Iran rejects talks with US over 'erratic policies'
Tehran, Aug 9 : Iran has again ruled out any negotiation with the US, accusing it of pursuing "erratic policies" in dealing with the Islamic republic.
"The Americans have never acted with sincerity, and President Donald Trump's move and remarks to invite Iran for talks were merely a propaganda stunt," the state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying on Wednesday after the cabinet meeting, Xinhua reported.
"The main reason behind this is that Trump does not care about either the Iranian people or international obligations," he added.
The US president has taken a hostile approach toward the Iranian nation by reimposing sanctions, Zarif noted.
"We had two years of intensive negotiations with the Americans and the Iran nuclear agreement was the result of these talks, but the Trump administration withdrew from it," he said
"How can the United States be trusted?" the Iranian minister warned.
Last month, Trump announced his readiness for an "unconditional" meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the existing issues between the two countries.
However, Trump on Monday signed an executive order re-imposing sanctions on Iran to exert "maximum economic pressure" on the Islamic republic.
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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.
