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RTI throws up EVM irregularities in Maharashtra, UP poll commissions too

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There are contradicting records of the numbers of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in stock, their costs, their mode of transportation and other details, as per replies received under the Right to Information Act.

Further, it has emerged that no audits have been conducted by the State Election Commissions of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh on EVMs.

Seeking to corroborate the information received from Election Commission of India (ECI), Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), Hyderabad and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), Bengaluru, Mumbai RTI activist Manoranjan S. Roy had sought information on EVMs from two major states — Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh — and received alarming replies.

The Maharashtra State Election Commission (M-SEC) informed on May 2, 2017 that since 2014-2017, it had not conducted any audit pertaining to the number of EVMs, their cost, the security staff, mode of transportation of the EVMs, etc.

However, M-SEC confirmed it is in possession of 76,250 Balloting Units (BUs) and 76,050 Controlling Units (CUs) — the two parts of the EVM system. Additionally, the ECI had provided it with another 15,000 BUs and 110,000 CUs, each costing Rs.9,200 (BU+CU). But it gave no information on the number of defective EVMs lying with it.

When probed further on this, major differences came up in the information provided by the ECI on March 03, 2017 and July 01, 2017 — which points a needle of suspicion towards misuse of EVMs, Roy contended.

In response to a query, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that for corporation elections on February 21, 2017, it had set up 7,304 polling centres in which it deployed 8,161 BUs and 7,304 CUs.

At that time, 136 BUs and 752 CUs were were found to be defective prior to the elections and another 16 BUs and 15 CUs broke down on election day.

To similar queries, the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (UP-SEC) said on 08-05-2017 that it had deployed a total 159,791 BUs and 147,164 CUs in the February-March 2017 assembly elections.

Like M-SEC, the UP-SEC also stated that no audits were conducted for the same, adding the (audit) could be available with ECI.

There were differences in the number of EVMs the UP-SEC said it had received from ECIL in 2012, since the ECIL had already made it clear it had not supplied any EVMs to any state during 2006-2013.

Also, the ECI and UP-SEC figures differ vastly on number of polling booths. According to UP-SEC, the total number of polling booths set up were 190,388 in Assembly elections 2017 while the ECI said the number of booths were 11,356 — an obviously incorrect figure.

For those elections, the BEL supplied 139,438 BUs and 105,218 CUs of Model M2MEK, and ECIL supplied 84,480 BUs and 85,170 CUs from five different states, totaling to 224,918 BUs and 190,388 CUs for the assembly polls.

Again at variance with the ECIL’s replies, the UP-SEC said on 30-10-2017 that in 2011, the company had supplied 16,730 BUs and 12,100 CUs for a payment of Rs 142.86 crore plus transportation and VAT of Rs 32,276.

The ECIL had earlier stated that from 2006-2013, it had not supplied any EVMs to any state, as per RTI reply of 16-09-2017.

No transportation details were provided by UP-SEC on grounds that the EVMs were received from different states across India.

The UP-SEC said for the 2017 elections, it received 6,000 BUs and 3,000 CUs from Maharashtra plus another 81,800 BUs and 47,750 CUs from the ECIL, contradicting the UP-SEC’s own figures which said on 08-05-2017 it had deployed a total 159,791 BUs and 147,164 CUs in the assembly elections.

On January 11, 2018, the Madhya Pradesh-State Election Commission (MP-SEC) had supplied on loan 50,000 BUs and 25,000 CUs of EVM Model M1 to the UP-SEC.

“The RTI replies by both Maharashtra and UP SEC’s show they have not conducted audits, maintained proper accounts, there are contradictions galore among all the concerned agencies on the number of EVMs supplies Or received, raising serious doubts on where such huge amounts of public money have actually gone,” Roy said.

“There are absolutely no records of which EVMs were actually used for elections, how many are defective or defunct, why and which different models were deployed, who has approved these different models, the type of software-hardware used and whether they are hack-proof, whether the software is dedicated (exclusive) or purchased from the markets, etc,” Roy said.

