Param Bir Singh's letter, Waze case tainted MVA's image, allies need to introspect: Sanjay Raut
Mumbai, Mar 21: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay raut on Sunday admitted that the allegations made by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh against minister Anil Deshmukh, and the Sachin Waze case have tainted the image of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state, and said all allies need to introspect if their feet are on the ground.
Talking to reporters, he also said that "something needs to be rectified" and the ruling allies should come together to discuss how these stains can be washed off.
His statements come in the wake of Param Bir Singh's letter sent on Saturday to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, in which he has alleged that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh wanted police officers to collect at least Rs 100 crore from city bars and hotels every month, a charge denied by the minister.
"Such allegations against the government or ministers are unfortunate and shocking. The contents (of Singh's letter) are sensational," he said.
"The veracity of the letter's contents will be done by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and (NCP president) Sharad Pawar. The MVA government has completed a year-and-a-half now and all allies need to introspect if their feet are on the ground," he said.
Raut said the police administration is the backbone of any government.
The backbone is symbol of pride and self-respect and the government should always strengthen it, he added.
"This government is doing well. But now something needs to be rectified and the MVA allies should get together to discuss how the stain can be washed off," he said.
"I have to accept that these allegations and the Waze case have tainted the image of the government...Uddhav Thackeray has always tried to keep the government's image clean. What happens because of government officials needs to controlled at the right time," the Shiv Sena MP added.
Raut said that Deshmukh himself has called for an investigation into the allegations against him.
"Even as the state investigative agencies are under Deshmukh, he has asked the chief minister to order a probe," he said.
The Sena leader said he would try to meet Sharad Pawar in Delhi on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Raut tweeted a two-line Hindi poem, of which one line says- 'We are only in search of new paths'. When asked about what he meant by it, he only said, "You will know the meaning soon."
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
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.
