Uma Bharti slams MP IAS official for remark on girls being deprived of breastmilk;asks CM for action
Bhopal, Nov 3: Former Union minister Uma Bharti on Thursday criticised a senior bureaucrat in Madhya Pradesh for his reported statement on the rise in women breastfeeding their newborn daughters due to the state government's 'Ladli Laxmi' scheme.
In a series of tweets in Hindi, Bharti asked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to look into the "inconsistent and ridiculous" statement reportedly made by Ashok Shah, Additional Chief Secretary, state Women and Child Development Department.
As per a media report, Shah, while addressing the event in which 'Ladli Laxmi 2.0' scheme was launched on Wednesday, said girls lagged behind boys in mental development as "girls were not given their mothers' breast milk".
"Till 2005, only 15 per cent mothers breastfed their daughters, but today this has increased to 42 per cent. When daughters are deprived of their mother's milk, they become weak in all respects and we have to end this mindset. You come forward, the government is standing with you," Shah reportedly said.
He also hailed Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the scheme, adding that such social revolutions are started by politicians and will not take place just on the basis of the society.
On Thursday, Bharti, a veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, said she had spoken to CM Chouhan as the statement was reportedly made in the latter's presence.
In her tweets, the former MP chief minister claimed that even Chouhan was "surprised, and disagreed with the statement".
"If the statement has been reported correctly by the media, then it is anti-mother and an attempt to malign the image of mothers in the state. The officials should remain alert and responsible for their remarks," Bharti said.
"Rich or poor, every mother feeds her daughter from the day of her birth. Maybe one in a lakh won't be able to do so for many reasons. After all, women are daughters only and how did they survive?" she further said.
Bharti said CM Chouhan may have not been able to hear the statement correctly at the time "due to a lot of disturbance", but he will find a way "to correct it".
Bharti, who praised the 'Ladli Laxmi 2.0' scheme, also tweeted the media report that carried the senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official's quote.
MP Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja also dubbed Shah's statements as "anti-women and anti-daughter".
1. मध्यप्रदेश में लाडली लक्ष्मी योजना 2.0 के क्रियान्वयन शुरू होने का स्वागत्। @OfficeofSSC
— Uma Bharti (@umasribharti) November 3, 2022
2. मध्य प्रदेश सरकार के इस कार्यक्रम में भाषण देते हुए प्रदेश के वरिष्ठ अधिकारी का बेहद असंगत एवं हास्यास्पद कथन देखा। @OfficeofSSC pic.twitter.com/88NBxjHNsy
6. अगर यह कथन सही छपा है तो यह बेटी विरोधी, माता विरोधी एवं मध्यप्रदेश की मातृशक्ति की छवि खराब करने वाला है, अधिकारियों को अपने बयान के प्रति सचेत एवं जिम्मेवार रहना चाहिए। @OfficeofSSC
— Uma Bharti (@umasribharti) November 3, 2022
7. अमीर हो या ग़रीब, बेटा हो या बेटी, बच्चे के जन्मते ही हर माँ अपने बच्चे को दूध पिलाती ही है, लाखों में एक केस में कई कारणों से ऐसा नहीं होता होगा। आखिर सारी महिलाएँ बेटियाँ ही हैं वो ज़िंदा कैसे रह गईं। @OfficeofSSC
— Uma Bharti (@umasribharti) November 3, 2022
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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.