The net result is that large stocks of unaccounted EVMs along with BUs/CUs are lying with various state elections commissions all over India and prone to severe misuse by vested interests during different elections where they are deployed, he explained, adding that Karnataka elections are coming up in May 2018.

Moreover, since the past 30 years, there is continuous purchase of EVMs by the ECI for the elections, but even the basic details are missing.

“There’s clearly (unexplained discrepancy) running into many thousands of crores of rupees, blatantly going on since nearly three decades. If this is the situation in just two states, the state of affairs in all other states can well be imagined,” Roy said.

All this calls for a thorough review of the authentic stock position of all EVMs from 1989, the number of non-functional or defective EVMs of both the suppliers and the available stocks with all states, the models and software installed, etc, well before the next general elections, Roy demanded.

Roy has filed a Public Interest Litigation in Bombay High Court, seeking directions to all parties to provide all records/documents pertaining to EVMs, setting up of a suitable probe panel to ban EVMs till the logical outcome of the probe.

States asked to be alert for anti-reservation shutdown on April 10

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The Union Home Ministry has asked all the state governments to be extra vigilant to avoid any violence and loss of life and property amid calls on social media for a “Bharat Bandh” (nationwide shutdown) by various anti-reservation groups to protest clashes during the SC/ST Bharat Bandh on April 2.

The ministry has particularly asked the state governments to make the District Magistrates and the district police chiefs “personally responsible” for the law and order situations in their areas of jurisdiction, sources said on Monday.

States have been advised to beef up security and make appropriate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident, including issue of prohibitory orders, if necessary.

They have been asked to intensify patrolling in all sensitive locations so as to prevent any loss of life or property, a senior ministry official said.

The advisory has stressed that District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police be made “personally responsible for ensuring that law and order situation remains firmly under control” in the areas of their jurisdiction, the official added.

A Bharat Bandh on April 2 by Dalit groups against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by a Supreme Court order had led to violence and arson in many parts of the country which claimed several lives and left hundreds of civilians and policemen injured.

Over 100 injured amid student protests across B’desh

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As violence spread across the campus, thousands of male and female students launched into pitched battles with police.

Thousands of students across Bangladesh staged protests and sit-ins Monday after clashes at the country’s top university left at least 100 people injured.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at Dhaka University students fighting what they consider “discriminatory” government job quotas in favour of special groups.
It was one of the biggest protests faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power.

A minister was due to meet protest leaders in Dhaka on Monday.

But students at state-run universities in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur, Sylhet and Savar boycotted classes and staged sit-ins, police and media said.

“More than 1,000 students joined the demonstrations at Jahangirnagar University,” said Ataur Rahman, a protester in Savar where the university is located.

The clashes, which began Sunday night and went into the early hours of Monday, turned Dhaka University into a battleground.

Copycat protests soon started in other major cities as thousands of students boycotted classes and staged sit-ins.

Organisers in Dhaka said they were holding peaceful protests when police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets. They used batons and water cannon to clear a central square.

As violence spread across the campus, thousands of male and female students launched into pitched battles with police.

“More than 100 people were injured,” police inspector Bacchu Mia said, adding they were treated in hospital but their condition was not serious.

Protesters threw rocks, vandalised the home of the Dhaka University vice-chancellor, torched two cars and ransacked the fine arts institute, said senior police officer Azimul Haque.

Fifteen people were detained, police said.

The students are angry at the government’s decision to set aside 56 percent of civil service jobs for the families of veterans from the 1971 war of independence and for disadvantaged minorities. That leaves most university graduates to fight for only 44 percent of the jobs.

Hasan Al Mamun, a leader of the protests, said tens of thousands of students joined the demonstrations nationwide. Police declined to estimate the number.

Al Mamun said the quota for top-grade jobs should be reduced to only 10 percent.

“These quotas are discriminatory. Due to the quota system, 56 percent of the jobs are set aside for five percent of the country’s population. And 95 percent of the people can compete for the 44 percent,” he said.

Students are particularly upset at the 30 percent quota set aside for descendants of veterans of the independence war.

Sheikh Hasina, whose father was the architect of the country’s independence from Pakistan, has rejected demands to slash the quotas.

