India

Nagpur, Dec 18 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP)'s Maharashtra unit President Abu Azmi said on Tuesday that the party will contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections without aligning with any other party in the state.

Asked about distancing himself as formerly being a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Azmi said: "We are secular people. Babri Masjid was demolished but the court considers the people who committed this act as criminals, while some people from the MVA hail the court's judgment. This is against the spirit of the Constitution and the Samajwadi Party cannot align with such people. This matter was discussed with SP President Akhilesh Yadav that the party will contest BMC elections alone."

Regarding the issue arising in the Winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly, the SP leader said, "On Tuesday we raised the issue of bus drivers in the state. As many as 43 people were injured and eight died in a bus accident in Kurla. It was revealed that the driver was not trained to drive properly. At the same time, one person died in an accident in my area Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency. Many people on social media said that liquor was being purchased and kept under the seat of the bus. This is sheer negligence and people are losing their lives. We demand to blacklist the company which is training the drivers and file a murder case against it."

Commenting on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) leader Sharad Pawar's displeasure over Cabinet expansion in Maharashtra, Azmi said: "Ajit Pawar is a part of the ruling MahaYuti alliance. He is the Deputy Chief Minister, but is nowhere to be seen."

Regarding the displeasure about the cabinet posts given to the ministers in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led MahaYuti government in Maharashtra, the SP leader said: "This decision rests with the Chief Minister. They (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP combine) will know very well what is best for them. I say that whoever is in power should do justice to all the people of the society, as they have taken the oath under the Constitution."

--IANS

sch/cbt-khz

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Delhi-NCR woke up to a thick blanket of smog on Wednesday as air quality remained in the ‘severe’ category for the third consecutive day as the cold gripped the region.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 442 at 7:15 A.M., with several areas in the national Capital registering levels between 400 and 500.

Visibility across the region was significantly reduced, with low-visibility procedures implemented at Delhi airport after visibility dropped to 300 meters.

Key areas in Delhi reported alarming AQI levels, including Anand Vihar (481), Ashok Vihar (461), Burari Crossing (483), and Nehru Nagar (480). Other prominent locations like Alipur, Jahangirpuri, and Mundka recorded AQI levels of 443, 469, and 473, respectively.

Neighbouring regions in NCR also faced poor air quality, with AQI levels in Haryana's Faridabad at 263, Gurugram at 392 and Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad at 390, Greater Noida at 330, and Noida at 364.

The severe air pollution coincided with cold weather conditions, as Delhi-NCR experienced fluctuating humidity levels between 100 per cent and 66 per cent.

The minimum temperature in some areas was recorded above 5 degrees Celsius. Calm winds and high humidity contributed to shallow fog in various parts of the city, further worsening pollution levels.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that the smoggy conditions may persist in the coming days, with a potential intensification of the cold wave. Early mornings are expected to witness reduced visibility and chilly conditions.

The situation underscores the urgent need for pollution control measures as residents grapple with hazardous air quality and health risks.

The CPCB classifies an AQI over 400 as "severe," highlighting serious health risks for all residents. Authorities have urged strict enforcement of anti-pollution measures and advised residents, particularly vulnerable groups, to limit outdoor activities.

With winter intensifying and pollution levels rising, Delhi-NCR’s battle with smog remains a pressing concern.

--IANS

rs/rad

Chennai, Dec 18 (IANS) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast heavy rainfall in Chennai and the adjoining districts of Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu on Wednesday.

Heavy rains are also expected in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts on the same day.

Moderate rainfall is predicted in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Virudhunagar, and Karaikal areas.

Light to moderate rain may occur in many parts of the state, especially in North Coastal Tamil Nadu, while a few areas across the rest of the state will also experience showers.

Puducherry and Karaikal are also likely to receive similar rainfall, with thunderstorms and lightning possible in isolated places.

