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Rajasthan: Supporters of independent candidate from Barmer Ravindra Singh Bhati and Congress’s Ummeda Ram Beniwal clash in Sheo

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Supporters of independent candidate from Barmer Ravindra Singh Bhati and Congress’s Ummeda Ram Beniwal clash in Sheo

On Friday (26th April), clashes erupted between the supporters of the Independent candidate from Rajasthan’s Barmer Lok Sabha seat Ravindra Singh Bhati and Congress candidate Ummeda Ram Beniwal during voting today. Due to the clashes, the voting process was halted for around half an hour in the Sheo assembly constituency. The two sides clashed at around 3 pm today following which IG Vikas Kumar and Baytu MLA Harish Chaudhary reached the spot.

Ravindra Singh Bhati alleged that tapes were being pasted in front of his name on the EVMs. Meanwhile, Congress leader Ummeda Ram Beniwal’s supporters accused the supporters of Bhati of booth capturing.

Earlier in the day, Bhati had alleged that the vehicles of supporters were being deliberately stopped by the administration. Bhati claimed that his polling agent was thrown out of the booth in Baytu.

“My agents are being thrown out of the booths in Baytu assembly and a strip is being put on my name on the voting machine. What kind of democracy is this? Under whose pressure is the administration working?” Bhati wrote on X today.

Meanwhile, two sides clashed at Mahabar village, Sadar police station area, Barmer district after a dispute leaving two youths injured. After this, Barmer SP arrived at the spot. According to SP Narendra Singh Meena, a clash broke out between two parties adding that two people have been detained. Two people were hurt and taken to the hospital.

In a triangular contest in the Barmer Lok Sabha constituency, Bhati is pitted against BJP MP and Union minister Kailash Choudhary and the Congress’s Ummeda Ram Beniwal.

As reported earlier, Ravindra Singh Bhati, MLA from Sheo has emerged as a popular leader in Rajasthan. He was with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the Rajasthan Assembly Elections in 2023. However, he left the party and contested the elections as an independent candidate after the BJP denied him a ticket. Bhati won the Sheo Assembly Constituency by a substantial margin and later announced he would challenge for Lok Sabha Elections as an independent candidate from the Barmer constituency. Bhati was recently in controversy over meeting several anti-India elements including Nitasha Kaul and Dibyesh Anand.

West Bengal: CBI recovers foreign weapons from Abu Taleb’s house in Sandeshkhali, NSG called in to diffuse crude bombs

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: CBI recovers foreign weapons from Abu Taleb’s house in Sandeshkhali, NSG called in to diffuse crude bombs

Amid the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has found a large cache of arms and crude bombs in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of the State.

According to Republic TV, a team of the National Security Guard (NSG) was brought in after the discovery of the arms, armaments and explosives in Sandeshkhali.

As per a report by The Indian Express, the CBI had been conducting raids in Sandeshkhali since Friday (26th April) morning after learning that a locked house belonging to a local resident has stored arms, crude bombs etc.

The central agency also brought in equipments to dig the floor of the house.

Visuals shared on social media by Republic Bangla highlight recovery of large cache of weapons. According to the channel, crude bombs were recovered from under the land ahead of the upcoming elections in Sandeshkhali.

In a tweet posted by BJP MP Locket Chatterjee, she said, “Amidst the recovery of arms in Sandeshkhali, the reign of fear perpetuated by Sheikh Sahajahan looms large. It’s time to dismantle the networks of terror and restore peace to the region. No more intimidation, no more violence.”

Citing sources, Republic Bangla also informed that the weapons, which also included imported ones, were recovered from the house of a man named Abu Taleb.

The investigative authorities are now probing whether the accused had stored Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the bunkers found at his house

Emory Professor in Atlanta knocked to the ground and handcuffed: How universities across the US have become a hotbed of pro-Hamas protests

Jinit Jain
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Emory Professor in Atlanta knocked to the ground and handcuffed: How universities across the US have become a hotbed of pro-Hamas protests

Earlier this month, the United States got a taste of nuisance caused by gratuitous protests as a large number of students across campuses took to the streets in support of Hamas and Palestine and against Israel’s war against the October 7 terror attack. A video of a professor being decked to the ground by Atlanta police during one such protest has gone viral on social media.