On duty policemen suspended that he showers money to dancers

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The suspended cops were part of the team deployed to watch over an annual community event in Madnapur village.

A police constable and an officer have been suspended for their conduct while on duty, a senior police officer said.
The suspended cops were part of the team deployed to watch over an annual community event in Madnapur village.

“Every year, the event takes place for three days. We have seen the video and ordered an inquiry. The two cops seen in the clip have been suspended and investigations are underway,” a police officer told news agency.
In the video of the incident on Saturday, the cops can be seen showering money on dance performers dressed in glittery attires. They invite the dancers by showing off currency. Soon the cops are surrounded by dancers and money is being thrown in the air. The women as well as their associates make a dash for flying notes. The cops, seemingly delighted, shower some more and it continues.

It is not yet known if the cops were in an inebriated condition as well.

Runway closure hits 120 flights in Mumbai

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Some 120 flights were cancelled and many more rescheduled due to a two-day closure of the Mumbai International Airport runway starting from Monday.

An official said the planned closure was necessitated “on account of pre-monsoon maintenance activities” and requested all passengers to contact their respective airlines for revised travel schedules.

Though airport officials did not reveal the exact number of flights affected due to the closure, individual airlines have been announcing cancellations or rescheduling of services to and from Mumbai.

Air India has announced cancellation of at least 34 flights and rescheduled around half a dozen other services till Tuesday evening.

While Jet Airways has cancelled at least 18 flights, Spicejet has also cancelled around 70 services.

Body chopped into 15 pieces, dumped in a canal, false missing case registered

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A man mercilessly killed his loving wife by chopping her into 15 pieces and dumping the chopped mortal remains into a canal. This dreadful incident took place at Hosapete on April 8th.

The accused has been identified as Chandrahasa (27) from Anavumol at Kaimana village in Puttur Taluk. The victim is his wife Bharati (24).

8 years back, Chandrahasa had joined for work at a garments shop in Bellary. Bharati, from M. P. Prakash Nagar in Hampi was also working at the same shop. He fell in love and married her. Later, he started his own garment shop and stayed with his wife in a rented house at ‘Sunnada Batti’ area of the city.

On February 19th, Bharati insisted Chandrahasa to buy a car. A fight broke out in-between them with regard to this issue. Furious Chandrahasa forcefully slapped Bharati. The impact of the slap was such that, she fell down unconscious and died.

Chandrahasa panicked and chopped his wife into 15 pieces. He stuffed those pieces into four bags. He then disposed off the bags at L.L.C. canal near the city’s railway station road, informed the police of Hosapete rural police station.

Chandrahasa called his wife’s relatives and informed them that she had gone missing. He convinced them to conduct the search by themselves and not to inform the police. He acted his part of searching his wife for some days after which he himself went missing.

The elder brother of Bharati got suspicious and registered a complaint at Hospete rural police station. The police started the investigation after registering a murder case.

Tearful Chandrahasa was arrested on April 5th and subjected to intensive questioning which squeezed out the actual facts of the incident.

Woman provide triple delight: Punam, Manu and Manika lead a golden day : CWG 2018

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From weightlifting to boxing to table tennis to hockey, women formed the core of India’s stupendous day three at the 21st Commonwealth Games where a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker delivered a record-shattering shooting gold medal and the table tennis team shocked fancied defending champions Singapore to clinch the top honours for the first time in the event.

Another high point of the day was a 35-year-old M C Mary Kom advancing to the medal rounds in what is her first and probably last appearance at the Games. India held on to their fourth position in the medals tally, having claimed seven gold, two silver and three bronze medals so far.

From the shooting ranges in Brisbane to the weightlifting arena here, it was all about women today. And starting it all was Manu Bhaker, the teen sensation from Haryana, who shot down the Games record and the gold medal in the 10m air pistol event.

A distant silver-medallist in the event also happened to be a woman — Heena Sidhu. Shooting is an uncomplicated sport, take aim and shoot. That’s why it’s important not to think too much. If you think too much, then it becomes complex, explained Bhaker as she analysed her brilliant performance.

