MP Ravindra Waikar's brother-in-law booked on allegations of EVM tampering during Lok Sabha counting
Mumbai: Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Waikar, has been accused of violating electoral norms by allegedly using a mobile phone inside a counting center during the announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha Election results. The incident reportedly took place on June 4 at a center in Goregaon, a part of Waikar's constituency.
According to reports, polling personnel raised concerns after observing Pandilkar using a mobile phone, which was allegedly connected to an EVM. An independent candidate alerted the returning officer about the incident leading to action from the Vanrai police. Pandilkar has been booked under IPC section 188 for disobedience of official orders.
Ravindra Waikar, a Shiv Sena candidate, won the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat by 48 votes.
A report emerged on Sunday, claiming that Mangesh Pandilkar was using the phone, which was connected to the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Mid-day cited police as saying that this mobile phone was used for generating the OTP that unlocked the EVM machine
The allegations have triggered a political outcry, with opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, expressing apprehensions about the transparency and integrity of the electoral process. Gandhi criticized what he described as the lack of accountability in the handling of EVMs, labeling them as "black boxes" that require greater scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena(UBT)’s Aaditya Thackeray accused the Election Commission of withholding CCTV footage from the counting center, alleging compromised transparency. This has further fueled debates over the security and reliability of EVMs used in Indian elections.
Once a traitor, always a traitor!
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) June 16, 2024
The case of the mindhe gang candidate from North West Mumbai gets murkier, as the gaddar candidate indulges in treachery with democracy now.
Surprisingly, or not, the Entirely Compromised- election commission, has refused to share CCTV footage… pic.twitter.com/hT27Bb2qDQ
Another Shiv Sena UBT leader, Priyanka Chaturvedi, said, “It is the right of the candidate to seek CCTV footage of the counting day, yet it has been denied by the Mumbai Suburban District Collector to Amol Kirtikar ji who EC claims has lost by 48 votes.”
This is all a part of Vanrai Police Station investigation.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) June 16, 2024
Not to forget:
- There was pressure on Police not to file FIR which was demanded by not just @AmolGKirtikar ji but also two independent candidates
- it is the right of the candidate to seek cctv footage of the counting… pic.twitter.com/BQpIQTNzL4
Responding to criticisms, former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar defended the robustness of Indian EVMs, emphasizing their design as secure and isolated systems that are immune to external manipulation.
This is a huge sweeping generalization statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong. @elonmusk 's view may apply to US n other places - where they use regular compute platforms to build Internet connected Voting machines.
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) June 16, 2024
But Indian EVMs are custom… https://t.co/GiaCqU1n7O
Chandrasekhar was reacting to Tesla CEO Elon Musk's comment on the use of EVMs during election process. Musk had on Saturday sought the elimination of EVMs from the elections.
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Cong slams Modi govt as 'anti-worker', calls for review of new Labour code
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.
On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.
"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.
The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.
"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.
The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.
Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.
The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.
"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.
The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.
The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.
He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.
Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.
"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.
