Rahul Gandhi is LoP in LS, EC must respond to his charges: Prashant Kishor
Patna(PTI): Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has said the Election Commission should come clean on doubts raised about the Maharashtra assembly polls by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The former poll strategist said that while he did not consider himself a "specialist" in these matters, the EC should respond to allegations made "in writing" by Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
"The Congress is the main opposition party in the country. Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. Hence, the EC should dispel any doubts that he has raised," Kishor told reporters.
The IPAC founder, who is on a tour of Bihar to galvanise public support for his Jan Suraaj Party ahead of the assembly polls, was responding to queries from journalists in Begusarai late Sunday evening.
Notably, Gandhi had last week written an article in a national English daily wherein he had alleged that the assembly polls held in Maharashtra last year were not free and fair, a reason why these were swept by the NDA, months after the BJP-led coalition was drubbed in the Lok Sabha polls in the western state.
The Election Commission, on its part, has come out with a point-by-point rebuttal.
Kishor said, "Rahul Gandhi has not expressed his view not in a bite but in writing, through a newspaper article".
However, Kishor had in the past worked with the Congress as an election consultant and had also toyed with the idea of formally joining that party prior to floating his own outfit.
"As such, if doubts remain in people's minds about the fairness of the electoral process, it would not be good for a democracy. Hence, the EC must come forward and dispel all misgivings," he said.
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Delhi to adopt fully digital system for time bound traffic challan disposal
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government will soon implement amended Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, making the traffic challan process completely digital and time-bound, to curb violations and enhance road safety, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.
Under the new framework, avoiding challans will no longer be possible and timely resolution will be mandatory for all citizens. Importantly, violators will not be able to approach courts directly to contest a challan without first going through the prescribed process, said a Delhi CMO statement.
Anyone committing five or more traffic violations within a year will be classified as a "serious offender" and will risk suspension or disqualification of their driving licence under the amended rules, it said.
Gupta noted that the issuance of challans will now be fully modernised.
Police or authorised officers can issue challans either physically or electronically. In addition, violations captured through cameras and digital surveillance systems will automatically generate challans. The e-challans will be delivered within three days to the violators through their mobile numbers, and a physical notice will be delivered within 15 days.
Once a challan is issued, the violator will have 45 days to either pay the fine or challenge it before a grievance redressal officer through the online portal, supported by documentary evidence. If no action is taken within this period, the challan will be deemed accepted, and payment must be made within the next 30 days, the statement said.
If a challenge is rejected, the individual can either pay the fine within 30 days or approach the court after depositing 50 per cent of the challan amount.
Failure to act within the stipulated time will result in the challan being treated as accepted, with payment required within 15 days thereafter.
Payments can be made through electronic modes. The grievance redressal officer will be required to upload a decision on the portal within 30 days, it said.
The chief minister made it clear that once deadlines lapse, daily electronic notices will be issued. Continued non-payment will lead to restrictions on all vehicle-related services, including payment of taxes and processing of driving licence or registration-related requests.
The vehicle will be flagged on the official portal as 'not to be transacted,' effectively blocking any further transactions until the dues are cleared. In cases where necessary, and subject to court orders, police or authorised officers may also impound vehicles involved in violations.
All challans will be issued in the name of the registered vehicle owner, who will be notified via SMS, email or other digital means, it added.
