Bantwal: Locals protest after tipper-car collision, calls for action against speeding truck drivers
Bantwal: Tension gripped Loretto near Bantwal when a car traveling from Mysuru to Moodbidri was struck by an over-speeding tipper carrying gravel. The collision, which occurred at Loretto, caused significant damage to the front of the car, fortunately leaving the driver, Krishna Urs from Mysuru, unharmed.
Krishna Urs was en route to Moodbidri, where his daughter was studying at Alva's College, when the head-on collision with the tipper, owned by KNR Construction Limited, took place.
Local residents, outraged by the incident, staged a protest in Bantwal. They voiced their anger against private construction companies, alleging that their heavy vehicles not only caused accidents but also damaged the local roads.
The protesters specifically targeted KNR Construction Limited, highlighting that the company's tippers, frequently speeding along the National Highway stretch from BC Road to Addahole, had been involved in numerous accidents over the past two years.
Expressing frustration, the locals demanded legal action against the construction company. They urged authorities to file cases against KNR Constructions and insisted that the company's heavy vehicles be equipped with speed-control kits to ensure road safety.
The protest led to disruptions in traffic flow along the affected stretch, escalating tension in the area temporarily. Traffic Superintendent Sutesh, along with Assistant Sub-inspector Suresh Padar and police constables Raju, Vivek, and Santhosh, visited the accident site.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