In the video, a lady, a professor at the Emory University in Atlanta, expresses outrage over police action against protesters on campus. Subsequently, a police officer twists her hand and decks her to the ground, handcuffing her, even as the lady identifies herself as a professor at the university. 

According to the report, the Atlanta Police detained the professor, identified as Fohlin, for over 11 hours and charged her with “Battery Against Police Officer”.

Pro-Hamas protesters demonstrate against Israel-Gaza war across universities in the US

Numerous students are staging protests across various campuses in the US, including prestigious institutions like Columbia University, Yale, New York University, and MIT. Their demands include a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to US military aid for Israel, divestment from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the conflict, as well as an end to what they perceive as “genocide and occupation in Palestine.”

However, pro-Israel supporters express concerns about campus safety, alleging that these protests are fostering anti-Semitism, intimidation, and hate speech.

Columbia University’s vice president of public affairs, Ben Chang, emphasised that while students have the right to protest, they must not disrupt campus life or engage in harassment and intimidation.

The pro-Palestinian protesters come from diverse backgrounds, including Jewish and Muslim faiths, and are organised by groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. At Berkeley, for instance, they set up approximately 15 tents, accompanied by teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances, with organizers disavowing violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters.

Key protest sites like Columbia University, Harvard, Yale, MIT, and NYU have witnessed significant demonstrations. At Columbia, over 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested, with the university emphasizing safety by offering virtual options for classes. Harvard suspended the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee due to violations of school policy during a demonstration. At Yale, approximately 45 protesters were arrested for misdemeanour trespassing, and at MIT, students demanded a cease-fire, criticizing the school’s alleged complicity in the Gaza conflict. At NYU, an encampment faced police intervention due to disorderly conduct and reports of antisemitic incidents.

The impact of these protests extends beyond these campuses. California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, cancelled in-person classes temporarily after students barricaded themselves, demanding disclosure of ties with Israel. Similarly, the University of Michigan emphasised allowing free expression and peaceful protests at graduation ceremonies while preventing substantial disruption.

Madras HC declares amendment to Tamil Nadu law on Waqf properties unconstitutional, rules only Waqf tribunals can evict encroachments

OpIndia Staff
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Madras HC declares amendment to Tamil Nadu law on Waqf properties unconstitutional, rules only Waqf tribunals can evict encroachments

On Thursday (25th April), the Madras High Court ruled that the Tamil Nadu Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Act 33 of 2010 was invalid in regards to the Waqf Act, 1995, and therefore it violated the Constitution.

The amendment granted the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) the authority to act as Estate Officer, allowing them to order the eviction of encroachers on waqf properties covered by the Tamil Nadu Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act of 1976. However, now the court has ruled that the officer does not have the power to evict encroachments from Waqf properties.

The division bench of Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy declared that encroachers of waqf properties could only be evicted through waqf tribunals constituted in response to the 2013 revision to Central legislation. The verdict came in the form of a series of writ petitions alleging that the State’s 2010 revision violated the Waqf Act of 1995. Some appeals were also filed to overturn a single-judge bench’s order issued in July 2023.

All of the petitioners and appellants were either renters whose leases had expired/determined, or they were considered encroachers on Waqf-owned properties/premises. On behalf of the petitioners/appellants, it was argued that the Waqf Amendment Act, 2013, modified the Waqf Act, 1995 especially to deal with the unauthorized occupation and eviction of waqf properties and that Section 54 clearly and categorically offers the procedure for dealing with such encroachments or unauthorized occupations.

The jurisdiction of the civil court, revenue court, and any other authority has been barred by the modified Section 85, which also includes the authority of the Estate Officer under the Tamil Nadu law, they claimed.

