Suvarna News expresses regret for controversial Pak flag representation, calls it 'mistake'
Bengaluru: Suvarna News which was under scrutiny on social media for using Pakistani flag to represent India's Muslim population during a recent discussion program has issued an apology regarding the matter. The channel acknowledged the error, attributing it to an oversight adding it was without any malicious intent.
The incident occurred during a discussion hosted by Ajit Hanumakkanavar on the population report released by the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council. Using the Indian flag to signify the Hindu population and the Pakistani flag for the Muslim population sparked immediate controversy.
In response to the backlash, Suvarna News expressed regret for the oversight and stated that it was a result of oversight.
The Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council's report, which highlighted a decline in the Hindu population and a significant increase in the Muslim population amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, has fueled heated debates across the nation. The Population Foundation of India (PFI) had later raised concerns over misrepresentation of the numbers by the media from the report to create a divide among the communities on the matter.
Following suit, mainstream visual media has initiated various talk shows centered around the report's findings. Suvarna News Kannada news channel aired a similar discussion, inadvertently sparking the controversy over flag representation.
The Population Foundation of India (PFI) had later raised concerns over misrepresentation of the numbers by the media from the report to create a divide among the communities on the matter.
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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.
