Bhatkal boy wins big representing India at Quran memorization competition in Saudi Arabia
Bhatkal: Ibrahim bin Fahim Shahbandri, a young talent from Bhatkal represented India at the International Qur'an Memorization Competition organized by the Saudi government in Makkah and secured the second position in his category.
For this remarkable feat, he has been awarded 60,000 Saudi Riyals.
This global competition witnessed the participation of 166 contestants from 117 countries across five different categories. The event commenced on August 25 and concluded on September 6 with the final session held at Masjid Haram. During this session, prizes were conferred upon the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth-place winners in each category.
Ibrahim's educational journey began in Sharjah, where he actively participated in various Qur'an competitions and distinguished himself. Subsequently, he pursued his education up to the 10th standard at a school in Bhatkal, where he embarked on the noble endeavor of memorizing the Quran. Currently, he is an honors student at Jamia Salafia Banaras.
Ibrahim bin Fahim Shahbandri's outstanding achievement has brought honor and recognition to his hometown of Bhatkal and the entire nation.
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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.
