Those involved in lynching incidents are not nationalists : Venkaiah Naidu
New Delhi : Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said people involved in lynching incidents and hate crimes cannot call themselves nationalists, adding that a change in societal behaviour was required to prevent such cases, PTI reported on Sunday.
“It is the societal behaviour that has to change...when you kill the other man, how can you call yourself nationalist?” the vice president told the news agency in an interview on Tuesday. “On the basis of religion, on the basis of caste or on the basis of colour, or on the basis of gender, you discriminate. Nationalism, ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ has a wider meaning.”
Such incidents should not be politicised and linked with a party, he said. “This [lynching] is not because of this party or that party,” the vice president added. “The moment you attribute it to these parties, the cause is lost. That is what is happening, let me be very frank.”
The vice president claimed that such incidents used to occur in the past too.
On Friday, the Supreme Court gave all states a week to implement its earlier order laying down guidelines for the central and state governments to prevent incidents of mob lynching. The court had asked Parliament in July to consider creating a new penal provision on the matter, saying that mobocracy cannot be allowed in society.
But legislation alone cannot prevent such incidents, Naidu claimed. “When the Nirbhaya issue came, there was a clamour for Nirbhaya act,” he said, referring to the anti-rape law that was enacted in the aftermath of the gangrape of a young woman in Delhi in December 2012. “Nirbhaya act has come, did they stop? I am not getting into politics, the political parties they have their own way of highlighting it. I [had] said, what is required is not a mere bill, political will, administrative skill, and then go for the kill of the social evil.”
courtesy : scroll.in
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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.