The rains are attributed to a low-pressure system forming over the southeast Bay of Bengal, influenced by an upper-air cyclonic circulation over the South Andaman Sea and nearby areas.

This system is expected to intensify and move west-northwest towards the Tamil Nadu coast on December 18.

Heavy rains are likely in isolated places across Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Tiruvarur districts, as well as Karaikal.

There is a possibility of extreme rains between Marakkanam and Sriharikota due to interactions of westerly and easterly winds near south coastal Andhra Pradesh or north coastal Tamil Nadu.

The stretch from Pondicherry to Nellore may also witness heavy to very heavy rainfall. Tamil Nadu has received 14 per cent excess rainfall during the ongoing northeast monsoon season, recording 447 mm against an average of 393 mm.

Chennai registered 845 mm of rainfall, which is 16 per cent above average, while Coimbatore saw a 47 per cent increase.

Fishermen are advised to avoid venturing into the sea.

Those already at sea are urged to return to shore immediately.

The current alert follows the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal between November 29 and December 1, which brought intense rains and widespread damage.

The cyclone led to a loss of 12 people, 2,11,139 hectares of land getting inundated, affecting crops significantly even as 1,649 kilometers of electric conductors were destroyed, 23,664 electric poles, 997 transformers, 9,576 kilometers of roads, 1,847 culverts and 417 tanks were also destroyed.

It may be noted that Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi districts recorded over 50 cm of rainfall in a single day, equivalent to an entire season’s average. The disaster resulted in severe flooding, extensive crop damage, affected 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals across the state.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin requested Rs 2,000 crore as interim relief from the National Disaster Response Fund.

The Tamil Nadu government’s initial damage assessment report estimated relief and reconstruction costs at Rs 2,475 crore.

The Central government has sanctioned Rs 944 crore as interim relief.

--IANS

aal/rad

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Ahead of the Assembly elections in Delhi early next year, the State Congress President Devender Yadav on Tuesday criticised former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal for announcing last week that every registered woman in Delhi will receive a monthly payment of Rs 1,000, which after elections get over will rise to a payment of Rs 2,100.

Yadav also targeted Kejriwal further for not fulfilling AAP's poll promise of sending Rs 1,000 to women in their bank accounts in Punjab, which was announced three years ago.

Speaking about the AAP's pre-poll promise of attracting women voters ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, Kejriwal said: "To avail of this benefit, women will need to register, and once registered, the amount will be directly transferred to their bank accounts."

Regarding preparations for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in Delhi, Devender Yadav said, "We have announced 21 candidates. A meeting was called on Tuesday regarding the same. In this meeting, it was agreed to create a war and control room to contest the elections fairly and transparently. It will be used to solve any problem related to elections. Also, discussions were held with all the candidates about contesting the upcoming Assembly elections."

He added, "In the announcement of party candidates, all sections of society have been taken care of. Women and youth have been fielded by the party. By next week, another candidate list will be released by the party, which will comprise the names of a large number of people."

Asked by the 'Aam Aadmi Party chief Kejriwal discussing the freebie of giving Rs 2,100 to women, the State Congress Chief said, "They (AAP) is talking about giving Rs 1,000, but they are filling the form for Rs 2,100. This is the same party which had talked about giving Rs 1,000 to women in Punjab three years ago. The women there are waiting for Kejriwal to send Rs 1,000 into their bank accounts. In such a situation, no one knows when Arvind Kejriwal will backtrack on his words."

Regarding the sharing of the stage by Samajwadi Party National President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal, the Congress leader said, "The Congress party is fighting the Delhi elections alone and we are fully prepared for it. What direction the party takes from time to time, will be clear soon."

--IANS

sch/cbt-khz

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The people of the country, especially the youth population, in the national capital have given their verdict and have strongly supported the NDA government's decision to implement the contentious 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, which was tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday noon, with 269 MPs voting in its favour and 198 against it in the Lok Sabha.

Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal on Tuesday introduced two bills that would enable simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha along with the state Assemblies and Union Territories.

