RSS "infiltrating" all sectors, alleges Mallikarjun Kharge
Bengaluru, Oct 6: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said RSS was "infiltrating" all sectors including education and his long fight against the organisation cost him his Lok Sabha seat during the 2019 parliamentary polls.
"They (RSS) are infiltrating everywhere, even in education they are coming. Many officers are directly recruited, amending the rule and that much (people) are deprived of reservation...." Kharge said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said he has been fighting RSS and its ideology from the age of 15-16, and it is one of the reasons for his loss in 2019 Lok Sabha election from Gulbarga seat.
"We are fighting against RSS, we don't want to hide it. We will fight and that's why I lost my election also. RSS is not pro-poor, it is not for social justice. They believe in 'Manusmriti', he said.
The senior Congress leader was responding to a question on JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's statement referring to a book that RSS as part of its hidden agenda, has created a team of bureaucrats in this country, who are now placed in various institutions.
"In that book, it is said that about 4,000 civil servants in this country- IAS, IPS officers- are RSS karyakartas. They are trained to write exams. In one year, in 2016 alone, 676 people trained by them got selected," the former CM had claimed on Tuesday.
On the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Kharge demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge to bring the facts out, and immediate release of opposition leaders who have been illegally detained.
Four of the eight dead in Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.
The others including BJP workers and their driver were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and lynched by the protesters.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a case against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish, but no arrest has been made so far.
Kharge sought to know why Ashish has not been arrested so far and why the Congress leaders were not being allowed to meet the victims' family.
He demanded Ajay Mishra's immediate dismissal from the union cabinet.
The veteran also accused Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra of 'instigating' people against protesting farmers, and demanded that they should be booked for sedition.
Condemning the detention of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Sitapur while on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the family of victims, the Congress leader termed it as "illegal detention" and "crime". He stated that she was detained without any warrant or FIR, just on the basis oral instructions.
The place where Priyanka Gandhi has been detained has not even been declared as jail or sub-jail, he said. "Is this dictatorship? is there democratic values? Fear psychosis is being created and it is detrimental for the country," he added.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
