Rahul's Haryana vote theft claim 'baseless', attempt to defame country: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday dismissed Rahul Gandhi's allegation of mass vote theft in the Haryana Assembly Polls as "false and baseless" and accused the Congress leader of raising questions on the Election Commission to hide his failures and defame the country's democracy.
Rijiju's retort came hours after Gandhi cited electoral list data from Haryana to claim that 25 lakh entries were "fake" and the victory in the state was "stolen" from his party last year.
Gandhi said he had "100 per cent" proof of the malfeasance he alleged.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, in a press conference, accused Gandhi of "playing games" in collusion with "anti-India" forces to defame the country.
He said Gandhi goes abroad during elections, does not meet people on the ground, and cries foul after his party loses.
He derided him as someone who cannot work hard or live among the people.
If there is any irregularity with the voting, then one must flag it with the EC or approach the court. "But he never does it," he said about the Congress leader.
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.
'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
ALSO READ: Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa laid to rest with full state honours
Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