Many young residents in the national capital spoke to IANS and voiced their overwhelming support for the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill.

A young Delhi resident Montu Kumar Yadav, who has rallied his support behind PM Narendra Modi-led government's decision to implement the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, said: "Today the framers of our Constitution have won. Now there is a new vigour and enthusiasm in us. The way this Bill has been presented in the Parliament, the public's voice is taking the form of a revolution. Now, we will go to our respective areas and make the MLAs and MPs, who do not agree with this bill, aware and explain to them what are its benefits."

Rishabh Rohila, another youngster residing in Delhi, also voiced his support behind the NDA government's 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, said: "I am supporting the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill. More than 250 MPs have voted in favour of this Bill. These include the ruling BJP, opposition party and Independent MPs as well. With the introduction of this Bill, the country will save crores of rupees and resources which will now be spent more judiciously."

Another Delhi resident Pratham Singh said: "He met the Members of Parliament (MPs) in support of the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, and has received support from majority of them. With the introduction of this bill across the country, the country will benefit hugely and a huge amount of money will also be saved now with holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections."

Opposition parties such as the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Nationalist Congress Party demanded that this bill be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The Bill will now be sent to a Joint Committee of Parliament for deliberations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU) are in support of the Bill.

Several Opposition parties, including Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC), Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have opposed this Bill.

--IANS

afm/cbt-khz

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Sulakshana Sawant, the wife of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, has filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh for allegedly naming her in a "Cash-for-Jobs Scam" in Goa during a press conference earlier this month.

Sulakshana Sawant filed the defamation suit in the Civil Judge Senior Division Court in Bicholim, Goa, against Sanjay Singh.

According to an official press note, the allegations claim that Sanjay Singh linked Sulakshana Sawant to a "Cash-for-Jobs Scam" in Goa, claiming she was involved in corrupt practices.

"These statements were broadcast live on multiple national and regional news channels and shared widely on social media platforms like YouTube, where they have garnered significant views," said the allegations.

The defamation suit asserts that these false accusations were made without any credible evidence, causing harm to Sulakshana Sawant's integrity and public image. The statements made by Singh, according to the lawsuit, were not only damaging but were also broadcasted and shared extensively, amplifying the false allegations.

"The defamation occurred during a press conference where Sanjay Singh made direct accusations against Sulakshana Sawant's integrity and her involvement in the scam, thereby damaging her reputation," said the press note.

As per an official press note, the legal action sought by Sulakshana Sawant includes seeking Rs 100 crores as damages for defamation, a permanent injunction against Sanjay Singh and his associates, restraining them from making or publishing defamatory statements, videos, or articles about her on any platform, including social media.

Sawant has also demanded a public apology from Singh, clarifying the falsehood of his statements and the defamatory video, article.

She has also sought an injunction to prevent further defamatory statements by Singh or his associates during the course of the suit.

Further, Sawant has requested the court to grant the costs of the suit and any other appropriate reliefs.

As per the press note, the baseless and defamatory statements made by Sanjay Singh are "....Over the past 10 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been involved in corruption and bribery under the guise of job creation. Even the wife of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has been named in the scandal, along with several of his ministers."

"This is not a small issue -- it is a massive job scam involving corruption and bribery in Goa, with direct involvement from the Chief Minister and his ministers. The names of the Chief Minister's wife and various brokers have been revealed."

"This job bribery scam became even more serious when the then-Governor, Satyapal Malik, publicly stated that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's wife was involved in the job scam, accepting bribes for jobs, committing corruption, and demanding money."

"This clearly indicates that the Chief Minister of Goa and his entire family are involved in accepting bribes under the pretence of offering jobs."

Many aspirants had lodged complaints in Goa alleging they were forced to pay lakhs to some people who promised to facilitate jobs in the Goa government.

