Eye-witnesses' silence shows slogan was not pro-Pakistan: Minister Priyank Kharge on slogan issue
Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister of Information and Technology Priyank Kharge has explained the falsehood in the report on some media channels that the supporters of Congress Rajya Sabha candidate Naseer Hussain shouted 'Pakistan Zindabad' while celebrating his victory, by pointing at the status quo maintained by the media cameramen and citizens who heard the slogan.
Criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for using the pro-Pakistan slogan issue to escape from facing challenges, Kharge, who is also the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, posted on his personal 'X' account on Tuesday, "Some media houses have confirmed that the supporters shouted 'Naseer Saab Zindabad'. In case the sloganeering was truly on 'Pakistan', should it not have sounded the same to all listeners?"
ALSO READ: DKShi, Gundu Rao slam BJP for lack of patience to wait till investigation reveals truth about slogan
Challenging the allegation further, Kharge has pointed out in his post, "Had the supporters indeed shouted 'Pakistan Zindabad', it would certainly have drawn the attention of the journalist at the spot and other citizens near the group. The reporter would obviously have turned his camera in the direction of the person who shouted so. The people too would have objected intensely to such a slogan. They would have ensured police action against a supporter shouting so. But, we find no change in the body language of either the reporter or the eye-witnesses."
ALSO READ: DKShi, Gundu Rao slam BJP for lack of patience to wait till investigation reveals truth about slogan
Extending his question before the media, the minister has asked in the post why the journalist did not display his patriotism on the occasion if a pro-Pakistan slogan was being shouted but continued but gone ahead with work, turning a blind eye to such an incident. Kharge has added, "It is important for the media to become conscious and strive for the uplift of the people rather than worshipping."
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Maharashtra Cong chief Nana Patole scrapes through in Sakoli, wins by 208 votes
Mumbai, Nov 23: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole survived a scare from his nearest BJP rival in the Sakoli assembly constituency but managed to win the tight contest by a narrow margin of 208 votes.
Patole, the incumbent Congress MLA from Sakoli, polled 96,795 votes, while his challenger from BJP, Avinash Brahmankar, came tantalisingly close to bagging 96,587 votes.
Independent nominee Somadatta Karanjekar was a distant third, bagging 18,309 votes.
While Patole managed to save the face with the thin margin, the Congress unit led by him and the Maha Vikas Aghadi were routed by the BJP-led Mahayuti in the one-sided contest.