It was argued that because the Central Act seeks to cover all bases by providing a thorough method for evicting unlawful tenants from waqf assets, the challenged Tamil Nadu Act of 2010 is null and void. This is because any state legislation that conflicts with the Central Act would be replaced, they claim.

The Additional Solicitor-General of India, appearing on behalf of the Union of India, pointed out that the Union had not filed any affidavit supporting or opposing the petitioners. He contended that the Union was not required to take a stand because the challenge was to State legislation.

The Advocate-General for the State contended that both state and central laws might be in effect at the same time. Under this arrangement, the CEO of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board might use state law to seek the expulsion of external encroachers on waqf property. Meanwhile, in circumstances involving complex title disputes, the CEO may seek relief from the Central Law Tribunal.

However, the division bench dismissed this contention.

The bench stated that the 2013 revision to the Central law followed the 2010 amendment to the State law. As a result, it may be assumed that Parliament was aware of the State amendment when it purposefully revised the Waqf Act in 1995. “Thus, It can be seen that the Parliament wanted to deal with all kinds of encroachments and to provide for effective mechanisms with respect to the recovery of possession thereof,” said the bench.

The Court additionally dismissed the Waqf Board’s/Waqfs’ position that if merely an application is presented to the Tribunal, the issue is determined by the Tribunal. It stated that the competence of the civil court, revenue court, or any other body to expel illegal tenants of waqf property is clearly excluded.

“The parliamentary law intends to secure the protection of waqf properties which requires uniformity of law and consistency of its application all over the country. The Central Act is thus made as an exhaustive code on the subject. Thus, the State enactment is repugnant to the Waqf Act, 1995, as amended in the year 2013”, the bench concluded. 

As a result, the court ruled that, upon application by the respective Waqf(s) or otherwise, the Chief Executive Officer is entitled to file an application against encroachers before the Waqf Tribunal under the Waqf Act, 1995 (as amended), and the Tribunal will consider the same in accordance with the law.

Furthermore, the court overturned the single-judge bench’s ruling and dismissed the proceedings launched against the appellants through the issuance of show cause notices under the authority of the 2010 State amendment.

INDI Alliance leaders should apologise for committing sin of creating doubt on EVMs, their dreams shattered by SC verdict: PM Modi

ANI
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INDI Alliance leaders should apologise for committing sin of creating doubt on EVMs, their dreams shattered by SC verdict: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the INDIA bloc over the Supreme Court decision rejecting the plea for 100 per cent VVPAT verification of EVM votes and said every leader of the opposition grouping has “committed the sin” of creating doubts in minds of people about Electronic Voting Machine and “their dreams have been shattered”.

Addressing an election rally here, PM Modi alleged that RJD and Congress alliance in Bihar neither cares about the constitution of India nor about democracy.

“They did not let people exercise their right to vote for decades. Booth capturing was very common… They did not even let the people step out to vote… Now when the poor and honest voters have the strength of EVM, they are trying all they can to get rid of the EVM… Today, the Supreme Court has given a strong verdict saying that the old system of ballot paper voting will not come back,” PM Modi said.

He said opposition parties should apologise to the people for creating doubts about the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

“Today, the whole world praises India for its democracy, for its election process, and its use of technology in the election process and these people for their own self-interest were defaming the EVMs. These people have continuously tried to betray democracy,” he said.

Targeting RJD and INDIA bloc parties, he alleged they are the people who for decades snatched the rights of the poor through the excuse of ballot paper.

“Polling booths were looted, paper ballots were looted. Today when voters have been empowered, those who indulged in loot on election day, tried to snatch, they are also uneasy, they have one task day and night that EVM should not be there,” he said.

“See the power of democracy and constitution of Dr Ambedkar. The Supreme Court has given such a shock to those who had the intention to loot ballot boxes that all their dreams have been shattered. The Supreme Court has made it clear that the old system of ballot paper will not return,” he said.

The Supreme Court of India on Friday rejected all the petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of EVMs votes with their Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.

