Will not allow Parliament to function if discussion not held on SIR: Samajwadi Party
New Delhi (PTI): The Samajwadi Party on Sunday said it would not allow Parliament to function if a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is not held during the Winter Session.
After an all-party meeting convened by the government a day before the Winter Session of Parliament, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav asserted that the government cannot shy away from discussing SIR saying it is being conducted by the Election Commission.
"We will not allow the House to function if discussion is not held on SIR," he said.
"The Samajwadi Party has raised the issue of SIR because on a large scale, I have seen irregularities. First, we used to hear but now we are seeing that people's votes are being cut. In Bihar, there have been malpractices. We have demanded a discussion on it (SIR). They cannot shy away from it by citing the Election Commission," Yadav said.
The EC has been created by the government and the creator is bigger than the created, he said.
"Why can't discussion be done when wrongdoing is being committed. If the prime minister's (Narendra Modi) name is cut then will a discussion not take place?" Yadav said.
"I have gone to many places, and I am still travelling. I have been a voter since 1967. In the Etawah district, all of us have been put under Category C. Everyone in the entire district has been placed in Category C. From our district, there are seven MPs from both Houses of Parliament and three MLAs, and every single one of them has been placed in Category C," Yadav said.
The customary meeting was convened to ensure a smooth session which is slated to see introduction of several new bills.
The Winter session commences on Monday and will conclude on December 19.
There will be a total of 15 sittings in the session which has been dubbed as a "brief session" by the opposition. Usually, Parliament sessions have 20 sittings.
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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.