In the weightlifting arena of the Carrara Sports and Leisure Center, Punam Yadav (69kg) pulled off a personal best of 222kg (110kg+122kg) to improve the bronze she had won in the 2014 edition to add another gold to India’s haul.

The women’s hockey team showed tremendous grit to stun Olympic champions England in its third pool match in what can only be described as a morale-soaring 2-1 victory, which took them closer to a semifinal berth. And in the evening, the women’s table tennis team of Manika Batra, Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das did what was not at all expected of them, beat defending champions Singapore 3-1 for a historic maiden gold.

On the badminton court, Saina Nehwal remained in brutally good form and guided India to a 3-1 triumph over Singapore in the mixed team event. The top seeds will be up against Malaysia in the summit clash tomorrow. Adding a dash of bronze to the weightlifting collection was Thakur (94kg), who lifted a total of 351kg (159kg+192kg) on a day when Papua New Guinea’s Steven Kari broke the Commonwealth as well as the Games record in clean and jerk for a total lift of 370kg (154kg+216kg).

Yadav and Thakur’s haul took India’s overall weightlifting medal tally to five gold, a silver and two bronze medals so far, a performance made special by the fact that most of them nursed varying niggles and did not have access to a full-time physio owing to an accreditation goof-up for which none has taken responsibility so far.

In shooting, Ravi Kumar let slip a golden opportunity to settle for a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event where Deepak Kumar finished sixth after breaking the Games record in qualification. In the boxing ring, Mary Kom made the semifinals with a sound thrashing of Scotland’s Megan Gordon her victory assuring the Indian boxing contingent of its first CWG medal at the ongoing edition. Among the men, world bronze-medallist Vikas Krishan (75kg) advanced to the quarterfinals.

“This will be my first Commonwealth Games medal and I am happy to achieve that but gold is what I’m after,” Mary Kom declared after her win. The high-profile athletics competition also got underway at the Carrara sports complex and India had a fairly decent day with race walker Khushbir Kaur finishing fourth in the women’s 20km event. In track and field events, shot-putter Tejinder Singh made the finals, while Mohammed Anas Yahiya topped his 400m heat to book a slot in the semifinals.

The men’s hockey team, meanwhile, continued to be slightly off and had to work hard for a 4-3 win over Wales in their second pool B match. They had yesterday settled for a disappointing 2-2 draw with a sloppy Pakistan, the equalising goal from the rivals coming in the final seven seconds of the match.

Missile attack on Syrian airbase, US blamed

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An airbase in Syria’s Homs province was hit by “several missiles” in a “likely attack by the US” on Monday, according to state media reports.
The Tayfur airbase, also known as T4, is located in a strategic position between the cities of Homs and Palmyra, reports CNN.

Citing a military source, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said the attack had caused an unspecified number of deaths and injuries.

It said the airfield was targeted with several missiles. The Syrian air defence had responded and shot down eight incoming missiles, the agency added.

Video footage on social media in Lebanon showed aircraft or missiles flying low over the country, apparently heading east towards Syria.

However, the Pentagon has denied the Syrian claims of the airbase attack that comes hours after President Donald Trump tweeted “Animal Assad” would have a “big price to pay” for an alleged chemical weapons attack in the city of Douma.

“At this time, the Department of Defence is not conducting air strikes in Syria. However, we continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable,” a Pentagon statement said early Monday.

On Sunday, Trump said there would be a “big price to pay” after the alleged chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held city of Douma, which the US blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In a series of tweets, Trump also slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tehran, saying “Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad”.

It was not clear what retaliatory action Trump has in mind, but the issue is expected to be discussed at a “small group” meeting of the National Security Council on Monday, led by John Bolton on his first day as White House National Security Adviser, administration officials told CNN.

Last April, the US launched Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase after Washington and others accused Assad’s forces of perpetrating a deadly chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun that killed 80 people, which the Syrian military denied.

In Saturday’s attack, toxic gas inside barrel bombs were dropped from helicopters over Douma that killed over 40 civilians.