CM Pramod Sawant had said that the state police are conducting a transparent investigation into the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

--IANS

khz/

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his speech in the Parliament, claiming that his remarks were "far from truth" and added that the latter had come to Parliament only to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kharge also said that the BJP is trying to divert people's attention.

Reacting to the introduction of the bill on 'One Nation, One Election' in the Lok Sabha, he said that its advantages and drawbacks have to be discussed.

"When the bill comes for discussion then we will talk about its advantages and drawbacks. It has to be discussed after meeting with everyone. Everyone has opted together for the introduction, we will speak about it in the Parliament," he added.

Amit Shah spoke at the conclusion of the debate in Rajya Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution on Tuesday, during which he lashed out at the Congress party accusing it of vote bank politics.

He further criticised the Congress over some of the amendments made in the Constitution during its rule, noting that the amendments made by the BJP governments are meant to empower citizens.

The Home Minister also targeted Rahul Gandhi over his "Mohabbat ki Dukan (shop of love)" slogan, saying that love and affection are not something to be sold in a shop.

"We have also listened to speeches of those talking of opening 'Mohabbat ki dukan' in every village. Love is not something to be sold, it has to be spread. It is a feeling, to be evoked in heart, it is a moment to be evoked in others," he said.

He said Congress amended the Constitution 77 times in its 55 years of rule whereas the BJP in 16 years made 22 changes.

"In our Constitution, the Constitution has never been considered immutable... Article 368 has a provision to amend the Constitution... The 54-year-old leader who calls himself 'yuva', keeps roaming around with the Constitution claiming that we would change the Constitution. I want to tell you that the provision to amend the Constitution is within the Constitution... BJP has ruled for 16 years and we made 22 changes to the Constitution... Congress ruled for 55 years and made 77 changes," Union Home Minister Shah said.

He attacked Congress over some amendments made when Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were Prime Ministers.

"The first amendment was made on June 18, 1951... After the formation of the Constitution, Congress did not have enough patience to wait for the Lok Sabha elections before going to power... Article 19 A was added to curtail the freedom of speech... And Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister at that time. The first amendment was to curtail the freedom of expression by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru. The 24th Amendment was brought by his daughter Indira Gandhi. On November 24, 1971, the Parliament was given the right to reduce the fundamental rights of the citizens," the senior BJP leader said.

--IANS

khz/

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda chaired the BJP General Secretary meeting in the national capital on Tuesday to hold discussions over the Delhi Assembly Elections, the party's organisation elections and some other issues, party sources said.

BJP's first list of Delhi Assembly elections will be released soon, sources said.

The meeting lasted for almost two hours in the BJP headquarters late on Tuesday night.

"BJP National President @JPNadda presided over a meeting with BJP National General Secretaries at BJP Headquarters in New Delhi," the BJP said in a post on X.

In view of its organisational elections, parliamentary board member K. Laxman was appointed as the National Election Officer.

National Election Officer K. Laxman and Joint in-charge Sambit Patra also attended the meeting.

The Good Governance Day program to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25, and Veer Bal Diwas were also discussed in the meeting, sources added.

Organisational General Secretary B.L. Santhosh, General Secretary Tarun Chugh, Dushyant Gautam, Radha Mohan Agrawal, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde, and Arun Singh were present in the meeting.

The Assembly polls in Delhi are expected to be held in early 2025.

The Aam Aadmi Party has already released the list of all 70 candidates for the Delhi Assembly polls.

After winning 67 out of 70 seats in 2015, AAP again won 62 seats in the 2020 Assembly elections. While BJP took its tally from three to eight seats, Congress failed to open its account for the second straight time.

Earlier on November 23, workshops were also organised regarding BJP's organisation elections, where all national office bearers from across the country, presidents of all states, and organisation ministers took part.

The meeting also saw the presence of all the BJP state in-charges, co-in-charges, national presidents of fronts, and election officers.