PM Modi said that the love from the people is a big source of energy for him. “The love of Araria is a big source of energy for me. I will work hard and in the third term, there will be more decisions taken for the benefit of the nation and people.”

With 88 seats witnessing polling in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi urged people to vote in maximum numbers.

“I would like to appeal to the voters, especially the youth voters, to go out and vote…there should be an environment of festival at the polling booths,” he said.

PM Modi said the verdict of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is to make India strong economically and people of Bihar have an important role to play.

“Today, there are two main streams in politics. One stream is BJP-led NDA which wants to strengthen the people of India… on the other side is INDI alliance which wants to fill their own pockets by seizing the property of the people,” he alleged.

The PM also highlighted the work done by the BJP for the people of the state and said under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the farmers of Araria received Rs 1600 crore directly in their bank accounts.

“People of Bihar still shudder at the memory of the Jungle Raj. People from Araria and Seemanchal have made up their mind to teach a lesson to the nepotistic parties…,” PM Modi said.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Maybe I was born here in my last birth, or will be born again as child of a Bengali mother’: PM Modi seeing overwhelming love of people in Malda

OpIndia Staff
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‘Maybe I was born here in my last birth, or will be born again as child of a Bengali mother’: PM Modi seeing overwhelming love of people in Malda

Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the masses in the Malda region of West Bengal saying that he was feeling overwhelmed by the love and support extended to him by the voters of Bengal. “Aapka prem mere sar aankhon par…” said the Prime Minister during his rally in Malda as people loudly cheered ‘Modi-Modi’.

“You people are showering so much love that I think I have a deep-rooted connection with you all and West Bengal. As if I were born here in my past life or I will take birth here in my coming life, as the child of a Bengali mother. You people have gathered here in huge numbers and many are suffering due to heat and the crowd, but are still standing strong behind me. I feel overwhelmed,” PM Modi said.

During the address, PM took a jibe at the TMC and the Congress party saying that they both cared very little for the betterment of the country and its citizens. He said that in an attempt to appease the minority community, both parties were snatching the rights of Dalits and OBCs.

“TMC and Congress are just pretending to be in a conflict in the state, but the truth is, the character and ideology of both these parties is the same. Appeasement is the common thing between TMC and Congress, for which they can do anything and everything. They want to revoke each and every decision taken by us for the safety of our country. INDI alliance wants to revoke Article 370, TMC says it will abolish CAA… Many beneficiaries of the CAA include Dalits. For the sake of appeasement, TMC and Congress want to reject them,” he said.

Further, he said that the Congress party will continue to loot the people even after their deaths. “Congress has declared it will investigate all assets of the poor people. They have brought an X-ray machine from abroad and will conduct an X-ray of everyone in the country… They want to seize all assets, including jewelry and property, and give a part of it to their vote bank. But TMC did not speak a word against it and is supporting it by staying quiet… TMC settles illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in the state by giving them your lands, and Congress is talking about giving away your wealth to this vote bank… Congress’ loot will continue ‘Zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi’,” he said.

PM Modi meanwhile also said that the BJP intends to work for the farmers of Malda who grow the best Makhanas and mangoes. “We say that the mangoes and ‘makhana’ produced by the farmers of Malda is world famous. The income of these farmers should increase, for which, we will set up a food processing industry. TMC demands their share in that also,” he said.

“Nothing can happen in Bengal without corruption. They did not even spare farmers… TMC has regularly played with the future of Bengal’s youth… 26000 families were left jobless, along with the burden of loans they had taken to pay TMC to secure those jobs,” he added.

He further also said that the state of West Bengal had now become only the center of scams and corruption. “There was a time when Bengal was the driver of India’s development. Be it social reforms, scientific advancements, philosophical advancements, spiritual advancements, and even sacrificing life for the country. There was no sphere of life that was not led by Bengal. But first the Left, and then TMC rule, sabotaged the greatness and respect of this state and even stopped development. Under the rule of TMC, only one thing prevails in Bengal, which is thousands of crores of scams,” he stated.

