Waikar should be stopped from taking oath as LS member: Raut amid row over poll result
Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar should be stopped from taking oath as the Lok Sabha member, amid a controversy after he won the Mumbai North West seat by a thin margin of 48 votes.
The Vanrai police in Mumbai have registered a case against Waikar's brother-in-law for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre in Goregaon (which is part of Waikar's constituency) on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced.
Speaking to reporters here, Raut said, "Waikar's electoral victory is under suspicion, and a complaint has already been filed at the Vanrai police station in Mumbai. Due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the poll outcome, Waikar should be prevented from taking oath as a member of the Lok Sabha."
Also read: Waikar OTP Case: Returning officer says 'EVM non-programmable'
"It would be a true display of democracy if he is stopped from being a Lok Sabha member until the investigation is concluded," he added.
Waikar, candidate of the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, defeated Amol Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by Uddhav Thackeray by 48 votes on June 4.
Raut, without taking any name, claimed a relative of Waikar made frequent visits to the Vanrai police station before the counting day and sought to know the purpose of it.
"Why did he go there? Was he trying to broker some deal? The details should be revealed, or else I will expose them," the Rajya Sabha member said.
Raut also targeted the state government over the case of a relative of Waikar allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre.
"Forensic labs in the state are part of the home department, headed by BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. If blood samples of the Pune Porsche car accident (accused) can be tampered with, one can imagine what could happen to a phone and its data in police custody," he said.
A fresh political slugfest erupted on Sunday over EVM tampering claims with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders citing a media report that alleged that a relative of Waikar was found using a mobile phone "connected" to an electronic voting machine during the counting of votes on June 4.
However, Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of the constituency, dismissed the report as "false news" and asserted that the EVM is a standalone system, not programmable and has no wireless communication capabilities.
The BJP hit out at the opposition leaders over the issue and demanded that the Election Commission should prosecute all those who "amplified the lie" by sharing the news report.
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25 lakh properties in Bengaluru brought under e-Khata system: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said that the state government has brought over 25 lakh properties under the e-Khata system in Bengaluru.
e-Khata is an electronic property certificate that maintains ownership information in an online database.
The e-Khata initiative aimed to ensure accuracy, transparency and universal coverage for property owners, he said.
Addressing a press conference here, Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru in-charge Minister, said over 25 lakh properties are being brought under the e-Khata system. Of them more than 7,000 applications have been processed, and additional outreach measures being planned for those yet to obtain their e-Khata.
"Twenty five lakh e-Khatas is a great number which has created history," he said.
The Deputy CM said the government is ensuring that every e-Khata will have its GPS, the shape of the property, and the measurement with every photo and document.
He explained that the government is integrating Aadhaar details, digital documentation, GPS mapping and property sketches to create a robust database.
"We want to see that every record is filled right. They (officials) are asking for documentation, stamp, digital documents. We wanted to connect every Aadhaar card and have it online," Shivakumar said.
To facilitate access, the Deputy CM announced the opening of more than 50 centres across Bengaluru, many of them in government schools, where citizens can apply for or rectify their e-Khata records.
"All of them will be working this Saturday. This 'Khata Mela' will be done. It is 'Nanna Khata, Nanna Swathu'," he said.
Applicants whose documents require verification will be given an acknowledgement and asked to return after 15 days, during which officials will conduct site inspections, he said.
Shivakumar said the government has also taken steps to identify and reclaim properties recorded as roads in revenue documents, asserting that such lands belong to the government.
"We have decided through the law that all the roads in the revenue records have been taken out. Those properties belong to the government itself," he said.
He noted that the initiative has received recognition from the Union government. "The Government of India has awarded us. It said that it is the model for the entire country," he said, while thanking officials involved in the project.
The Deputy CM said the government expects around 10 lakh additional households to benefit from the drive and assured that even those who have not downloaded their documents will receive printed copies free of cost at their residences.
"We will see that all the 25 lakh people will get their e-Khata to their home free of cost," Shivakumar said.
On apartment properties, he said all flats that have obtained occupancy certificates have been cleared.
"All the 37,460 flats (who have applied for e-Khata) have been issued an occupancy certificate. We have cleared all of them," the Deputy CM said.
