APCR files complaint against Asianet Suvarna News, anchor Ajit Hanumakkanavar over Pakistan flag row
Bengaluru: The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has lodged a complaint with the Bengaluru Assistant Commissioner of Police against Asia Net Suvarna News and its anchor, Ajit Hanumakkanavar, accusing them of spreading communal hatred.
APCR General Secretary Mohammed Niyaz submitted a memorandum to the Assistant Commissioner of Police in RT Nagar, alleging that during a broadcast on May 9, 2024, Ajit Hanumakkanavar used the Indian flag to represent the Hindu population and the Pakistani flag to represent Muslims. This program was aired on television and on the channel's YouTube platform.
According to the complaint, the program discussed the Population Report released by the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM), which claims that the share of Hindus in India has decreased by 7.8% between 1950 and 2015. Niyaz, a high court lawyer, argued that Hanumakkanavar's use of national flags as metaphors for religious communities was not only misleading but also fostered fear among viewers about the changing demographics in India compared to other countries where Muslim populations are lower.
Niyaz urged the Assistant Commissioner to take legal action against both the channel and the anchor, arguing that the tone and tenor of the program were designed to incite fear and promote divisiveness based on religious identities.
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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.
