Panel found lapses, corruption in Covid-19 management in Karnataka: Minister Kharge
Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister of Information Technology Priyank Kharge said on Monday that, in an informal meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, Justice John Michael Cunha Commission chief told the CM that the procedural lapses, dereliction by officials and corruption in Covid-19 management when the BJP was in power were found.
Kharge said that the Commission head handed the CM a 1,722-page report on the procurement of Covid-19 supplies worth Rs. 7,223 crore, reports Deccan Herald. Stating that he was present during the meeting on Saturday, the minister added that he was unaware of the details given in the report and would get more information only when the CM presented the report before the Cabinet.
He said that the CM had presented a trailer in the Assembly, with a list of 21 scams during the tenure of the previous BJP government, and added that the current Congress government in Karnataka would end all these scams. The minister also said that the state government was yet to raise the issue of the scam at the Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Ltd.
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Kharge expressed ire that, in some cases, central agencies were meddling with the government efforts to end scams in Karnataka, accusing the BJP of misusing the CBI, IT, ED and Raj Bhavan, although the state government was not at fault. He also alleged that the BJP was involved in corruption.
Referring to BJP member and former Health Minister of Karnataka Dr. K Sudhakar’s announcement of a legal battle against the Congress, Kharge asked what the BJP’s source of information was, as the members of the Congress were yet to learn about the contents of the report submitted by Justice John Michael Cunha Commission. He also asked why Sudhakar was speaking about a legal fight against the government when it had not named anyone. The minister, however, stressed that the state government had considered an investigation into the irregularities during the pandemic necessary.
Large and Medium Industries MB Patil alleged that the BJP government had indulged in mega loot during the Covid-19 outbreak, instead of showing its humanitarian concerns. Dr. Sudhakar was involved in hoarding huge amounts of money even as the people suffered, Patil opined.
In Tumakuru, Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara told reporters that the term of the Commission probing the irregularities during the pandemic had been extended by eight months.
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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.
