PM Modi visits poll-bound Bihar amid mourning for Pahalgam attack victims
Faces criticism from opposition
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Madhubani in poll-bound Bihar, where he inaugurated multiple development projects and addressed a gathering on National Panchayati Raj Day. This comes despite the recent cancellation of his official programme in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
The Kanpur event, which was to witness the inauguration of ₹20,000 crore worth of development projects, was cancelled "in light of the recent terror attack that claimed a number of lives, including that of Shubham – a courageous young son of Kanpur," as per a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) quoted by All India Radio. The PMO noted that “as a mark of respect, it was considered appropriate to defer any celebratory or formal public engagement in Kanpur during this period of grief.”
Despite the sombre national mood, the Prime Minister went ahead with his Bihar visit. In Madhubani, he launched and laid foundation stones for development projects valued at over ₹13,480 crore and delivered a speech to mark National Panchayati Raj Day. He had returned from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning, cutting short a diplomatic visit after the Pahalgam attack, and held a high-level security meeting at Delhi airport with NSA Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
However, Modi's presence in Bihar has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. The Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) questioned the timing of the visit and accused the government of political opportunism amid national mourning.
The Bihar Congress said on social media platform X, “Leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi has cut short his US trip and returned to Delhi. Meanwhile, Modi ji will hold an election rally in Bihar today! The nation is in mourning, yet the Prime Minister is campaigning!”
The RJD went further, alleging that the Bihar administration was pressuring officials to mobilize crowds for the Prime Minister’s rally. “The pyres of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack have not yet been lit, but the country’s Prime Minister will come to Bihar to campaign and deliver speeches because Bihar is holding elections this year,” the party said. It added that local officials were being forced to ensure attendance through intimidation, calling it “an undeclared emergency.”
Meanwhile, all top leaders of the Janata Dal (United), the BJP’s ally in Bihar, skipped an all-party meeting convened in Delhi on the Pahalgam terror attack. JDU working president Sanjay Kumar Jha said they were prioritising the PM’s programme in Madhubani. “Whatever decision will be taken in the meeting, JDU will stand with the government and support it in the country’s interest,” he added.
The attack at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday killed 28 people, making it one of the deadliest terror strikes in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama attack. In response, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and shut down the integrated checkpost at Attari, delivering what it described as a strong diplomatic message to Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister has called a meeting of the National Security Committee following these developments.
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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.