General elections in India began on 19 April and will continue until 1 June 2024. The voting has been planned to happen in seven phases, to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 4 June 2024.

Supreme Court Registry rejects plea challenging constitutional validity of Collegium system

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court Registry rejects plea challenging constitutional validity of Collegium system

The Supreme Court’s Registry refused to register a writ petition filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara and others challenging the validity of the Collegium system of appointing judges in constitutional courts, stating that the plea was filed to overstep established legal principles or with an ulterior motive.

In a six-page order, Supreme Court Registrar Puneet Sehgal on 24th April said that the Collegium system had already been upheld, but the NJAC, which gave the government an equal involvement in judicial appointments, had been overturned by a Constitution Bench in October 2015. In 2018, a review plea against the judgement was also dismissed.

“In my opinion, the prayers as have been sought for have already elaborately been covered in the aforementioned judgment which is a judgment in rem dated 16th October, 2015. The present petition, in one manner or the other replicates the issues as have already been put to rest by detailed judgment (supra). In order to prevent needless waste of judicial time and energy, it is critical to ensure litigants do not overburden courts with the matters already stands adjudicated,” the SC registrar said.

“Additionally, the repeated litigation of an already adjudicated matter is generally not in the public’s best interest. The principle of res-judicata bars the invoking of provisions of law as sought by the petitioner. It appears that the present petition has been filed in order to over-reach the principles of settled law or with some ulterior motive,” he added.

The instant plea was brought on the grounds that the Collegium System of judicial selection has resulted in the denial of equal opportunity to petitioners and thousands of lawyers. The petitioners primarily sought a mechanism to replace the Collegium and a revision of the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014.

Given that the 2018 review plea against the NJAC judgement was also dismissed, the registrar said that that the petitioners, under the garb of Article 32 of the Constitution, are seeking a review of the 2015 verdict.

“By virtue of the present petition, the petitioners under the garb of original jurisdiction are seeking a review of the judgment dated 16th October 2015 remedy of which has already been exhausted in Review Petition (Civil) No. 3831 of 2018 and the same cannot be legally permitted to be re-agitated again. Moreover, once the Hon’ble Court has been pleased to settle down a law the same cannot be allowed to be reopened by invoking the civil original jurisdiction of this Court,” the Registrar said.

Notably, the NJAC was proposed as a body to appoint Chief Justices, Supreme Court judges, and High Court judges, replacing the collegium system. The commission was constituted under the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2014. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the NJAC into an Act on December 31, 2014. According to the Act, the commission was composed of the Chief Justice of India (Chairman of the NJAC), two senior Supreme Court judges, the law minister, and the opposition leader.

Lok Sabha election: TMC workers attack BJP leader and workers, surround Balurghat candidate Sukanta Majumdar while raising offensive slogans

OpIndia Staff
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Lok Sabha election: TMC workers attack BJP leader and workers, surround Balurghat candidate Sukanta Majumdar while raising offensive slogans

On 26th April, the second round of the Lok Sabha election commenced and reports of violence and altercations have already surfaced from West Bengal where voting is taking place in three North Bengal constituencies including Raiganj, Balurghat and Darjeeling. Notably, the members of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC or TMC) camped out within 100 meters of a voting booth installed at Patiram Vivekananda Girls School in Balurghat in an attempt to influence the voters. Jyotish Roy, the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha was physically assaulted for opposing the same.

BJP state unit president and Lok Sabha candidate from the area, Sukanta Majumdar reached the location upon receiving the information, however, he was met with “Go Back” slogans as the TMC workers surrounded him and started protesting which led to a conflict between the two sides. The BJP leader accused the TMC of “thuggery” as well as charged that the police administration is “pimping” for the TMC government and is not taking the necessary steps. Furthermore, he voiced that he had been the target of hostile slogans from TMC workers.