According to a BJP source, the process of election of Mandal Presidents will be completed from December 1 to December 15. The process of election of district presidents will be held from December 16 to December 30. After that, the process of election of state presidents will start.

The workshop will be held on December 30 to elect the state president.

The process of election of state president is expected to be completed by January 15.

According to the sources, the next BJP President can be announced by the end of January or February.

--IANS

khz/

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party over its stance on reservation for Other Backward Classes, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and the Muslim Personal Law, among other issues during the ongoing Parliament's Winter session in Rajya Sabha.

The Union Minister was replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution of India when he made pointed remarks directed at the grand old party.

Union Home Minister Shah in Rajya Sabha declared that the BJP would not allow reservation based on religion, regardless of its political strength.

"Congress wants to give reservation to Muslims by increasing the quota limit beyond 50 per cent. Even if the BJP has just one MP, it will not allow reservation based on religion," he affirmed.

In his speech, Home Minister Shah posed pointed questions to Congress regarding the delay in implementing the UCC, which he attributed to the introduction of Muslim Personal Law by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

"Why hasn't UCC come yet? It didn't come because after the Constituent Assembly was concluded and elections were over, the country's first PM Nehru Ji introduced Muslim Personal Law, not UCC. I want to ask the Congress party in this House that in a secular nation, should there be a common law for every religion or not? Why do they support the Muslim Personal Law? There can be no bigger political manoeuvre than this... They started appeasement right there by introducing the Muslim Personal Law," Home Minister Shah remarked.

He continued his critique by stating, "Why wasn't Sharia brought into criminal law? Personal law for marriage and inheritance, but why not Sharia for criminal law?"

Highlighting the government's progress, Shah referred to the implementation of the UCC in Uttarakhand, stating that it would eventually be implemented nationwide after constitutional analysis and public discussions.

"We implemented UCC in Uttarakhand, we want to follow the democratic process. It will be analysed constitutionally. There will be discussions on a societal level and religious experts will opine about it," he said.

Home Minister Shah asserted that the Modi government will look at all the suggestions and bring UCC in every state.

He also criticised the Congress for its contradictions regarding OBC reservation, accusing the party of blocking the Kaka Saheb Kalelkar Commission's report, which recommended reservation for OBCs in 1995.

"Where is its report? It was forgotten because OBCs would have received reservations. Any report that comes has to be presented to the Cabinet, but instead of bringing it to Parliament, they kept it in the archives," Home Minister Shah said, adding that the report's rejection delayed the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations.

The senior BJP leader responded to Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks about Veer Savarkar, stating that Savarkar had been the only person to be given a life sentence twice and asked him to consider Indira Gandhi's praise of Savarkar on two occasions.

"If you don’t listen to us, at least listen to Indira Gandhi who has praised him in two instances," Home Minister Shah remarked.

He urged all political parties to not link "patriotism, bravery, sacrifice, and service" with religion and political ideology.

The Union Home Minister did not shy away from criticising Congress's actions in the past, including the 39th Amendment and the Emergency period. He referenced the Allahabad High Court's decision to declare Indira Gandhi’s election null and void in 1975.

"The 49th Amendment in the Constitution crossed all the limits. August 10, 1975, was a black day. Indira Gandhi's elections were declared null and void by the Allahabad High Court. The Amendment was used to subvert the High Court order and a retrospective amendment was brought to ensure that no judicial investigation is undertaken against the Prime Minister," he added.

Shah also appealed to Congress to leave behind practices of "appeasement, dynastic politics, and corruption", stating that the public will choose their leadership in the next election if they do so.

On the Congress's allegations against the EVMs, he said, "Today, they lose and blame the EVM. The SC has rejected the plea against the EVM 24 times. The EC kept the EVM from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for three days open for anyone to prove if it could be hacked. No one came... They lost Maharashtra and won in Jharkhand on the same day. The people of Maharashtra punished them for disrespecting their previous mandate. On the same day, EVM was blamed in Maharashtra and they prepared themselves for the swearing-in ceremony in Jharkhand."