Images showed people, including children, apparently dead and injured with some kind of spittle or foam in their mouths in makeshift medical centres.

The authenticity of the images could not be immediately confirmed.

Rahul Gandhi’s fast at Rajghat a ‘drama’: BJP

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The BJP on Monday hit out at the Congress for observing fasts across the country over alleged increase in atrocities on weaker sections under the Narendra Modi government and dubbed it a party “drama” to launch its President Rahul Gandhi.

Mysuru : AICC President Rahul Gandhi speaks during his Janashirvada Yatra in Srirangapatna town on Sundday. PTI Photo by Shailendra Bhojak(PTI3_25_2018_000158B)


As Rahul Gandhi reached the Rajghat in New Delhi to observe the fast as per his party’s call, the Bharatiya Janata Party reminded the Congress and its leadership of alleged “ill-treatment” of Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar by the party’s leaders, including then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

“The Congress has been doing politics of appeasement of the Dalits since the times of Nehru ji. Today (Monday), they are doing a drama to launch party President Rahul Gandhi. The Congress can go to any extent to launch its leader,” BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra told media persons here.

Accusing the Congress chief of playing “divisive politics” ahead of the Assembly polls in Karnataka, the BJP leader said Rahul Gandhi cannot do away with the atrocities against the Dalits in the election-bound state as it was ruled by the Congress.

“In Gujarat, you (Congress) tried to divide the society in the name of the Patidars. You did the same thing in Haryana over the Jat reservation demand. In Madhya Pradesh, you went to Mandsaur to show solidarity with farmers while your leader was caught on camera provoking violence,” Patra said, accusing the Congress of using such occasions to “fast-track” to establish Rahul Gandhi as its leader.

“This is not fast — this is fast-tracking of Rahul Gandhi’s political career,” Patra said.

“Why doesn’t Rahul Gandhi sit on fast in Karnataka, where 9,080 cases of crimes against Dalits have been registered, 358 Dalits murdered and 809 Dalit women harassed under the Congress rule,” the BJP leader wondered.

“Why this double standards. Are Dalits of Karnataka not Dalits,” he asked.

Another BJP Spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri dubbed Rahul Gandhi’s fast as “drama” to show solidarity with the Dalits and accused him of “vitiating” the atmosphere in the country after the March 20 Supreme Court order on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

“This is not Rahul Gandhi’s love for the Dalits. After spreading violence, he is doing the drama of non-violence,” he said while listing out the Centre’s steps for the welfare of SCs/STs.

“Ever since Narendra Modi has become the Prime Minister, he has relentlessly been working for the welfare of the backward communities and that has the Congress worried,” Shastri said and urged the Dalits not to fall for what he called the Congress “propaganda”.

Earlier, the BJP on Sunday night issued a video clipping of Gandhi on social media and accused him of spreading “falsehood” about the said Act.

In the video, Rahul Gandhi is allegedly heard accusing the Modi government of diluting the SC/ST Act.

“Rahul Gandhi may choose to fast but should refrain from spreading falsehoods,” the BJP said in a tweet.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s order, the Congress is organising day-long fasts across the country on Monday to promote harmony between different sections of society and protest against the government’s alleged anti-Dalit policy.

(IANS)

Supreme Court advocate Niranjan Thomas Alva no more

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Niranjan Thomas Alva, Supreme Court advocate and husband of senior Congress leader Margaret Alva, passed away on Saturday, April 7 here.

Niranjan Alva was 78.

Son of Joachim and Violet Alva, freedom fighters and the first couple in the Indian Parliament, Niranjan was also a former Director of the State Bank of India.
Alva had played a key role in expanding the footprints of All India Catholic University Federation as its president across the country in the late 50’s.

As a Supreme Court lawyer, one of the landmark litigations he led resulted in air hostesses in Air India getting the same rights and privileges as their male counterparts, including full retirement benefits and the right to bear children.

Alva is survived by wife Margaret and children Niret, Nikhil, Manira and Nivedith.

The funeral service will take place on Sunday, April 8 at 4 pm in Bengaluru at St Theresa of Kolkata Church.

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