Revoke Suu Kyi's Congressional Gold Medal: Indian-American Congressman
Washington, Sep 12 : Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has said that he wants to revoke Myanmar State Counsellor Suu Kyi's Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honour in the US, which was bestowed on her with much fanfare six years ago.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi has been silent as military rulers of Myanmar ravaged the Rohingyas, an ethnic minority group on the country's western border, in a brutal campaign the UN deemed "genocide".
"For Aung San Suu Kyi to not speak out and to talk about a proportionate response to terrorism is a total abdication of any morality," Khanna, a Democrat from California, was quoted as saying by the Hill newspaper.
"We should revoke the congressional medal, and beyond that she should be investigated as part of the UN's (war crimes) tribunal," he said.
While there is a growing appetite on Capitol Hill for concrete steps to press Suu Kyi to rediscover the voice of moral clarity that made her a celebrated human rights symbol, many are out of patience.
"Her leadership is unacceptable - she's turned a deaf ear - and who the hell is she kidding?" said Representative Bill Pascrell. "She came in like the Blessed Mary and she's wound up like Jezebel."
But Representative Gerry Connolly said that revoking the medal may effectively harm their cause and send "a really strong burn-your-bridge kind of message".
"If our object here is to engage her and to incentivize and encourage her to speak out, even though we understand the delicacy of the balance with the military, I'm not sure that's the best way to do it," he said.
To make their case, bipartisan coalitions in both chambers of the Congress have sent a flurry of letters to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging tougher sanctions on the repressive Myanmar government.
One notable exception to the condemnations was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a close friend to Suu Kyi, who says that she "simply lacks the power to rein in the violence in a country where the military elite still yield outsized authority over public policy - and could potentially knock her from power".
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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.