He also addressed Rahul Gandhi's "Mohabbat ki dukaan" slogan raised during the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra, responding, "Love is not something to be sold in a shop, nor is it a tool for propaganda. Love is a feeling that resides in the heart and is meant to be shared with others."

On Abrogation of Article 370, Home Minister Shah remarked, "When Narendra Modi became the PM of the country again in 2019, we abrogated Article 370 and Article 35A in Parliament. In Rajya Sabha, they (Congress) used to say that rivers of blood would flow in Jammu and Kashmir, but no one dared to even throw stones... (After the abrogation of Article 370).

He highlighted the progress in the Union Territory saying, "For the first time, 35,000 members of Panchayat were elected. After the abrogation of Article 370, more than two lakh tourists came to Jammu and Kashmir, terrorist activities were reduced by 92 per cent, people of Pahari, Gujjar and Bakarwal communities got reservations, the national flag is flying at Lal Chowk, the highest railway arch bridge is being built on Chenab river... After the abrogation of Article 370, your (Congress) shop of appeasement politics has closed."

--IANS

khz/

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over failing to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress of appeasement politics and asked the party to clarify "if there should there be a common law for every religion in a secular nation".

Concluding the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the 75 years of adoption of the Constitution, the Union Home Minister also lashed out at Congress over its allegations concerning Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), saying some of those who made complaints about the results in Maharashtra celebrated it in Jharkhand, where JMM-led INDIA bloc won the Assembly elections.

He asked why UCC has not been implemented yet.

"Why hasn't UCC come yet? It didn't come because after the Constituent Assembly was concluded and elections were over, the country's first PM Nehruji introduced Muslim Personal Law, not UCC. I want to ask the Congress party in this House that in a secular nation, should there be a common law for every religion or not? Why do they support the Muslim Personal Law? There can be no bigger political manoeuvre than this...They started appeasement right there by introducing the Muslim Personal Law...You cannot bring the UCC because you cannot rise above the politics of appeasement. In Uttarakhand, our (BJP) government has implemented the Uniform Civil Code in the state," he said.

Home Minister Shah lashed out at Congress over some of the constitutional amendments made during the party rule in the past.

"The 39th Amendment in the Constitution crossed all the limits. On August 10, 1975, was a black day. Indira Gandhi's elections were declared null and void by the Allahabad High Court. After they lose, they roam around with EVMs. They say the EVMs defeated them...When they lose they blame the EVMs. Two Assembly election results came out on the same day. Maharashtra ne opposition ka soopda saaf kar diya (bowled them out)...for disrespecting the mandate. So the EVMs are faulty in Maharashtra, but when they won in Jharkhand, they wore new clothes and rushed to take the oath. People are watching, you must be ashamed. How is it possible that EVM is working fine at one place and not at the other?" he asked.

The Union Home Minister said the Election Commission of India (ECI) had asked people to check if it was possible to hack the EVMs, but nobody turned up.

"The EC kept the EVM from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for three days open for anyone to prove if it could be hacked. No one came. The Supreme Court rejected the petitions on EVMs 24 times," he said.

Amit Shah said that Indira Gandhi's election was declared null and void by the Allahabad High Court and slammed some constitutional amendments done by her government.

"So she prohibited the judicial inquiry of a Prime Minister through amendment... I want to ask my Communist brothers to introspect on whom are they sitting," Home Minister Shah said.

"The 42nd Amendment of the Constitution was made when Indira Gandhi was the PM... The tenure of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha was increased to six years. They did it because they would have lost if the elections had taken place at the right time... The members of Congress started remaining absent as they could not oppose. An amendment was made that the quorum was not required in both the Houses. The period of the President's rule was increased by 6 months," Shah added.

The debate on 75 years of the Constitution started in Rajya Sabha on Monday and lasted two days. Lok Sabha held the debate last week.

--IANS

khz/