PM Modi is winning elections through 'fraud', alleges Mallikarjun Kharge
Bengaluru, Oct 31: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is winning the elections by resorting to "fraud" and questioned the authenticity of EVMs.
The Congress veteran also referred to business tycoon Elon Musk's statement questioning the genuineness of EVMs to support his claim.
"Modi hasn't won any election. Everything is fraud. He gets 10,000 names removed from the voter list or get 10,000 to 20,000 new names added. This is the truth but the question is how to prove it," Kharge said at the Congress Bhavan here.
He was speaking at an event to pay tribute to former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi and Congress stalwart and first Deputy Prime Minister of India Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
Kharge said Musk, who is a tech expert, has said EVMs can be altered and hacked through computers.
He added that no major western nation such as the US, Canada, Britain, Germany, France or Italy use EVMs.
The Congress chief took a dig at the BJP leaders for defending EVMs everytime.
"They (BJP) say when we win we don't blame EVMs and don't demand ballot papers as in Telangana and Karnataka, but when the BJP wins we blame EVMs," Kharge said.
The veteran leader said, "We know their programme (strategy). They (BJP) know what to do, where and to whom."
The MP said there is a consistent effort to snatch and separate Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel from Congress which cannot happen because he staunchly believed in Congress ideology and had banned RSS post Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.
Kharge also accused Modi of "dividing" people instead of uniting them on the basis of religion and caste.
He also flayed the PM for not appreciating the Congress leaders such as Indira Gandhi and former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi for sacrificing their lives for the country.
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'Explosion-like' sounds in Kerala village due to cracking of rocks, not dangerous: KSDMA
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31: The "explosion-like" sounds, accompanied by tremors, that were heard in the Anakkallu area of Malappuram district a day ago, were apparently caused due to friction and cracking of rocks close to the surface of the earth, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said on Thursday.
According to a joint statement issued by the KSDMA and the District Disaster Management Authority in Malappuram, District Geologist, Ground Water Department Geologist and District Hazard Analyst conducted a site inspection where the noise and vibrations occurred on October 17, 18 and 29.
Based on the inspection, the KSDMA concluded the noise and vibrations were "caused by the friction and cracking of rocks close to the surface of the earth" -- a phenomena which has been reported in many parts of Kerala before -- and were generally not dangerous.
This phenomenon is often caused by subtle natural changes in the earth. They are also caused by the displacement of rocks due to groundwater utilisation and when air contained in small cavities inside the earth escapes through tube wells, KSDMA said in the statement.
It said a decision has been taken to subject the site to a geophysical survey to understand the structure of the area more accurately and for that the Kozhikode NIT has been contacted by the KSDMA.
Regarding the damage suffered by some buildings due to the vibrations, it said that the same was due to their "age and structural weakness".
The authority said that depending on the extent and pattern of the cracks suffered by the buildings, the damage can be repaired by an engineer for continued use.
Nearly 300 people were moved to safety after the "explosion-like" sounds accompanied by tremors were heard by them in Anakkallu area in Malappuram district on Tuesday night.
The first sound was reportedly heard at 9.15 pm on Tuesday, followed by two more at 10.15 pm and 10.45 pm along with mild tremors, and reportedly within a 2-km radius, causing panic among the local residents.
Local residents had said they heard alarming sounds similar to those heard from granite quarries at their place repeatedly accompanied by continuing tremors.
Cracks were also found to have developed in some houses in the area, they had said.
