Mangaluru: During an impromptu visit to a boys' hostel in the city, which accommodates students from minority communities pursuing post-matriculation studies, Karnataka Minister for Housing, Minority Welfare, and Wakf, Zameer Ahmed Khan, was dismayed by its poor maintenance. In response, he ordered the suspension of the Taluk Extension Officer.
Khan, who was on a tour of Dakshina Kannada, decided to inspect the post-matriculation boys' hostel on Tuesday evening. Upon arrival, he was appalled to find that the hostel's cleanliness and hygiene were severely lacking, particularly in the state of the toilets.
During his visit, the students residing in the hostel approached Khan and voiced their concerns regarding the subpar quality of food being provided. They complained that chicken, which was supposed to be on the menu once a week, was only served once every two weeks. Furthermore, they pointed out that the daily food preparations did not adhere to the planned food chart.
Adding to their grievances, some students disclosed that they hadn't received bed sheets or pillows in the past five years. Their overall sentiment was that they felt neglected and uncared for during their stay at the hostel.
Irked by the dismal conditions he witnessed and the students' accounts, Minister Khan took action by ordering the immediate suspension of Taluk Extension Officer Manjunath. Notices were also issued to Dakshina Kannada District Minorities Welfare Officer Jinendra and hostel warden Ashok in connection with the matter.
During his visit, Minister Khan was accompanied by Minister Rahim Khan and Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, Naseer Ahmed.
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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.