Opposition parties know they will lose elections so looking for excuses: Javadekar on EVM row
Jaipur, Jan 22: Taking a swipe at the opposition for forming a committee on the voting machine issue, Union minister Prakash Javadekar Tuesday said the parties were going to face defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and therefore they have started to look for excuses.
Exuding confidence that the BJP-led NDA will again form the government at the Centre, the human resource development minister said his party will get more votes and more seats as compared to the previous Lok Sabha elections.
"In Kolkata rally, they did not form manifesto committee, they also did not set up any committee to look into that what will be their common minimum programme but they formed only one committee and it was about EVM (electronic voting machine). They know they are going to lose elections so they want to make EVMs the excuse of their defeat," Javadekar said at a press conference here.
"The opposition has no leader and no vision while we have the vision of an India without casteism, communalism, terrorism, appeasement and unemployment," he added.
He also accused the Congress of becoming narrow-minded party.
"NDA will get tremendous success in the leadership of Narendra Modi. We will get more seats and votes compared to the last elections," Javadekar said.
In Rajasthan, he said, the party has set a target to win all the 25 Lok Sabha seats.
On a question related to former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, who skipped a party's meeting yesterday, Javadekar said she was in Jhalawar on a personal visit.
"She is a popular leader and will be in an important role here as the national vice president in the party," he said.
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Riyan Parag likely to be fined 25 percent of match fees for vaping inside dressing room
New Delhi (PTI): Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag is set to be fined 25 per cent of his match fee for bringing the game into "disrepute" after being caught vaping on camera during the IPL game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
Parag's actions during the Royals' chase on Tuesday night drew condemnation on social media.
PTI has learned that on field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon had not reported the matter to match referee Amit Sharma right after the game. They only did that after seeing visual proof and Sharma found Parag guilty for a code of conduct breach as per the IPL guidelines.
The Level 1 offences carries 25 per cent deduction from match fees and one demerit point.
"He is set to be fined a portion of his match fees and a demerit point for a Level 1 offence," said an IPL source.
The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a Rs one lakh fine for a first time offence.
"Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct is intended to cover all types of conduct that bring the game into disrepute and which is not specifically and adequately covered by the specific offences set out elsewhere in this Code of Conduct, including Article 2.20," the IPL Code of Conduct states.
"By way of example, Article 2.21 may (depending upon the seriousness and context of the breach) prohibit, without limitation, the following: (a) public acts of misconduct; (b) unruly public behaviour; and (c) inappropriate comments which are detrimental to the interests of the game.
"When assessing the seriousness of the offence, the context of the particular situation, and whether it was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable and/or accidental, shall be considered.
"Further, the person lodging the Report shall determine where on the range of severity the conduct lays (with the range of severity starting at conduct of a minor nature (and hence a Level 1 Offence) up to conduct of an extremely serious nature (and hence a Level 4 Offence)."
Since it is a Level 1 offence there was no need for a hearing.
Parag, who has not had the best of times with the bat this IPL, was seen inhaling an e-cigarette, also known as vaping, in the dressing room during the live broadcast of their game against Punjab Kings. Royals won the game to end Kings' unbeaten run in the tournament.
This is not the first controversy to hit the Royals this season. Earlier this month, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs one lakh for breaching PMOA protocol after being found using his phone in the dugout.
IPL and BCCI officials involved in the conduct of the IPL termed it as a careless act in the age of social media and prying TV cameras.
Royals next host Delhi Capitals at home on Friday night.