He also voiced his anger towards the IC (inspector-in-charge) and stated, “I have notified the Election Commission. Is it within the rules that slogans can be raised within 100 meters of the polling station? Our booth agent was beaten up. The TMC is indulging in hooliganism to win the election. IC isn’t doing its work properly. Two police officers have already been suspended for incompetence. If this continues then we will take action against the IC.”

Meanwhile, the TMC workers in Balurghat’s Khadimpur Masterpara attacked a BJP member for utilizing his democratic right to vote. The official handle of the party’s state unit also posted about the incident and wrote, “TMC’s goons strike again in Balurghat, Khadimpur Masterpara, assaulting a BJP activist for exercising his democratic right to vote. This blatant display of thuggery exposes TMC’s fascist agenda to suppress opposition voices. Shame on TMC for resorting to such cowardly tactics.” Additionally, the Election Commission of India was tagged to alert them to the situation.

TMC worker hurt in blast while making bombs

On the night of 24th April, 40-year-old Zinnah Ali was reportedly injured in his right hand in an explosion while constructing crude bombs in Murshidabad, West Bengal. His hand was blown as a result of the blast. The incident transpired in Munai Kandra hamlet, Burwan of the Berhampore Lok Sabha seat. A loud sound roused the residents from their sleep and they discovered Zinnah Ali lying unconscious in a pool of blood and was taken to Birbhum immediately.

Jayanta Das, the spokesman for the Murshidabad district Congress, stated that TMC workers were manufacturing homemade bombs to intimidate opposition members before the poll. There was a polling place 50 yards away from the location. The state police and district administration have been asked to provide a report by the Election Commission regarding the occurrence. Berhampore will go to elections on 13th May.

The incidents of finding country-made bombs during elections in the state are very common. A large number of bombs have been found in Murshidabad last year. Bombs are used in elections, ranging from panchayat to assembly and Lok Sabha. Last year, 35 bombs were found near the pond in Murshidabad on the repolling day of the panchayat elections. Likewise, there were reports of bombings on the day of the first voting phase. Bombs were also found outside the house of a BJP worker.

Supreme Court instructs ECI to keep Symbol Loading Units in strong rooms after elections: Read what these devices are and how the order will impact polls

Raju Das
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Supreme Court instructs ECI to keep Symbol Loading Units in strong rooms after elections: Read what these devices are and how the order will impact polls

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court of India on 26 April rejected pleas to revert to paper ballot-based elections and 100% matching of VVPAT slips with EVM results. The apex court ruled that the current system of voting in Indian elections with EVMs will continue, satisfied with the safety features of the system as explained by the Election Commission of India.

However, the Supreme Court added one more feature to the system, as it ordered that the Symbol Loading Units should be sealed after symbol loading of VVPATs to be done after 1 May 2024, and they should be kept in a strong room with EVMs for at least 45 days following the post results. The court ordered that candidates or their agents will sign on the seals of the SLUs, like the current practice with EVMs and VVPATs. Now, what is this Symbol Loading Unit and what does it do? Here is a short explanation.

The VVPAT machine is an additional feature added to the EVM which prints the name, symbol and serial number of the candidate after a vote is cast on the ballot unit. The EVM control unit and ballot unit actually do not contain any information regarding candidates, the system records the votes only against the serial number. However, with the introduction of the VVPAT, there is a requirement to load the candidate information in the system.

This task is done with the Symbol Loading Unit, a small device which loads the information of the candidates into the VVPAT machine. Therefore, while the voters see three units at the polling booth, the EVM control unit, ballot unit and the VVPAT printer, there is a fourth device involved in the process, the Symbol Loading Unit. However, this device is not attached to the VVPAT during voting, it is only used to load the candidate names and symbols to the VVPAT machines ahead of the polls.

The VVPAT machines store the candidate names and image files of their symbols, along with the serial number, and this needs to be loaded into the machine before an election. The Symbol Loading Unit works as an interface to complete this task. The SLU is first connected to a computer to receive the required names and symbol image files. After the files are downloaded into the SLU from the computer, it is disconnected from the computer and connected to the VVPAT using a dedicated cable and port.

