B'luru: Cops deny permission for Pro-Palestine program; Netizens, artists outrage against state govt
Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police have denied permission for a program scheduled at Rangashankara in the city, intended to protest against Israel's recent actions in Palestine. The event, slated for November 29 at 5:30 pm, aimed to condemn Israel's ongoing activities in Palestine through a combination of poetry recitals and a short play, featuring artists MD Pallavi, Shwetanshu Bora, and Ramnik Singh.
Singer M.D. Pallavi took to Facebook to share a poster announcing the cancellation of the program, citing the refusal of permission by the police.
Expressing disappointment, Ramnik Singh remarked, "We decided to read poems along with Pallavi MD and Shwetanshu Bora. By threatening an organization like Rangashankar to cancel this program, the Karnataka state government has shown its lack of commitment to democracy."
The decision sparked outrage on social media, with individuals expressing their discontent over the government's move.
Shushma Rao, a Facebook user, commented on MD Pallavi's post, saying,, “What I fail to understand is, why is permission required to perform in a performance venue? It's a reading, not any other kind of demonstration. The space is meant for performance. This is just ridiculous!”
Another individual expressed, “Too much. We are no more a democratic country.”
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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.
