Spooked by anger of MSME owners, BJP attempted match-fixing in Surat LS seat: Cong
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Monday alleged the BJP was frightened by the anger of MSME owners and the business community and attempted "match-fixing" even in the Surat Lok Sabha seat which the ruling party has been winning since 1984.
The BJP's Mukesh Dalal is set to get elected unopposed from Surat after all other candidates withdrew from the fray while the candidature of the Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected on Sunday after the district returning officer prima facie found discrepancies in the signature of the proposers.
Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that democracy is under threat.
"'Aap chronology samajhiye' (Understand the chronology): Surat District Election Officer rejects the Congress' candidate for Surat Lok Sabha Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination for 'discrepancies in the verification of signatures of three proposers'. On similar grounds, officials reject the nomination of Suresh Padsala, the INC’s substitute candidate from Surat. The Congress is left without a candidate," he said on 'X'.
"All other candidates withdraw their nomination except the BJP’s candidate, Mukesh Dalal. The BJP candidate declared 'elected unopposed' from Surat Lok Sabha seat on April 22, 2024, nearly two weeks before polling on May 7, 2024," Ramesh added.
He claimed that the "distress" of micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) owners and the business community in PM Narendra Modi's "Anyay Kaal" and their anger have "spooked the BJP so badly that they are attempting to 'match-fix' Surat Lok Sabha, which they have won consistently since the 1984 Lok Sabha elections!"
"Our elections, our democracy, Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution -- all are under a generational threat. This is the most important election of our lifetime," Ramesh said on X.
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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