After that, by selecting the relevant options from the menu, the names and symbols are loaded onto the VVPAT machines. After the loading, the SLU is disconnected to the VVPAT, and is used to repeat the process with other VVPATs, using the data already stored in it. Afer the loading, tests are done to ensure that the machine is printing the slips correctly.

While every polling booth requires a VVPAT machine, a single SLU is used to load symbols into several VVPATs. As all booths in a constituency have the same candidates with the same serial numbers, the same SLU can be used for all the VVPATs in a constituency. As per ECI data provided to the Supreme Court, the poll body has 4800 SLUs at present.

The Symbol Loading Units are manufactured by two PSUs, Electronics Corporation of India and Bharat Heavy Electricals, and the engineers of the companies visit the election offices carrying the SLUs ahead of the polls to load the symbols. Before the preparation of the EVMs for polling, the SLUs are kept in the custody of the concerned Returning Officer.

The symbol loading process is done by the ECIL/BEL engineers in the election offices in the presence of representatives of recognised national and state-level political parties. At the time of loading the symbols, a monitor is also attached to the SLU, which displays the symbols being installed, which can be viewed by the candidate agents. After everything is set up, the system is verified by pressing every button on the ballot unit once. Then, the EVM sets are kept in strong rooms before they are dispatched to the polling stations ahead of the election.

On the other hand, after the process is complete, the SLUs are kept in the safe custody of the District Election Officer. A day after the polls, the units are returned to the engineers of the respective manufacturer, Electronics Corporation of India or Bharat Heavy Electricals, as per current provisions. This is done so that the SLUs can be taken by the engineers to the constituencies that go for polling in the subsequent phases, to complete the symbol-loading process. This way, the ECI reuses the same SLUs for multiple constituencies in different phases of elections.

However, now this will change after 1 May, and SLUs will have to be kept in strong rooms for 45 days. Now the SLUs can’t be handed over to the manufacturer’s engineers for the next phase of polls.

This will mean that the ECI will require a larger number of SLUs, as they can’t be reused now in different constituencies. At present, Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) has 1,400 SLUs and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has 3,400 SLUs.

Elections to 191 constituencies will be completed by today, while polls will take place in 352 constituencies in the next 5 phases after 1 May. Multiple SLUs are used to load symbols into the huge number of VVPATs in multiple election offices in each constituency.

For the current Lok Sabha polls, the ECI has set up over 10.5 lakh polling stations in the country, each having multiple polling booths. As per the ECI, over 55 lakh EVMs have been deployed for the polls. This translates to over 10,000 EVMs per constituency. Apart from use in polls, the poll body also keeps a sufficient number of EVMs ready for replacement in case of EVM failure or other issues.

Therefore, it is not known whether 4,800 SLUs will be enough for the ECI to conduct the next 5 phases of the elections.

While the Supreme Court rejected the plea to count all VVPAT slips, the court also asked the ECI to look into the possibility of an electronic machine for counting the (VVPAT) paper slips. The court further asked if a bar code can be printed along with the name and symbol of a candidate, to speed up a probable electronic counting process.

‘Hit them, burn Kafirs to death’: Deadly attack on Hindu trader near Ram temple in Bharuch’s Ochchan; 11 including Abdul, Feroza, Sabina booked

Krunalsinh Rajput
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‘Hit them, burn Kafirs to death’: Deadly attack on Hindu trader near Ram temple in Bharuch’s Ochchan; 11 including Abdul, Feroza, Sabina booked

A Hindu businessman managing a general grocery shop was attacked under the Ramji temple in Ochchan village, Wagra taluka, Bharuch district of Gujarat. The businessman and his wife were both reported injured in the incident that occurred. On the other hand, the people who came to safeguard the businessman from the Muslim mob, including the sarpanch, were also attacked and beaten up by the mob. The accused allegedly intended to kill the victim. Currently, the police have filed an FIR against the group of 11 people, including two juveniles, and are taking required action in the case. 

