K'taka CM says have faith in SIT, no need to handover probe of sexual abuse case to CBI
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday expressed confidence in the state government-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sexual harassment case against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna and asserted that there was no need to hand it over to CBI.
Hitting out at the opposition parties, he claimed that the BJP (when it was in power in the State) had never assigned even a single case to CBI and that there was a time when the outfit used to refer to CBI as ‘Corruption Bureau of Investigation’. Former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda used to call CBI as 'Chor Bachao Institution’ and now they love CBI? he told reporters here.
On JD(S) second-in-command and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s demand to hand over the case to CBI, Siddaramaiah said, “There is no need to hand over the case to the CBI. I have confidence and trust in our police (SIT). They will conduct an investigation in accordance with law.”
The CM cited some cases referred to the CBI during the previous Congress rule in the State and asked: "but was anyone punished in these cases?"
“Our government does not interfere in legal proceedings and investigations. They (SIT) are conducting the inquiry in the right manner. Not now, nor in the past, have I instructed any police officers to do something beyond or against the law. However, there is no need for a CBI probe. Our police should be trusted,” he said.
As per the law, the SIT has been constituted. “I have trust in our police officers. They will find out the truth,” he added.
The Chief Minister made it clear that neither he nor Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar are involved in the investigation of the case.
Responding to allegations of "political interference" in JD(S) MLA H D Revanna's arrest in a kidnapping case, he asked: "If there is no truth in the allegation against him, why did he seek anticipatory bail? Why was the bail application rejected by the Court?"
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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.
