Mayawati raises concerns over 'foreign influence' in Indian elections
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday raised concerns over alleged foreign interference in Indian elections, citing reports that USD 21 million was allegedly sent by an US agency under the pretext of increasing voter participation.
"The news from America is quite shocking as a massive amount of USD 21 million has reportedly been provided in the name of increasing voter participation in India. The people of the country must remain cautious and question whether this is an interference in free and fair elections, and if so, who has been benefiting from it," she said in a press note issued by the party here on Monday.
Her reaction came after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire Elon Musk announced a series of expenditure cuts, including USD 21 million allocated for "voter turnout in India." The DOGE in a post on X on Saturday announced cancelling many programmes costing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars. The department said, "US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all (of) which have been cancelled..."
The list included USD 486 million in grants to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening including USD 21 million for "voter turnout in India".
In the press note issued by the party on Monday, the BSP chief also said the "overwhelming dominance of the BJP and AAP under government protection" made conditions unfavourable for her party in the Delhi elections.
"BSP members fought with full strength in the Delhi elections, just like they did in Haryana. However, due to the strong political maneuvering and deceptive promises of the opposing parties, as well as the overwhelming dominance of BJP and AAP under government protection, BSP could not achieve the expected results," she said.
Despite the disappointing results in the Delhi polls where her party could not win a single seat, Mayawati urged BSP workers not to feel discouraged and remain committed to their cause, emphasising the party's ideological foundation and historical successes.
She said the "BSP has always been a party of struggle" and has achieved significant political milestones through its dedication to the principles of B R Ambedkar.
"Everyone must remember that BSP is an Ambedkarite party that has gained many political and electoral successes through struggle. Particularly in Uttar Pradesh, during its four terms in government, the BSP has worked extensively for the dignity, self-respect, and economic liberation of the Bahujan community.
"Due to this, caste-based, capitalist, and communal forces have continuously conspired against the BSP and its leadership, using every possible tactic including political manipulation, financial coercion, and false propaganda to weaken the party. However, we must not be disheartened but continue working tirelessly towards achieving power through the right to vote, as envisioned by Dr B R Ambedkar," she asserted.
The BSP drew a blank in the Delhi polls held earlier this month.
The BJP won a comfortable majority (48 seats) in the elections to the 70-member assembly, ousting the Aam Aadmi Party from power after a decade.
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UP man gets life term for electrocuting mentally challenged wife to death in Bareilly
Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A local court here has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his mentally challenged wife by repeatedly electrocuting her while she was tied to a cot, lawyers said on Thursday.
Additional district government counsel Harendra Singh Rathore said Additional Sessions Judge Avinash Kumar Singh on Wednesday convicted Vinod Kumar (45) for killing his wife, Satyavati, in Chaina village of Bareilly district and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on him.
According to the prosecution, he was allegedly frustrated with his wife Satyavati's mental illness and often assaulted her.
Rathore said the prosecution examined nine witnesses to establish the charges against him.
As per court records, on the night of May 1-2, 2022, when Satyavati was asleep, Vinod tied her hands and legs to a cot using ropes and then connected an aluminium cable to an electric board to repeatedly administer electric shocks to her.
"She writhed in pain, but the accused continued to electrocute her until she died," the prosecution said.
The court observed that the murder was carried out in an inhuman manner.
After committing the crime, the accused threw the rope and cable on the roof and left for work at a brick kiln around 2 am to create a false alibi.
He later tried to mislead the police and the victim's family by claiming that Satyavati, whose mental condition was unstable, had accidentally died by suicide after grabbing a live electric wire.
However, the victim's brother, Sanjeev, a resident of Shahjahanpur district, suspected foul play and lodged an FIR under sections 498A (husband subjecting wife to cruelty) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code at Nawabganj police station.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on the post-mortem report prepared by Dr Faraz Anwar, who stated that multiple electrocution marks found on different parts of the victim's body could not have been self-inflicted.
The police also recovered the rope and electric wire used in the crime on the accused's identification, officials said.
