5E6O
