R Ashok calls for CBI probe into Valmiki Corporation scandal
Bengaluru: In the wake of the Valmiki Development Corporation scandal involving the suicide of an officer and alleged embezzlement of Rs 185 crores, opposition leader R. Ashok has vehemently demanded a thorough investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Expressing outrage over the perceived protection of implicated officials by the ruling Congress government, Ashok spoke on the need for transparency and justice.
In a social media post addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ashok criticized the government's handling of the case, accusing it of delaying investigations and ultimately closing them without satisfactory resolution.
"Dear CM Siddaramaiah," Ashok's post reads, "the innocent and honest officer who fell victim to this scam deserves justice. A CBI investigation is imperative to ensure a fair resolution in a case where hundreds of crores have been siphoned off to multiple companies."
R Ashok urged immediate action to deliver justice to the deceased officer's family, who belong to the Scheduled Tribes, and called for the removal of Minister B. Nagendra from the cabinet to uphold the integrity of the government.
ವಾಲ್ಮೀಕಿ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ನಿಗಮದ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಯ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಹಾಗು 185 ಕೋಟಿ ಅವ್ಯವಹಾರ ಪ್ರಕರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂಡ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಚಾರ ನಡೆದಿರುವುದು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಸಚಿವ @BNagendraINC, ನಿಗಮದ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಹಾಗು ಭ್ರಷ್ಟ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಮಾಡಲು ಹೊರಟಿದೆ ಈ ಲಜ್ಜೆಗೆಟ್ಟ @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರ.
— R. Ashoka (ಮೋದಿ ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ) (@RAshokaBJP) June 1, 2024
ಸಿಎಂ @siddaramaiah ನವರೇ, ಈ… pic.twitter.com/Vi2ucTBUdv
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Supreme Court rejects plea for reverting to ballots in elections
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to revert to ballot paper voting in elections in the country.
"What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs (electronic voting machine) are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," remarked a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale.
Apart from ballot paper voting, the plea sought several directions including a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for a minimum of five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor or other material inducement to the voters during polls.
When petitioner-in-person K A Paul said he filed the PIL, the bench said, "You have interesting PILs. How do you get these brilliant ideas?".
The petitioner said he is the president of an organisation which has rescued over three lakh orphans and 40 lakh widows.
"Why are you getting into this political arena? Your area of work is very different," the bench retorted.
After Paul revealed he had been to over 150 countries, the bench asked him whether each of the nations had ballot paper voting or used electronic voting.
The petitioner said foreign countries had adopted ballot paper voting and India should follow suit.
"Why you don't want to be different from the rest of the world?" asked the bench.
There was corruption and this year (2024) in June, the Election Commission announced they had seized Rs 9,000 crore, Paul responded.
"But how does that make your relief which you are claiming here relevant?" asked the bench, adding "if you shift back to physical ballot, will there be no corruption?".
Paul claimed CEO and co-founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, stated that EVMs could be tampered with and added TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, the current chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, and former state chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had claimed EVMs could be tampered with.
"When Chandrababu Naidu lost, he said EVMs can be tampered with. Now this time, Jagan Mohan Reddy lost, he said EVMs can be tampered with," noted the bench.
When the petitioner said everybody knew money was distributed in elections, the bench remarked, "We never received any money for any elections."
The petitioner said another prayer in his plea was the formulation of a comprehensive framework to regulate the use of money and liquor during election campaigns and ensuring such practices were prohibited and punishable under the law.
The plea further sought a direction to mandate an extensive voter education campaign to raise awareness and importance of informed decision making.
"Today, 32 per cent educated people are not casting their votes. What a tragedy. If democracy will be dying like this and we will not be able to do anything then what will happen in the years to come in future," the petitioner said.
