Rajnath Singh chairs all-party meeting on Pahalgam attack; PM absent
New Delhi, Apr 25: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, after attending the all party meeting on Pahalgam attack informed the media that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting in the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting also saw the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Speaking after the meeting, Kharge said, “Today’s meeting was chaired by Rajnath Singh. Amit Shah was also present. We all collectively condemned the Pahalgam terror incident.” However, his remarks also hinted at a sense of dissatisfaction regarding the Prime Minister’s non-participation.
Earlier in the day, the Congress party had clearly demanded that Prime Minister Modi himself should chair the crucial meeting, given the gravity of the situation and the national concern it has generated. The Congress had urged the government to ensure that the Prime Minister lead the deliberations, emphasising the need for collective political resolve and unity in the face of terrorism.
Despite the ongoing security concerns, Prime Minister Modi was in Bihar on Thursday, where he participated in the National Panchayati Raj Day programme held in Madhubani. He also addressed the event during the visit.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said, “Considering the extreme seriousness of the issue and the mood of the nation, the Indian National Congress expects the PM to chair the All-Party meeting scheduled for 6PM today and take all political parties into confidence and build a collective resolve.”
The government had informed earlier that the meeting would be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, with Home Minister Amit Shah also in attendance. However, the absence of the Prime Minister from the key discussion has drawn criticism, particularly from the Opposition.
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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.