According to the information gathered, the event occurred in Ochchan village, which is part of the Wagra police station in the Bharuch district. A few stores have been built near the Ramji temple in the village, and Kishan Kumat, a Rajasthan native, owns a food store to support his family. On April 21, at about 10:30 pm, two sons of the accused, Abdul Ahmad Patel, visited Kishan’s shop to buy something. The duo attacked Kishan for being asked to take their goods and leave over their abusive language.  

According to the complaint submitted by Kishan, while Abdul’s boys had been loitering and using abusive language near the shop, Kishan cautioned them that the women customers were standing and that they should avoid speaking abusively. Hearing this, both of them became furious and began to abuse the businessman and his wife.

Hearing the brawl, a group of 15 to 20 persons, including Javid, Hujef, Mustaq, Riyaz, and Abdul, approached. The throng surrounded Kishan and began thrashing him. According to the FIR, the rest of the mob threw stones at a business near the temple. Meanwhile, there was also an attempt to burn down Kishan’s shop.

Stabbed… set on fire… I barged into a neighbour’s house: Victim Kishan

OpIndia called the victim, Kishan Kumawat, to find out more about the situation. Kishan told OpIndia, “Both of Abdul Patel’s children have been violently opening jars in my shop and eating them at will for quite some time now. If I ask for money, they suggest we move out of the village. Yesterday, they both came to my shop and spent a while there. But they began using abusive language and I didn’t like that.”

Kishan went on to say, “While I asked them to leave, a group of 15-20 people including Abdul Ahmad, Riyaz, Feroza, Sabina, Taslima, Saeed, Mushtaq, Hujef, and Javeed showed up. The others surrounded me and began beating me. When my wife intervened, she too was beaten. The folks around me stepped in and rescued me. Those people who came to attack me were shouting that I should be killed. Amidst all of this, my neighbour offered me a place to escape. But by the time the local sarpanch arrived, he was also attacked. I came out of the neighbour’s house and saw an effort was being made to set fire to my shop.”

He stated, “Meanwhile, after informing the police, a police convoy rushed to the scene and dispersed the crowd.” The cops likewise put out the fire in the corner of my shop. I would have been slaughtered if my neighbours hadn’t sheltered me in the house and the people, including the local sarpanch, hadn’t stepped in.”

I was in the middle of saving Kishan but Muslims beat me too – Sarpanch Dharmendrasinh Rana

It is worth mentioning that in this incident, apart from the Hindu businessman, Dharmendra Singh Rana, the Sarpanch of the village was also attacked. OpIndia also contacted him and confirmed the incident. “There was a wedding in the village and I had gone to attend it. Meanwhile, someone came and told me that Kishan, who manages a grocery shop near Ramji temple, is being attacked by a Muslim mob, save him or they will kill him. Hearing this, I and some others went there to calm the quarrel. As soon as I got in between, those people attacked me, too. Tore my clothes. I have obtained back and neck injuries. There were a few women also in the attacking mob, and all of them were so fierce that they were talking about killing Kishan.”

During the conversation, he also acknowledged that there was an attempt to burn down the victim’s shop. He stated, “The entire region where the incident occurred belongs to Hindus, and our Ramji temple is there. The attackers were heard shouting ‘Stab him’. The cops arrived, investigated the situation, and took appropriate action.”

It is worth mentioning that in this whole incident, the Wagra Police of Bharuch district have arrested Abdul Ahmad Patel and his 2 children, Riyaz Mustaq Patel, Firoza Mustaq Patel, Sabina Mustaq Patel, Taslima Mustaq Patel, Taslima Abdul Patel, Saeed Ahmad Patel, Mustaq Ahmad Patel, Hujaif Zakir Patel and Javid Adam Patel and has registered an FIR under Sections 143, 147, 149, 323, 337, 436, 504, and 506 (2) of the IPC against 11 people. A copy of the FIR is available with OpIndia.

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