CM Siddaramaiah condemns Tejasvi Surya for distorting statements on Martyr Pranjal, demands apology
CM shares full video of his statement on Martyr Pranjal
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has expressed his outrage over BJP MP Tejasvi Surya allegedly misrepresenting his statements regarding Martyr Captain M V Pranjal who was killed during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the press in the city, he stated, “ It has come to my notice that a BJP MP named Tejaswi Surya has distorted my statement by misrepresenting it, giving it a wrong angle and spreading it on social media.”
The CM further clarifying regarding the trimmed clip, stated, “I could not hear the reporter’s question initially due to noise, however, later after understanding the reporters question which was concerning the Martyr brave warrior Pranjal, I have not only responded to the reporter by stating that the state government is committed to providing compensation but also informed him that if it is learned that any other state has given compensation of one crore rupees to the martyred soldiers, I am ready to give the same amount. Today, our officials handed over a compensation cheque to the family of Martyr Pranjal..”
The Chief Minister shared the full video of his statement in front of Journalists, asserting that the distortion not only insulted Martyr Pranjal and his family but also the entire soldier community. He demanded a public apology from Tejasvi Surya for the misleading representation.
The BJP MP from Bengaluru South Constituency, Tejasvi Surya had allegedly shared a trimmed clip of CM Siddaramaiah on his ‘X’ account, where the CM when asked by a reporter about the timeline of compensation for Martyr Pranjal is seen saying. “ who announced the compensation and when.”
Surya also wrote on ‘X’ , “It’s truly unfortunate to see a CM being so arrogant and ungrateful towards Capt Pranjal’s sacrifice.”
Mr Chief Minister,
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) December 4, 2023
It’s truly unfortunate to see a CM being so arrogant and ungrateful towards Capt Pranjal’s sacrifice. Your callous reference to Capt Pranjal and forgotten promise speaks richly about how casually you see such sacrifices.
I had requested you the compensation… pic.twitter.com/033FUZI6U1
In the meantime, expressing regret in BJP’s alleged politicization of the country, God and soldiers, Siddaramaiah stated, “The people of the country have understood that the country, God and soldiers are all mere commodities of political trade for the Bharatiya Janata Party. On the day when the dead body of Martyr Pranjal was brought here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although he was in Bangalore, did not even show the courtesy of paying last respects to the martyr and condoling his parents. We did not go to debate regarding this. However, it is unforgivable that the BJP MP used the sacrifice of a brave soldier as a commodity for his fake news factory and tried to harm my dignity. Such liars are a stain to the state.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah taking to social media further urged the people of the state to teach Tejasvi Surya a lesson.
It has come to my attention that a BJP MP named Tejaswi Surya has mispresented my statement and circulated it on social media. In the video, due to the background noise, the initial part of the reporter's query was unclear. When I realised the question pertained to the late Capt… pic.twitter.com/Gsk9tmb8BZ
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 5, 2023
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
