Mumbai: An old video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, filmed during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2012, has gone viral, showing him sharply questioning then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over border security lapses that allowed terrorists to enter India. The clip is circulating widely on social media in the wake of the recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

“Where do these terrorists and naxalites get their ammunition? It comes from foreign lands, yet you control our borders—so at least secure them properly,” Modi questioned while addressing a rally at the BJP National Executive Meet in Mumbai. He urged the government to focus on what it could control, specifically stopping the flow of goods from abroad that ultimately arm terrorists.

“Can’t the Prime Minister even supervise the flow of funds that reach terrorists through hawala channels from foreign countries into India?” the then Chief Minister—now Prime Minister—asked in the clip, which has garnered over 100,000 views. He emphasised that this responsibility rested with the Prime Minister.

He went on to ask how, despite the Prime Minister’s authority over coastal security and the Navy, such individuals could still infiltrate the country, insisting that the Prime Minister must address these lapses.

“The Government of India controls all communications, including telephone and email. They can intercept these channels to monitor terrorist use and prevent attacks,” Modi said, adding that he had raised this question with the Prime Minister but had not received an answer.

Netizens were quick to point out what they see as a double standard: the current Prime Minister has neither held a press conference nor taken responsibility for the security lapse since the Pahalgam attack. One user dismissed the discrepancy with “Bipolar disorder,” while another quipped, “Modi is present in all dimensions; he controls parallel universes and questions himself; he has the ability to transform both as interviewer and the interviewee!”

Another commenter contrasted Modi’s record as Chief Minister—when he freely grilled the Prime Minister—with his current approach: asking probing questions then but refusing to field any now.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.

Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.

After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.

A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.

Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.

“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).

He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.

“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.

When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”

Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.

“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.

He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.

“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.

The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.

“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.

Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”

Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.

Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.

“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.

Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.